The ACT Brumbies will be playing to save their season on Saturday. Their opponents, the Canterbury Crusaders, will be playing for a city.
They're two motivations which couldn't be more different, and in the end the result of the Super Rugby match matters little given the context of what Christchurch has endured since a gunman killed 50 people in a terror act.
The Crusaders will rally together for the Christchurch community this week.Credit:AAP
It will be an emotion-charged game and the first chance for the Crusaders to play in front of their home crowd since their city was rocked on March 15.
The Crusaders know how to play for their city. They know how to unite their rugby community. They know that sometimes sport can be the vehicle to help people deal with things much more powerful than winning or losing.
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The Crusaders know what they stand for, even though there is debate about whether they should change their name and logo after recent events. They stand for their city and the club's history of being the most successful team in Super Rugby.
But what about the Brumbies? What do they stand for? What do they want to be known for?
It's time for the Canberra side to play for something more than wanting to win because that alone won't be enough to beat the Crusaders or to be a contender this year.
The Brumbies have to look deep down and figure out why they're playing this year, why Canberra fans should invest in them and why they can turn around their season.
Christchurch is one of the most intimidating venues in Super Rugby. The Crusaders are the most successful team in the competition's history and won 19 games in a row before losing two weeks ago.
The Brumbies haven't beaten the Crusaders in any game in the past 10 years. They haven't won in Christchurch since 2000. They haven't won anywhere in New Zealand in the past five years.
But the most alarming thing of this year? The lack of desire, passion and conviction to winning the small moments that make or break title chances.
The Brumbies are in danger of being out of finals contention just seven games into their season if they lack a spark this weekend, like they did against the Queensland Reds in their last game.
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar must be tearing his hair out trying to come up with a solution to his team's woes.
The Brumbies have won just two of their six games so far. Frustratingly they've been in contention to win all but one of those matches.
Happier times: The Brumbies beat the Chiefs in round two.Credit:Dion Georgopoulos
They showed their best in a thumping win against the Waikato Chiefs, scoring tries from impossiblRead More – Source
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