ter bury , ▁and ▁West ▁Coast ▁rugby ▁un ions . ▁The ▁original ▁Cr us aders ▁team ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁was ▁capt ained ▁by ▁All ▁Black s ▁prop ▁Richard ▁Lo e ▁and ▁co ached ▁by ▁V ance ▁Stewart . ▁The ▁Cr us aders ▁strugg led ▁in ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁season ▁and ▁finished ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁table ▁with ▁only ▁two ▁wins . ▁Their ▁eight ▁losses ▁included ▁a ▁ 4 9 – 1 8 ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁Blues ▁and ▁a ▁ 5 2 – 1 6 ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁Queensland ▁Red s . ▁And ▁the ▁First ▁ever ▁tour ▁was ▁a ▁pre - vis it ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ▁prior ▁start ▁of ▁Super ▁ 1 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁season ▁saw ▁a ▁change ▁in ▁captain ▁and ▁coach , ▁with ▁Tod d ▁Black ad der ▁succeed ing ▁Lo e ▁as ▁captain ▁and ▁Wayne ▁Smith ▁taking ▁over ▁as ▁coach . ▁With ▁five ▁wins , ▁the ▁team ▁finished ▁the ▁round - ro bin ▁stage ▁in ▁sixth ▁place . ▁The ▁improvement ▁was ▁particularly ▁illustrated ▁by ▁the ▁Cr us aders ' ▁ 2 9 – 2 8 ▁loss ▁to ▁the ▁def ending ▁champions , ▁the ▁Blues , ▁which ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁their ▁ 4 9 – 1 8 ▁loss ▁the ▁previous ▁season . ▁( The ▁Blues ▁also ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁title ). ▁During ▁this ▁loss , ▁Leon ▁Mac Donald ▁was ▁taken ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁shoulder ▁charge ▁by ▁Robin ▁Bro oke . ▁While ▁the ▁Cr us aders ▁attempted ▁to ▁get ▁Mac Donald ▁back