Ex-Highlanders speedster Josh McKay and a former All Black win Super Rugby lifelines from Crusaders
Former Highlanders outside back Josh McKay has been handed a Super Rugby lifeline by the Crusaders ahead of the upcoming Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign.
The 23-year-old wasn’t named in any of the five New Zealand franchise’s squads for the 2021 season after his three-year deal with the Highlanders expired in 2020.
His exclusion was met with surprise across the country, especially after he had starred for Canterbury in the Mitre 10 Cup and established himself as a regular starter for the Highlanders in last year’s edition of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
However, a long-term knee injury to Crusaders utility back Braydon Ennor has opened the door for McKay to return to Super Rugby Aotearoa, as he will act as injury cover for the one-test All Black for the entire season, it was reported by Stuff on Tuesday.
Ennor ruptured his ACL while representing the South Island during the North vs South match in Wellington last year, robbing him the chance of adding to his sole test cap as he continues to endure a nine-month recovery spell.
Experienced as a wing or fullback, and capable of playing first-five, McKay offers the Crusaders not only versatility across the backline, but also a ton of pace.
Regarded as one of the fastest players in the country, the move to the Crusaders will also be somewhat of a homecoming for McKay.
Born and raised in Christchurch, the Christchurch Boys’ High School product was a schoolboy star alongside All Blacks starlet Will Jordan.
The pair both represented the Crusaders and Canterbury at age-grade level right through to the U19 side of 2016, as well as New Zealand U20 in 2017, before Jordan signed with Tasman that year and McKay departed to the Highlanders the year after that.
The former schoolmates will now be reunited at the reigning Super Rugby Aotearoa champions, and, together, they could form two-thirds of an electric back three.
Form has been rewarded as the Highlanders add to their squad. https://t.co/FlCGtfqhsv
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 11, 2021
Spots among the Crusaders’ outside back contingent will be hard to come by, though, as Scott Robertson’s squad is stacked with talent out wide.
Given his status as one of the brightest attacking prospects in New Zealand, Jordan is bound to have his place in the starting side set in stone, as will fellow All Blacks star Sevu Reece.
The Mitre 10 Cup form of three-test utility David Havili for Tasman will also be difficult to ignore, although the same can be said of McKay.
Young wings Leicester Fainga’anuku and Chay Fihaki have also shown plenty of potential at varying levels of the game, and their odds of playing time may have increased through the injuries of George Bridge and Manasa Mataele.
Both players will be out for “at least” three-to-four weeks of Super Rugby Aotearoa due to chest injuries, which has paved the way for six-test former All Blacks powerhouse Rene Ranger to come into the squad as cover.
Ranger, a franchise icon at the Blues, last played Super Rugby for the Sunwolves in 2019 before jetting off to the United States to play for the now-defunct Colorado Raptors in Major League Rugby last year.
Returning to New Zealand following the cancellation of the MLR season due to COVID-19, the 34-year-old played for Northland in the Mitre 10 Cup in his third separate stint with the Taniwha.
Able to play both on the wing and in the midfield and renowned for his physicality, Ranger will add a plethora of experience and plenty of punch on either side of the ball for the Crusaders.
Both McKay and Ranger could face their old sides in the Crusaders’ two pre-season matches against the Highlanders in Temuka and the Blues at Eden Park next month.
The Crusaders will then kick-off their Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on February 26.
Comments on RugbyPass
I wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
4 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
4 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to comments