Highlanders endure rocky start to 2026 in preseason loss to Crusaders

The Crusaders kicked off their 2026 season with a dominant preseason win over South Island neighbours, the Highlanders, in Timaru.

Both sides deployed north of 35 players, including exciting wider training group members, in a match played under the hot summer sun in rural New Zealand. A fast start from the Crusaders levelled out to a comfortable 33-10 win.

New Zealand U20 graduates Manumaua Letiu and Johnny Lee combined for the first break of the game. While the Highlanders’ defence was good enough to force an error, their scrum was overpowered and surrendered the possession they’d just won.

It was the power up front that earned the Crusaders the opening points of the game, with Letiu bagging the five points on the back of a rolling maul. Taha Kemara added the extras from out wide.

The Highlanders only managed a brief sojourn into Crusaders territory before an Oli Mathis strip led to a monster Taha Kemara clearance. Mathis was the next to make a linebreak, but the ensuing offload his the ground.

The Highlanders continued to struggle with their exits, kicking into the Timaru wind. Chay Fihaki had a couple of dangerous carries early, with the second complemented by a clean Toby Bell linebreak and score. Kemara again converted.

Play resumed, and the Highlanders again managed to reach only just beyond the halfway line. An Ethan Blackadder breakdown steal brought the attack to an end, and the opening quarter was soon completed.

Blackadder was dominant with the ball in hand in the next phase of play, getting his team on the front foot with one carry and then scoring with his next. The flanker was substituted shortly after giving his team a 21-0 lead.

Braydon Ennor was prominent in the next period of the Crusaders’ attack, with Tomas Lavanini making his presence felt defensively for the Highlanders. Familiar themes continued, though, and the Crusaders won strong field position before another rolling maul resulted in a second try to Letiu.

The Highlanders finally managed to get their dangerous wing pairing of Caleb Tangitau and Xavier Tito-Harris involved just shy of halftime, and were rewarded with attacking momentum. Quick hands from Tito-Harris and fullback Stanley Solomon put Tangitau in space, and the All Blacks XV speedster wasn’t waiting for an invitation, winning the race to the try line.

The try left the score at 28-5 at the halftime break.

The second half sparked to life with a Maloni Kunawave break right by the Crusaders’ own line. A couple of attacking sets looked to capitalise on the field position generated, but lacked execution in the face of the desperate Highlanders defence. That was until Xavier Treacy got his hands on the ball, overpowering two tackles and scoring a brilliant solo effort.

The game looked to open up again for the Crusaders when Rivez Reihana put Tomasi Maka in space, but the hooker lost control of the ball when streaking downfield. The loose ball was collected by the Highlanders, and Reesjan Pasitoa gave the ball to Tangitau, who galloped to the try line untouched.

Kunawave continued to impress with every touch, but despite some more composed attack, the scoreline wasn’t ticking over at the rate of the opening 40 minutes.

A final score of 33-10 in favour of the Crusaders was cemented when the Highlanders were held up over the line in the 81st minute.