Northern | US

Crusaders opt for All Blacks-heavy bench for round 1 in Dunedin

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - JUNE 06: Will Jordan of the Crusaders attacks during the Super Rugby Pacific Qualifying Final match between Crusaders and Qld Reds at Apollo Projects Stadium, on June 06, 2025, in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

The Crusaders have named “a bit of a bomb squad” in their matchday 23 for Friday’s southern derby in Dunedin, opting to bring five All Blacks off the bench.

ADVERTISEMENT

Codie Taylor, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Kyle Preston, and Will Jordan make up the bulk of the impact unit for the reigning champs, with Tahlor Cahill, Corey Kellow and Taha Kemara in tow.

“We’ve got a bit of a bomb squad off the bench, which is exciting,” Crusaders head coach Rob Penney said when announcing the first matchday team of the year.

The coach has called upon Finlay Brewis, George Bell, and Seb Calder to start the game, while Scott Barrett’s non-playing sabbatical sees Antonio Shalfoon and Jamie Hannah pack down in the second row. Dom Gardiner joins a couple of All Blacks hungry to further their case for national selection in the back row, with Ethan Blackadder at openside flanker and Christian Lio-Willie at No.8.

In the backline, Noah Hotham and Rivez Reihana are the game-drivers, with captain David Havili and Braydon Ennor in the midfield. A back three of Leicester Fainga’anuku, Sevu Reece amd Chay Fihaki offers plenty of finishing power.

“The competition at 10 remains fierce. It’ll be a challenge and a contest throughout the year. Rivez earned the right to start, and Taha’s opportunities are going to come quickly,” says Penney.

“Leicester’s got a wide and varied skill set. He’s got a bit of licence, so he’ll be able to unleash himself when he sees the opportunities.”

Penney added that the team are expecting a hostile welcome from the Dunedin faithful.

“The Zoo’s the Zoo, isn’t it? It’s tradition down there, and it always adds to the atmosphere on a Friday night.”

“This is a good South Island derby, it’ll be ultra-competitive. You don’t have to look back through history too much to understand how Friday night’s going to start.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins
2
Draws
0
Wins
3
Average Points scored
19
28
First try wins
100%
Home team wins
80%

Crusaders team to play the Highlanders 

  1. ????Finlay Brewis
  2. George Bell
  3. Seb Calder
  4. Antonio Shalfoon
  5. Jamie Hannah
  6. Dom Gardiner
  7. Ethan Blackadder
  8. Christian Lio-Willie
  9. Noah Hotham
  10. Rivez Reihana
  11. Leicester Fainga’anuku
  12. (C) David Havili
  13. Braydon Ennor
  14. Sevu Reece
  15. Chay Fihaki

16. Codie Taylor
17. George Bower
18. Fletcher Newell
19. Tahlor Cahill
20. Corey Kellow
21. Kyle Preston
22. Taha Kemara
23. Will Jordan

VIDEO

Players unavailable for selection due to injury:

Macca Springer:  Quad, 1–2 weeks
Kershawl Sykes?Martin:  Hip, 1–2 weeks
Johnny McNicholl:  Hamstring, 3 weeks
Liam Jack:  Hamstring, 6–8 weeks
Maloni Kunawave:  Hamstring, 6–8 weeks
Cooper Roberts:  Stress fracture (fibula), 6–8 weeks
Cullen Grace:  Knee, return time currently unclear

RugbyPass App Download

News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!


Whether you’re looking for somewhere to track upcoming fixtures, a place to watch live rugby or an app that shows you all of the latest news and analysis, the RugbyPass rugby app is perfect.

ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video
LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

5 Comments
J
JW 44 days ago

I can’t remember being one to bemoan those old AB rest policies and still I like the idea of Barrett sitting out most the season, especially in situations like this where their a 3 or 4 quality players in the position. Hope the extra game time for these players continues their development.

B
Blackmania 44 days ago

LF on the wing… it makes no sense. We’re wasting our time with questionable selections that won’t prepare him for the international level. He’s a centre, not a winger. He doesn’t have the pace to play on the wing at international level.

J
JW 44 days ago

Is he their best center or even 2nd5 (not sure if you’re making that distinction) in the Crusaders though?

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

Comments on RugbyPass

Close Panel
Close Panel

Edition & Time Zone

{{current.name}}
Set time zone automatically
{{selectedTimezoneTitle}} (auto)
Choose a different time zone
Close Panel

Editions

Close Panel

Change Time Zone

Close
ADVERTISEMENT