Dan Perrin: Crusaders assistant coach on the side's victory over the Highlanders

0:00You're listening to The Weeknd's sport podcast with Jason Fein from News Talks at B I'm I want a game of rugby union last night. We hadn't super rugby Pacific The Heinen is basically pulled the pants down a crusade is it round one went down like a cup of cold sick and read a black Land so they tuned around and attempted to do something about it The ball's gone behind at the butt And then it gets flexed out the back that's gone forward and it is rolling to touch and that'll be it folks The Crusaders They avenge their defeat in round one against the Highlanders Here at Apollo project stadium by 29 points to 18 Yeah, it was a bit clunky and when you spend 30 minutes of your game with only 14 players on the park You'd all say that was quite lucky that result. We go now to the coaching staff of the Crusaders Assistant coach Dan Perrin joins the program now. So Dan after that you'd be feeling pretty relieved

1:04Yeah, morning dusk. Yeah, and I very very very happy for the boys Don't be a little bit of hurt near from round one and the last time we were at home The drumbees taught us a lesson. So We sort of delved into that throughout the week sort of a bit of internal motivation there for us So for the boys to go out there and It wasn't pretty. It wasn't clean Playing with 14 players for 30 minutes probably didn't help the cause either but Yeah, just really proud of some of the effort that they put in the key they showed to Protect your particular home Imagine what you could do if you actually had a full compliment for the full 80 minute Oh, mate. It's been the story to season. I think we've had that might be five yellow cards in total now already So yeah, it's a nearer the game we need to Need to tidy up. I think four of those have been been high shots as well. So Yeah, I think between that the coaching crew and Matt Todd there might be a little bit of tackle technique

2:07Craft happening this week, but yeah, like you said if we can keep 15 on the field and definitely going to help our rhythm and Yes, it's a particular as well because you feel them are being forward Yeah, we can tell players till you're blue in the face don't do it What does it take for them to actually take that advice to click that over when it's got to come from an internal four process Or is it just wrote learning repeating how do you go about doing this and saying no Yeah, we spent a lot of time on tackle technique and you know We walk it we talk it we run it we do it live like the boys do hours and hours Into their craft and I guess what we've got to understand is a pretty dynamic game and things can Pictures can change and split second and you know, I look back to Don Gardner's in the early rounds I look at show fihakis on the weekend My bros was one that you know you could have um, you know mitigated that was a bit of decision there

3:09But yeah, a lot of it's happening in split seconds I've just lowering that lowering our body height and general around the field I think and making sure we target beneath the balls that are second shoulder is Tackler is something to work on a lot. So uh, but yeah Our reactions split second decision making but we need to be there because Yeah, it's going to it's going to cost us dearly at some point So tell us about the condition of your players who's come through who hasn't what kind of state of the boys in and we're looking forward Of course to more and a pacific isn't it next week Yeah, a lot better off than what we were this time last week So uh, the injury of balls just come in there's three or four on the air Um, they've all got green dots beside their name, which is good So I think yeah, you're winning definitely helps um, but I will have had some boys that have put in I had to play tough on the weekend especially Yeah, some of our second rowers were getting pretty lot there with um Jamie Hanna and Liam checkout. So really proud of um Antonio Shelfine and Taylor Kaye. He'll Taylor Kaye which you played with uh

4:13uh broken um Uh Bone and his chest um, so yeah, he played played for pretty tough and he had a great performance in Antonio We'll tackle as well both runder injury clouds throughout the week. So they've all come through with flying colors and Yeah, we'll assess a couple um, yeah, hopefully due back this week as well. So um Yeah, stocks are on the rise a little bit from the injury front and I think Yeah, after more honorable got the by-week and um, it's going to come at a pretty handy time for us You a former muckle player so you'd be looking to the tazman players that are out there Smiling from air to air and then contribution to the crusaders uh over many years has been gold Looks like you found another one. Hey, he's a christ's kid. He's from christ. It's just moved up to sunny land Tell us a wee bit more about what they're calling him Ethan black at a part two It's uh dead ringer

5:14Sorry Ethan actually and yeah, like I love it uh, we've been tracking Johnny for a wee while right through um, you know It stays at cross collage and Yeah, I think he made the move, you know, there were quite a few slankers around and Kennebury with uh Corey Kahlo and um Tom Christie at the time So, you know, he's seen an opportunity to get up there and tazman just to get game to him But in PC and a bit more exposure at a higher level and yeah It is work at the New Zealand other 20s and world cup a couple years ago was uh, I think he started and almost played every minute of every game on that So he's got a massive engine. He's a big body is some athlete and uh character mate here's um A big set ranger for Ethan black at it just loves the grind loves the unseen if it Has work ethic not just uh, you know in the game, but you know in the gym on the computers Extremely diligent and yeah, just a great human that You know wants to be better and wants to make the people around and better So uh, we've got a lot of time for Johnny. He's got a massive future and yeah, we were just really proud of um

6:19You know as if it's throughout the week to set himself up and um and get a crack at the big time It's been planned extremely well for our development 15 Probably the player of the game and all four of those fixtures So he deserves the opportunity and we really represent yeah, Johnny Lee looks something else He looks like hey, yeah, he's in bag full of elbows shoulders and knees too. I wouldn't want to tackle that Yeah, no, we stay away from him when we're holding hit shields. That's for sure. I think Matt Todd Is laid claim that he's probably the hardest hitter and Todd is still likes to hold the hit shields just to Get a feel for these guys tackling and uh, you're Johnny's right up there when he hits those things That that was a positive Plainly the cards were in negative What else do you look toward after that game and go hey, you know what they're actually settling really well after what's been a pretty tumultuous season Yeah, just just the rhythm uh, you know, we're our own worst enemy in the first four rounds You know, even looking at that chiefs game. We've got a lot of the couple there

7:23Um After a poor start. So We've just been focusing on ourselves and you know, our era rate was far too high and those early parts are super ugly um, you know that It was better on the weekend. There's still some areas where they're handling and decision-making That we need to tidy up But for the most part um Yeah decision-making obviously discipline would be okay. I think 13 penalty three yellow cards As an area where we really have to tidy up as we spoke about before and um You know in any area that you're on the charge of around the line-out. I think it was your best line-out performance of the Of the seasons so far as well So there'd been a few honest conversations throughout the week and Yeah, really stoked for the boys and and have the line-out operated at um your teen out of teen on the weekend Um, couple areas to tidy up and a couple of areas there that we're really proud of Yeah, dare I say it he really couldn't go much further back with the line-out now could you Sorry, but it wasn't looking great And uh, well, we were actually we won 94% of the ball against the blues

8:26But you've got to look at the whole picture and the quality of ball that we were delivering and Uh One line-out got pushed out over the side line which just you know isn't good enough And then three deliveries to our halfback whether The halfback it overrun it or our delivery from the top of a line-out wasn't wasn't great So you know Winning the balls one thing but delivering top quality ball and or applying pressure through your mall You know is the big picture. So Yeah, some really honest conversations on on Monday morning with the whole four pack around You know our diligence to the line at the work we're putting in and Yeah, it wasn't one specific area. It was it was everything across the board. So Yeah, it was it was great to see the players respond the way they did this weekend and you know the trajectories are on the way up So uh, yeah, I'm really proud of them Dan Perrin. Thanks so much for your time. As always wishing you the best of best weeks get gusts stuck in and maybe keep the locks and the props separated

9:27Yeah Bring it back again and work for us during the week. I say get give us more of it Okay, Dan We will see. I just make sure I won't film it and report back to it. Dan Perrin the assistant coach of the crusaders I'd suggest a brilliant because they managed to pick up a win We've been pretty awful going into the sixth round with only one win, but as it happens there two and three So working out okay for the crusaders for the red and black For more from weekend sport with Jason fine listen live to news talk said B weekends from midday or follow the podcast on ihard radio