Daryl Gibson set to become Waratahs’ secret weapon to end 11-year losing run against Crusaders

NEW South Wales have a secret weapon that can shatter the Crusaders’ incredible dominance over the Waratahs, writes Jamie Pandaram.

The Waratahs have a Super secret weapon

DARYL Gibson is the secret weapon who can shatter the Crusaders’ incredible dominance over the Waratahs.

Tahs coach Michael Cheika is a canny operator, recruiting Israel Folau, Kurtley Beale, Nick Phipps, Jacques Potgieter, Stephen Hoiles and Alofa Alofa — all crucial to NSW’s charge into this year’s grand final.

But his wiliest hiring yet shapes to be Gibson, the attack coach who joined Cheika at Moore Park last year.

If anybody can prepare and orchestrate a NSW victory over the Crusaders, it is Gibson, a man who won four premierships with the Canterbury franchise and has coached their most important players.

Waratahs No.12 Kurtley Beale is all smiles after crossing out wide for a try against th Brumbies.

Few know the inner workings of the Crusaders better than Gibson — and how to overcome the psychological hold they’ve had over NSW for a decade.

Daryl Gibson in his 2002 playing days for the All Blacks.

Gibson was part of the red and black army that annihilated the Tahs 96-19 in Christchurch in 2002.

He was assistant coach when the Crusaders defeated NSW 20-12 in the 2008 Super Rugby grand final.

He was there in the opposition coaches’ box two years ago when a Robbie Fruean rampage led the Crusaders to a 37-33 victory at Allianz Stadium.

He has influenced Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Kieran Read. He knows how Israel Dagg will react to pressure, and how to apply that pressure best. He is aware of how Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder prepares his teams, mentally and tactically.

An 11-year losing streak to one team is astounding in any club-based competition, and no doubt it has played on the minds of NSW players each time they encounter the Crusaders and the streak grows bigger.

The big difference this time around is that the final is in Sydney — the first time this city has seen a Super Rugby decider.

History is emphatic: the home teams have won 15 of 18 Super Rugby grand finals. Perhaps ominously, the only franchise to win the decider away from home is the Crusaders, and they did it three years in a row between 1998-2000 in Auckland, Otago and Canberra.

Waratahs No. 6 Stehen Hoiles wins a lineout in the semifinal versus the Brumbies at Allianz Stadium.

Gibson was a member of all of those teams.

He will have a good idea of how the Crusaders will prepare to pull off the road win a fourth time; what worked for them in those three years, what they will use as motivation, which weaknesses they will look to exploit.

When Cheika hired Gibson, he said: “To enact the change we want to make here, we need to change everything. I wanted someone fresh. Someone that guys here haven’t had much to do with or been coached by. We need to change the voices, change the approach.”

Originally published as Daryl Gibson set to become Waratahs’ secret weapon to end 11-year losing run against Crusaders