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Crusaders hand young midfielder starting role in place of injured duo for Highlanders clash
The Crusaders have named a near full-strength team to face the Highlanders in the Super Rugby Aotearoa season-opener at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday.
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Young midfielder Dallas McLeod acts as the only anomaly in an otherwise set Crusaders starting side that features nine All Blacks.
McLeod will start at second-five, partnering with centre Jack Goodhue in the midfield. The 22-year-old’s opportunity comes after Braydon Ennor (knee) and David Havili (concussion) were both ruled unavailable due to injury.
Ennor is out for the season after rupturing his ACL in last year’s North vs South match, while Havili, who started at No. 12 in last week’s game-of-three-halves against the Chiefs, left the field with a head knock while attempting a tackle in that match.
“Dallas is a great young kid, we know that. Performed really well in the pre-season, so it’s a chance for us to get a wee combination going,” Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson told media on Wednesday.
“Great opportunity to build some depth at 12. That’s where Dallas has played the majority of his career, he’s ready to go.”
Aside from McLeod, who has just two Super Rugby caps to his name, the Crusaders will field the majority of their best players against their South Island rivals.
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All Blacks pair Joe Moody and Codie Taylor join Manu Samoa prop Michael Alaalatoa in an all-international front row, while captain Scott Barrett will link up with Sam Whitelock in the second row.
One-test All Blacks loose forward Cullen Grace retains his place at No. 8, where he shone in his side’s two pre-season matches, and will be accompanied by Ethan Blackadder and Tom Christie in the back row.
Experienced halves duo Bryn Hall and Richie Mo’unga will direct a backline that consists of McLeod and Goodhue in the midfield, as well as Leicester Fainga’anuku, Sevu Reece and Will Jordan in the outside backs.
The injury enforced absence of Irish prop Oli Jager allows rookie Fletcher Newell to come onto the bench for a potential debut.
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The 20-year-old is joined by fellow rookie Chay Fihaki in the reserves, while the rest of the subs are rounded out by George Bower, Quinten Strange, Sione Havili, Mitchell Drummond and Fergus Burke.
A total of six players are in line to make their debuts for the Highlanders against the Crusaders this Friday. #Highlanders #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/EbXsq73F0e
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 23, 2021
“We went with youth. He had a great pre-season, had a couple of great games, he’s a real talent and we trust him. It’s an opportunity to go and get a debut,” Robertson said of Newell, who broke the Crusaders academy squat record with a 255kg effort last year.
“Chay has a good boot on him, he’s good in the air. It’s just the right time for him.”
Robertson was excited for Friday’s clash given the history of tight affairs between the two sides over the years.
While the Crusaders can boast a five-match winning streak over their counterparts, as well as having claimed 28 of their 40 matches, Robertson expected the Highlanders to punch above their weight.
“All our games against the Highlanders the last five years have been tough. They’ve come down to a few moments, they’ve led a lot of those matches, they are a hell of a battle.
“We expect nothing less, they’ve got a little bit more depth in their squad and Tony Brown, he’s an astute coach. We’re expecting everything.”
Crusaders team to face the Highlanders on Friday
1. Joe Moody
2. Codie Taylor
3. Michael Alaalatoa
4. Scott Barrett (c)
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Ethan Blackadder
7. Tom Christie
8. Cullen Grace
9. Bryn Hall
10. Richie Mo’unga
11. Leicester Fainga’anuku
12. Dallas McLeod
13. Jack Goodhue
14. Sevu Reece
15. Will Jordan
Reserves:
16. Brodie McAlister
17. George Bower
18. Fletcher Newell
19. Quinten Strange
20. Sione Havili
21. Mitchell Drummond
22. Fergus Burke
23. Chay Fihaki
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Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments