Crusaders 2023
-
Crusaders assistant coach James Marshall has conceded it will take a miracle for David Havili or Cullen Grace to feature again this season.
The pair will have scans on Tuesday before the Crusaders can be sure of the severity of Havili’s hamstring injury and Grace’s dislocated kneecap, but they’re preparing to defend their title without the midfielder and No 8.That would result in the Crusaders’ list of players done for the season due to injury ballooning to nine. They’ve also just farewelled young guns Macca Springer, Noah Hotham and Taha Kemera, who have joined the New Zealand under-20s ahead of their World Cup campaign.
Ahead of Saturday night’s regular season finale against the Hurricanes in the capital, the Crusaders have used a staggering 45 players this year, including 13 debutants.
Marshall confirmed flanker Ethan Blackadder, who hasn’t played since tearing his calf against the Brumbies on March 24, wouldn’t return against the Hurricanes, but he would train this week.
“He will be out training, needs to get a full week of training in before he returns. So, the aim for him is finals [week] one.”
If Havili is indeed finished for the year, it’s a significant blow to the Crusaders’ kicking game ahead of the sudden-death stage of the season.
Havili has an excellent short kicking game and, equipped with a booming punt, is often asked to unleash bombs from deep inside his own half.
Jack Goodhue and Dallas McLeod are the Crusaders’ primary options to replace Havili in the No 12 jersey.
“Yeah, I just think other guys are going to have to step up there. Obviously, Jack and [centre] Braydon both have left foots, so we might have to use those a little bit more,” Marshall said.
“A little bit more will come on Richie [Mo’unga] and Will [Jordan]. Our kicking nines, hopefully Willy [Heinz] will be back for those games, and [Mitchell Drummond] Drummy. I think everyone is just going to have to step up a little bit more." -
-
-
-
So our best 23 for the play-offs - currently...???
Williams, Taylor, Jager, Strange, Whitelock, Barrett, Christie, Blackadder
Drummond, Mo'unga, Fainga'anuku, Goodhue, Ennor, McLeod, JordanSykes-Martin, McAlister, Afoa, Havili-Talitui, Lio-Willie
Heinz, Burke, Patafilo -
-
-
@KiwiMurph said in Crusaders 2023:
@Chris-B still a formidable 23.
Far from terrible, but Moody, Newell, Grace, Havili and Reece in the starting XV would be significantly stronger - and the bench would get better as well.
Front row worries me against the top teams.
Test will be if we lose more players, because we're getting stretched in plenty of places.
-
-
@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2023:
@KiwiMurph said in Crusaders 2023:
@Chris-B still a formidable 23.
Far from terrible, but Moody, Newell, Grace, Havili and Reece in the starting XV would be significantly stronger - and the bench would get better as well.
Front row worries me against the top teams.
Test will be if we lose more players, because we're getting stretched in plenty of places.
Surely Havili wont be available. That looked a fairly decent hammy pull.
-
@Crucial Can't see it - unless he flies to Fiji for that special leaf treatment that Naholo(?) got.
If it's not as bad as it looked and if Dave is a fast healer he might get back late in the piece if we're still alive.
I guess that's the miracle they're talking of.
