Fainga'anuku signals future No.7 plans with 'step ahead' suggestion

Versatile Crusaders outside-back Leicester Fainga’anuku has suggested that New Zealand must continue to adapt and think a “step ahead” if they want to remain world leaders.

The barnstorming loose-forward, at least for Friday night’s opener at One New Zealand Stadium, wore the No.7 jersey in the Crusaders’ 35-20 victory in Christchurch.

The 12-Test All Black worked tirelessly on both sides of the ball as he battled away for his try, which eventually came in the 49th minute.

Wearing white headgear on opening night made him hard to miss, while his 16 carries and eight tackles in his 80-minute performance highlighted his impact on both sides of the ball.

Speaking to Sky Sport immediately after the contest, Fainga’anuku didn’t mince his words about his position change, and why decisions like that could benefit New Zealand as a rugby nation.

The No.7 had featured for the Crusaders in the loose-forwards in both pre-season and the opening ten rounds, but the Super Round contest against the Waratahs was his first start in the back row.

“Yeah obviously got asked to be named at seven, look, as a country we used to be world leaders in rugby and I think if you have the vision to be able to take a step ahead and evolve the game, credit to the coaches here for truly believing in me,” the Crusaders No.7 said.

“With obviously such a short turnaround, the real challenge was stuff off the lineouts and mauls with the big boys, and there’s a lot of quality players in New Zealand that can do this.

“I guess it’s just having the vision and the belief to do that and evolve New Zealand Rugby.”

“There’s a lot of superlatives, he did everything we asked of him, plus more and he’s such a competitive man, and we knew he had a skill set to do the job,” Penney told media post-match.

“He just needed opportunity and what was, I think, a really stand out moment around the attitude of the other Crusaders, how they embraced that and helped him be the best he could be, and gave him a chance.

“That’s just a credit to the men that are around them, and the selfless attitude of the whole group.”

Player Carries

1

Dom Gardiner

16

2

Leicester Fainga'anuku

16

3

Antonio Shalfoon

15

Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar said that although they won’t be copying what Penney did with his positional switch, he was impressed with the way the outside back transitioned to the loose-forwards.

“We won’t be copy and pasting, he’s snuck into the back row in the last couple of weeks, the hybrid back rower has been used by the Springboks, he fits that mould,” the Waratahs coach said.

“He’s a powerful outside back that has an offload in him so as a back rower, he’s gonna bring a unique skillset and yeah he had his moments.”

The defending Super Rugby Pacific champions will finish the 2026 regular season with four tough New Zealand derbies, against the Chiefs, Blues, and the Hurricanes (twice).