Crusaders unsure if Joe Moody will play for them again this season
Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson is unsure whether veteran prop Joe Moody will feature at all during the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
Moody was an injury casualty in last week’s 27-23 defeat at the hands of the Blues in Christchurch, departing the field near the end of the first half with a knee injury.
Speaking to media on Thursday, Robertson was reluctant to give a definitive timeline around when Moody might return to action as awaits scans to determine the severity of the injury.
“Unsure… It doesn’t look good,” Robertson said when asked whether Moody will play for the Crusaders again this year.
“Joe’s got a decent injury, so he’s going to get his knee scanned, trying to make sure we’ve got the right scans so that we’ve got a full report on it, but he definitely won’t be with us in Australia, and potentially longer. That’s all I can give for now.”
News of Moody’s injury is a blow not only for the Crusaders, who highly value the 33-year-old loosehead prop’s seniority and experience, but potentially also for the All Blacks.
While it’s yet to be determined just how long the 57-test international will be sidelined for, the uncertainty about his availability for the Crusaders casts a shadow of doubt over whether he will be fit to play for the All Blacks against Ireland in July.
All Blacks boss Ian Foster is already contending with the long-term shoulder injury to Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown, while a raft of other prospective players have been sidelined in recent weeks.
That list of players includes Brodie Retallick (broken thumb), Dane Coles (extended leave), Shannon Frizell (knee), Brad Weber (shoulder), Akira Ioane (foot), Finlay Christie (concussion), Alex Hodgman (concussion) and Josh Ioane (ribs).
In Moody’s absence, the Crusaders have called in former Chiefs prop Ryan Coxon as an injury replacement, and he joins the squad as one of four loosehead prop options alongside George Bower, Finlay Brewis and Tamaiti Williams.
More positively, Robertson will welcome back All Blacks midfielder Jack Goodhue from the ruptured ACL injury he sustained while playing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Aotearoa last April.
It’s been more than a year since Goodhue last took to the field, and Robertson is eager to see his star man back in action this weekend after naming the 26-year-old to start at second-five against the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park on Sunday.
“Jacky G’s an important part of our group over the years, on and off the field,” Robertson said.
“He’s a man of big heart, big engine, and it’s timely. He brings a bit of energy back into the group. We know he’s a great player, but also a great man, so we’re all really pleased for him.
“The knee injury that he had was a big one You don’t get many bigger in regards to a contact sport, so we’re really pleased for him and his efforts.”
Goodhue isn’t the only injury returnee for the Crusaders, as experienced lock Sam Whitelock has shaken off a broken finger to return to the starting lineup for the first time since their loss to the Chiefs in Christchurch last month.
“Sam’s a general commander, he’s got his hand across everything and been around, seen it all, played in the biggest matches, and it’s timely for us,” Robertson said of Whitelock’s return.
“He’s obviously into being our vice-captain and he does a lot of work on and off the field for us, so his presence is important for us.”
Whitelock takes the place of the suspended Scott Barrett, who is serving a four-week ban for his high tackle against Hodgman during last week’s defeat to the Blues.
That suspension means Barrett will miss the Crusaders’ entire tour of Australia, where they will face the Rebels, Waratahs, Force and Brumbies in consecutive weeks.
Robertson described Barrett’s indiscretion as “out-of-character” and said the Crusaders captain will use his time away from the squad to improve his “mental game” and tackling technique.
“He’s genuinely disappointed in himself. Pretty hard on himself, Scott, and he’s taken a step back and put a big process in place for himself to get better, just to probably help himself in his mental game,” Robertson said.
“It’s pretty out-of-character. He’s been great for a couple of years now, but, at that moment, it could have been better. He’s got a few more weeks to work on it technically, which is part of the [four]-week ban, and then also just on the mental side of his game.”
Elsewhere, flanker Sione Havili will link up with the squad following this week’s match after having missed the entire season thus far through injury.
“He won’t be travelling with us this Friday, but he’ll come and join the tour. We’ve got some great loose forwards and a lot of depth,”Robertson said.
“Sione’s pretty much back to full fitness and available to get picked, so he’ll get an opportunity this tour.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Havili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to comments