Crusaders vs Hurricanes
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Lio-Willie was very good in the pre-season in the UK ...... ok it was pre season but some of theses guys dont look like they have improved from that slightly sleepy pre-season state.
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@nzzp man I hope the Canes can take full advantage of a Crusaders team lacking confidence. There will be some interesting selections this week and I'd imagine if Kemara starts again those odds could end up favouring the Canes by kick-off.
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@Winger I think there might be some rotation in this squad given the workload, maybe someone like Howden will get a rest this week and if Shields is available he will start IMO, he's our captain and will want to make a statement in a game like this.
I would start Sangster if Delany isn't available. IMO he offers more than Tucker and is taller which is a bonus. I've got a feeling we will see Morgan at 10 next week against the Rebels with Godfrey at 15. I want to see Godfrey at 10 but unless injuries strike I think we'll probably have to wait until next year once he's had an NPC running a team first.
If I had to forecast the team for this week it would look like this, which is pretty settled..
- Numia
- Aumua
- Lomax
- Delany / Sangster
- Walker-Leawere
- Shields (c)
- Lakai
- Iose
- Roigard
- Cameron
- Naholo
- Higgins
- Proctor
- Moorby
- Love
- O'Reilly
- Mafileo
- Tosi
- Sangster / Tucker
- Flanders
- Perenara
- Umaga-Jensen
- Rayasi
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@Chris no scoop on who's starting at 10? That selection along with Blackadder's availability are the two areas to note for me. I guess we won't find out until 4pm though.
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@Canes4life said in Crusaders vs Hurricanes:
@Chris no scoop on who's starting at 10? That selection along with Blackadder's availability are the two areas to note for me. I guess we won't find out until 4pm though.
No my Source is saying nothing very unusual.The Crusaders organisation has closed ranks this week.
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@Canes4life
Is Numia a good scrummager, because, based on last week's effort, he is a wrecking ball in the loose. -
@Frank yeah he's started very strongly this year. Him, Aumua and Lomax have rarely been bettered at scrum time this year. His work around the field is A1 and like Aumua he'll want to continue that form to press for AB selection having been selected in the AB XV side last year.
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Some of the match facts from opta:
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The Hurricanes will be aiming for back-to-back wins against the Crusaders in Super Rugby for the first time since March 2018, following their 27-26 victory when they last met in Super Rugby Pacific (3 June 2023).
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The Crusaders have lost each of their three matches in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season – their joint-longest losing run to begin a campaign in Super Rugby history (also L3 in 1996); in fact, the Crusaders have never lost four consecutive matches in Super Rugby.
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The Hurricanes have won each of their three matches in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season; the last and only time they began a campaign with a longer winning run was a seven-match span in the 2015 Super Rugby season.
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The Crusaders will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats against New Zealand teams in Super Rugby for the first time since March 2018, following their 29-33 loss against the Chiefs in their most recent New Zealand derby in Super Rugby Pacific (23 February 2024).
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Back at Home for the First Time in 2024: Crusaders Team Naming v Hurricanes
The Crusaders have named their team to take on the Hurricanes on Friday 15 March in their first home game of the 2024 season. Round 4 of Super Rugby Pacific is an all-NZ derby at Apollo Projects Stadium, kick off 7.05pm
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1 Xavier Numia
2 Asafo Aumua (cc)
3 Tyrel Lomax
4 James Tucker
5 Isaia Walker-Leawere
6 Devan Flanders
7 Peter Lakai
8 Brayden Iose
9 Cam Roigard
10 Brett Cameron
11 Kini Naholo
12 Riley Higgins
13 Billy Proctor (cc)
14 Josh Moorby
15 Ruben Love16 James O’Reilly
17 Pouri Rakete-Stones
18 Pasilio Tosi
19 Justin Sangster
20 Du’Plessis Kirifi
21 TJ Perenara
22 Peter Umaga-Jensen
23 Salesi Rayasi -
@Duluth said in Crusaders vs Hurricanes:
The Crusaders have named their team to take on the Hurricanes on Friday 15 March in their first home game of the 2024 season. Round 4 of Super Rugby Pacific is an all-NZ derby at Apollo Projects Stadium, kick off 7.05pm
Some poor selections
Heinz at HB
Springer (Murray should have gotten the start after last week)
Gardiner at 6Canes by 30
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Yeah Canes look the better squad from the two for sure. Good to see Kirifi back to provide impact off the bench. Plenty of experience and I’ll be disappointed if we don’t take the W here but I expect it to be close.
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Big game in determining where both teams seasons are heading I feel. Crusaders will be happy to be back home and it's never an easy place to play for opposition teams. Think there's only 5-6 points in this game either way.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Hurricanes:
Big game in determining where both teams seasons are heading I feel. Crusaders will be happy to be back home and it's never an easy place to play for opposition teams. Think there's only 5-6 points in this game either way.
maybe in previous years, where the pack was led by Whitelock and Taylor and SB, and the backline had Mounga and Jordan and Leicester and a decent midfield.
This is not that team. -
