Crusaders vs Highlanders takes: World's best fullback, still not Crusaders of old

The Southern Derby sequel was hosted by a soon-to-be-demolished Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday night and kept fans on the edge of their seats until the 82nd minute.

The hosts’ discipline was poor, with three yellow cards making life harder than necessary, but the Highlanders only managed to score one try during the 30 minutes they had a one-man advantage.

Crusaders debutant Johnny Lee had a dream debut with two tries while chewing through double-figure tackles and carries. The performance displayed a strong work rate and again highlighted the Crusaders’ world-class development pathways.

Ultimately, the hosts created more opportunities, with nine linebreaks to the Highlanders’ five, and converted much more efficiently with their 22m entries.

Here are some takeaways from the Crusaders’ 29-18 win.

The Highlanders have bulked up

In 2025, the Highlanders struggled to compete in a few key areas. The team’s success rate at securing rucks was the lowest in the competition; their scrum’s competitiveness faded dramatically with the second unit, and while they were running and creating opportunities with the best of them, they weren’t executing, scoring the fewest tries of any team.

In 2026, the team’s numbers are up across the board.

The 129 kg presence of club debutant Tomás Lavanini, in particular, was felt in the scrum on Saturday evening, with the Puma’s power complementing that of fellow new recruit Angus Ta’avao and Mr Highlander himself, Ethan de Groot. The latter had a very impressive day at the office against All Black teammate Fletcher Newell.

There’s a more assured confrontational attitude to the men from the Deep South this year, who know what it takes to beat the big teams and are grounded in that graft.

Some more depth in the tight five has, of course, been tested by the injury to Fabian Holland, but the big boys up front are providing a far better platform this season.

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored

4.8

6

Entries

Avg. Points Scored

1.3

11

Entries

The best fullback in the world

Will Jordan is the elite of the elite. On Saturday evening, the 28-year-old produced his usual moments of magic that broke the game open for the Crusaders.

A stand-in captain after David Havili’s early exit, Jordan scored a superb solo effort try, stepping inside and gassing the Highlanders’ defence for a five-pointer not many could finish.

Another break in the 65th minute set up a try that was eventually disallowed, but it was another moment of brilliance that showed what he’s capable of.

Ramming the point home was the Crusaders’ inability to score against the Blues last week in Auckland, a game in which Jordan was rested, and his team managed to score just 13 points. The last time the Crusaders scored fewer points than that was in Fiji in 2024.

Jordan is the only rugby player on the planet to make the World Rugby Dream Team each of the past five years, a credit to his talent, consistency and availability.

With the form he’s started 2026 in, there’s no reason to expect that truly remarkable run will end anytime soon.

The southern derby is back

Three of the last four southern derbies have been decided by three points or fewer, with the Crusaders owning a slight edge in the last five games, having won three to the Highlanders’ two.

The Crusaders had dominated the rivalry, as they have done with most matchups in the past decade, prior to the more recent stretch. But now, there’s the competitiveness that the derby deserves.

Perhaps even more promising than the results, for fans wanting a spectacle, is the feeling on display in the contest. Multiple scuffles broke out, and the Highlanders certainly would’ve been paying attention to reports this week of infighting during a Crusaders training session, even if neither man involved in that training fight, Kershawl Sykes-Martin or Will Tucker, was selected for this game.

Regardless, Super Rugby thrives on rivalries, and the Highlanders’ return to competitive form is bringing plenty of spice to the 2026 season.

Still not the Crusaders of old

Three yellow cards and 19 turnovers conceded are not the statistics of polished title contenders, even if it is just round five of 16.

Those 19 turnovers are just two above the team’s average for the 2026 season, with only one team worse so far in the young campaign in that regard. The Crusaders had already received as many yellow cards as any opponent in Super Rugby heading into round 5.

In Christchurch, none of the above improved by any measure.

The aforementioned inability to score without Jordan’s interventions also raises real questions about the team’s attacking structures.

Head coach Rob Penney will, however, be a bit happier with his team’s ability to keep the Highlanders’ breakdown threats out of the ruck. The visitors managed just one steal on the night, having started the season as the most prolific fetchers in the comp. The Crusaders have had the worst ruck success rate of any team in 2026.

There are plenty of creases yet to be ironed out, but securing hard-fought wins despite being down to 14 men at three separate points will at least help the team take one step closer to the playoffs.