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Moana vs Crusaders takes: A+ development on show, dark horse POTY candidate
By Ben Smith
It’s starting to look ugly for Moana Pasifika after another heavy defeat, going down by 50-21 to the Crusaders in Albany on Saturday.
The Crusaders outside backs put on a clinic in Auckland, with the stars Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Chay Fihaki and Leicester Fainga’anuku shining. But the Crusaders young pack also stepped up, highlighting some of the country’s best emerging talents.
Here are quick takes following the Crusaders’ big win:
Crusaders A+ development on show
The Crusaders are well-known as having the country’s premier development system, which includes both local products and prospects recruited from all around the country.
Lock Jamie Hannah is into his fourth year of Super Rugby, and is now reaching a sweet spot in terms of his experience and athleticism. The 23-year-old is a machine around the park and his frame is maturing. He had double digit tackles and carries against Moana, with high energy and high work rate.
Rookie openside Johnny Lee has been a revelation in just two weeks. He is a workhorse who looks like a veteran out there. He came through the New Zealand U20 programme in 2023-24 and looks like an upgrade on Tom Christie. Lee scored a double on debut last week but against Moana he was equally impressive in the gritty work, completing 13 tackles, winning a turnover defending his goal line in the first half. With Oli Mathis waiting in the wings, the emergence of Lee highlights just how good the depth is at the Crusaders.
Last night’s best forward was All Black hooker George Bell, who only really started getting a lot of Super Rugby action in 2024 despite debuting back in 2022. Bell is a dominant ball carrier with explosive speed. He was too much to handle for Moana, powering through defenders for gain line momentum frequently. He bagged two tries from close range, but it was really was impact with ball-in-hand that showed how far Bell has come. He’s just 24 and coming into his own.
Those three forwards are part of the next generation of the Crusaders pack and they are some of the top performers.
Moana’s season starting to look ugly
The competition’s last place side have the worst points differential in the competition by far (-142) as containing opposition in the second half becomes a problem.
Like the game against the Chiefs, Moana compete admirably for the first half before falling apart in the second. The Crusaders were far too good. When Moana gets tired and space becomes available, the top New Zealand sides tear them apart in the wider channels.
Last year’s magical season with Ardie Savea leading the way is looking like a distant memory now as reality sets in. They are one win in five games and the blowouts are getting more frequent. It doesn’t get any easier with five of their last seven games against top six opposition.
Moana kicked just 10 times against the Crusaders and their match average of 21.0 is ranked 11th in the competition. While their attack ranks at the bottom in the competition in many categories.
It has become one dimensional, using carries and power without variation. They average just four offloads per game, last in the competition. Particularly combined with a low kick volume, they aren’t getting into the right areas of the field enough. All teams need to do is stuff the carry game.
Perhaps they need to rely on Pellegrini’s kicking game more, increase the kicking and play a territorial game that slows down the pace, moving from set-piece to set-piece.
At this point, they need to tactically change something as it clearly isn’t working.
Nice celebration for Chay Fihaki
It feels like Chay Fihaki has been a Crusader for a decade, but yet to really cement himself in one position. He’s been a Mr.Fix It for the Crusaders, filling gaps where needed anywhere across the backline.
He locked in a new two-year deal to remain in Christchurch until the end of 2028 this week and celebrated with two tries and two try assists against Moana. This was from the right wing where he was able to float around and find work.
The question for Fihaki remains as to what his best position will be and where he will develop. He’s been invited to All Blacks camps under Robertson, but you feel he isn’t a viable option until he settles into one role.
With Will Jordan in the No.15 jersey, fullback seems out of the question. With Braydon Ennor and Dallas McLeod departing next season, perhaps it will be the midfield somewhere.
Crusaders’ best player in 2026
One man has been a dominant force in 2026 and it is fullback Will Jordan. Again he was unstoppable against Moana, despite not featuring on the line break counts, try scoring sheet or try assist tallies. He is often involved in the lead-up work though, creating the initial spark or injection. He was all class again.
The three leaders for the official Player of the Year are Timoci Tavatavanawi, Max Jorgensen and Ben Donaldson on 22 points. Those three teams are losing a lot, so it’s easier for those players to grab points by being a standout.
However Will Jordan is in the mix, sitting back in fourth with 17 points and is likely to get more from his round six performance. In this form, don’t be surprise to see Jordan rocket into contention as the season rolls on.
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