Marcell Coetzee of the Sharks. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/STEVE HAAG

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THE Crusaders may have won the last of their seven Super Rugby titles in 2008, but they are still regarded as a crack rugby unit.

Ulster-bound Sharks loose-forward Marcell Coetzee has not witnessed a Crusaders’ triumph since his debut in 2011, but the 24-year-old is in awe of their pedigree.

After all, he has won only one of the three matches he has played against the Christchurch team. Retired All Black captain and World Cup winner Richie McCaw loomed large in those clashes. A Crusaders squad without McCaw takes some getting used to, but that is the case now. Coetzee still expects them to be well-drilled at the breakdown and acknowledged them as the benchmark on which he gauges himself as an openside flanker.

The seasoned Matt Todd will be Coetzee’s openside adversary.

"The legacy McCaw left for the younger players to reap off was exceptional and their approach to the breakdown won’t be any different. They give the breakdown serious attention and every player is involved. It’s not just something they leave to the flankers. The game has evolved in that way and everyone has to fetch at some point," Coetzee said.

"Every team brings a different breakdown challenge, the Jaguares being a case in point. However, the New Zealand teams are often the best breakdown exponents. Most teams have their own unique breakdown identity, but it’s become a focal point for every team now."

The mental scars from last year’s 52-10 Easter Saturday massacre have hardly healed, but the Sharks became a better team from that experience. The class of 2016 is younger, vibrant and, more importantly, unbeaten going into Saturday’s clash at King’s Park.

While Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder is expected to field an All Black-laden side with a vastly experienced pack, they still wear the look of a team in transition in Dan Carter and McCaw’s absence.

Coetzee’s 28 Springbok caps does not allow him to underestimate the Crusaders, especially after last year’s humiliation. Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold has referred to some Super Rugby games being Test matches.

"You can call every Super Rugby game a Test match because it’s a tough competition and the Crusaders have a history of producing All Blacks. They may have lost key players in McCaw and Carter but they still have some class All Black operators. We’ll have our Test match mentality and we’ll approach the game with full confidence and composure," Coetzee said.