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How will Scott Robertson keep a full house of barnstorming backs satisfied?

By Tom Vinicombe
Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Photosport)

The Crusaders may have taken a few hits in the forwards in the Super Rugby off-season, losing the likes of Michael Alaalatoa, Andrew Makalio, Luke Romano, Whetukamokamo Douglas and Tom Sanders to other clubs, but they’ll once again start the year with unparalleled depth in the backs.

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The only full-time backline members to have departed following last season are Ereatara Enari, Brett Cameron and Manasa Mataele, who collectively managed just three starts between them in 2021. In their places, Scott Robertson has picked up former All Blacks Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, experienced Super Rugby campaigner Simon Hickey, and Kini Naholo, one of the most devastating young wingers in the country.

Even without those new additions, simply juggling the talents on offer from last season will prove a massive challenge for Robertson, with many of the selection decisions last year dictated by injury.

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After six straight starts in the No 13 jersey to kick off last year’s campaign, a ruptured ACL saw the All Black miss the latter half of the campaign. Fellow test representatives George Bridge and Braydon Ennor were also only available for small chunks of the season, which gave opportunities to the likes of Dallas McLeod, Leicester Fainga’anuku and Mataele.

Fainga’anuku, in particular, emerged as an impressive force in the midfield or on the wing and ended the season with 13 starts to his name – the same number as Richie Mo’unga, and the equal-most of any Crusader in the competition.

Meanwhile, some of last year’s new arrivals to the squad, such as Chay Fihaki and Isaiah Punivai, spent the vast majority of the season on the training field and getting the odd run out for the Crusaders Knights development side.

While injuries will inevitably also see some players struck down throughout the coming season – and Covid protocols will also likely play a part – Robertson may find himself struggling to regularly get all his cattle on the park.

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David Havili, Goodhue, Ennor and Fainga’anuku are all serious options in the midfield while the latter three could also feature on the wings.

Havili, of course, could play just about anywhere in the backline but found a home at No 12 last year and after an extended run of games there with the All Blacks, will surely continue in that role for the Crusaders. His partnership with Fainga’anuku brought the brains with the brawn but Goodhue will likely be given the first chance at outside centre, meaning Fainga’anuku and Ennor would have to settle for spots in the outside backs.

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Of course, it’s not like the Crusaders are short of talent out wide either, with both George Bridge and Sevu Reece suiting up for the national side this year, while Fihaki and Punivai’s performances for Canterbury last year indicated they’re ready for the challenges of Super Rugby.

Then there’s the World Rugby Breakout Player of the Year for last season, Will Jordan, who will presumably wear No 15 for the Crusaders, even if it’s on the wing where he made such a positive impact for the All Blacks.

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While the many options available is a good headache for Robertson to have, it could lead to a few uncomfortable conversations during the season – and possibly ahead of 2023.

The Crusaders players have always indicated that the great competition at the club brings out the best in them but the depth appears to be reaching a breaking point; there’s simply no way for all of their top players to be regularly accommodated in the backline, at that might force some of them to look elsewhere.

Reece, Bridge and Jordan all have contracts ending this season while the likes of Goodhue, Ennor, Fainga’anuku and Havili have an additional year to run on their deals with the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby.

Given the fact that all those players bar Fainga’anuku are All Blacks and the competition for spots in the national squad is so fierce, some of those players may be best served heading elsewhere around the country and 2022 could play a big part in determining who stays and who goes.

The Crusaders have all the backline talent they need to continue their storming run of success in Super Rugby for another season but if the full contingent are available for the bulk of the season, some players may find themselves pushed out of the first-choice side – which could lead to some tough decisions.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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