'Let’s be very, very careful': Doubts persist over Leicester Fainga'anuku's long-term future at No.7

Crusaders’ new dynamic loose forward Leicester Fainga’anuku produced a stunning performance against the Blues in round 13 of Super Rugby Pacific, but doubts persist over his long-term future at openside.

Fainga’anuku showed his full range of skills in the victory over the Blues, using his kicking game for not one but two try assists that caught the Blues completely off-guard.

Expecting a carry, the No.7 used a chip kick to surprise the Blues, which bounced awkwardly in the backfield and was scooped up by lock Jamie Hannah. His second try assist was a perfect grubber kick for winger Sevu Reece.

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Aside from the kicking skills, Fainga’anuku showed his power game with a line break straight up the middle in the first half, while maintaining a high work rate with 11 carries and 15 tackles and two turnovers won.

Whether Fainga’anuku’s incredible form can translate to the next level was a big discussion point on this week’s The Breakdown.

Ex-All Black first five Stephen Donald believed that the 26-year-old has become a valuable option that is best suited to the bench, but is seriously becoming an option for the No.7 jersey.

“For me right now if you were looking forward to that South African Test series, I would say it’s either centre of impact off the bench, with the ability to play seven with 25 to go,” Donald said on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown.

“But when you watched Friday night, all of a sudden you were looking at him as a seven, not a 13.”

Former All Black Jeff Wilson was less convinced that he could bring this to the next level and urged the selectors to be “very, very careful” in their decisions.

“I think a lot of factors have happened for the Crusaders,” Wilson told the panel.

“Their forward pack has really started to announce their presence in terms of their scrum work, lineout work, their defence.

“He’s been a part of the optimism, the excitement and he’s doing things on attack in a position where normally you don’t get ball carriers.

“We’re seeing him chip kick and grubber where they’re thinking he might carry. However, let’s be very, very careful here, the step up as a flanker to the next level [is massive].”

Wilson’s preference was Blues’ German-born loose forward Anton Segner, who has had a breakout season since in 2026.

The 24-year-old has played across all the back row positions in his Super career, but recently found regular selection at blindside. Against the Crusaders, he replaced openside Dalton Papalii early in the first half and went head-to-head with Fainga’anuku.

The former All Black believed Segner fits the mould of a “genuine seven” which better suits the All Blacks.

“You talk about if someone has been better, I’ll tell you who’s been pretty good, his name is Anton Segner,” Wilson said.

“The engine to play seven, this is a play that’s happened at the 30-minute mark of the game and the difference between two guys having an understanding of the different engine you need,” Wilson said.

“There’s Leicester Fainga’anuku, who’s been into everything at this point, and Segner, who’s been on for just over 20 minutes at this point, and he’s playing at a different level.

“You talk about Du’Plessis Kirifi, you talk about Dalton Papali’i, you talk about genuine sevens.

“He’s [Fainga’anuku] doing all of the work in and around the breakdown, he’s doing some great stuff over the ball, but to say that it will translate to the international game and the tempo and the physicality of that, not quite yet.”