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The last-minute 'phenomenal' pick-up for the Crusaders
While each New Zealand Super Rugby side named 38-man squads late last year for the 2022 season, already a significant number of additional players have received call-ups ahead of this weekend’s opening round of action.
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A glut of additional players have been training with each of the six NZ-based sides, from fan favourite NPC star D’Angelo Leuila with Moana Pasifika to former Highlanders Freedom Vahaakolo and Waisake Naholo with the Crusaders.
Long gone are the days where a team would need just 28 players to get through a 12-team competition, as was the case during the years of Super 12. In 2021, the Chiefs used 45 players throughout their injury-ravaged campaign while even the least injury-affected side, the Crusaders, handed minutes to 36 players during the season (while the likes of Tom Christie and Andrew Makalio were invalided right from the get-go).
Although the bulk of injury replacements are brought in to boost the numbers at training and then drift back into their regular lives, some use the only slightly ajar door to force their way into a bigger role and go onto thrive, such as Tupou Vaa’i, who was a late addition to the Chiefs in 2020 but had earned his first caps as an All Black by the end of that season.
The Crusaders will be hoping it’s the latter case for many of their recent call-ups and one additional player, in particular, has already made a big mark on forwards coach Jason Ryan.
Former All Black Naholo, Bay of Plenty pivot Lucas Cashmore, Taranaki midfielder Daniel Rona, Tasman loose forward Jacob Norris and Hawke’s Bay flanker Josh Kaifa have all spent time in Crusaders camp this season, with Vahaakolo, Inga Finau, Macca Springer, Ricky Jackson and Antonio Shalfoon all featuring in the team’s latest pre-season match, a loss against the Hurricanes.
It’s a little known front-rower from Otago who’s perhaps been the biggest mover and shaker during the pre-season, however, prop loosehead Abraham Pole.
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Pole made six appearances during last season’s NPC but was likely on few coaches’ radars heading into 2022. It’s safe to say that the 20-year-old has made a big impression on Crusaders forwards coach and scrum aficionado Jason Ryan.
“He’s been outstanding,” Ryan said of the young loosehead. “His growth has been quite phenomenal.
“We hooked him out of Otago, did a little bit of homework on him. He’s gone from strength to strength.”
The nature of the beast this year, with Covid still causing significant disruptions, means that some injury call-ups could very well feature for multiple teams throughout the season. At present, the Crusaders are well stocked with looseheads, with All Blacks Joe Moody and George Bower on the roster, as well as the multi-talented Tamaiti Williams. As such, there are no guarantees that Pole will feature for the Crusaders during the season – but Ryan is confident he will still make an impact on the competition at stage or another in 2022.
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“I’ve got no doubt he’ll play Super Rugby this year,” Ryan said. “If it’s not for us, it might be for someone else. Obviously he’s in for us as injury cover and that sort of thing with a bit of depth but he’s unreal, going well.”
Pole notched up a solid half-hour of action in the Crusaders’ final pre-season against the Hurricanes – the side the Crusaders will again face off with this weekend – and scored one well-taken try in the first stanza. It would be a surprise if Pole is given a run on Saturday, given Moody had his first taste of action for the year against the Hurricanes, and George Bower is fit and ready but hasn’t managed any minutes this season, but it’s certainly not out of the realms of possibility, especially given Ryan’s obvious interest in what Pole brings to the table. The young prop is certainly one for the future, however, and could become a household name by the end of the season.
The Crusaders will face off with the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday evening.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
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