Watch: Leicester Fainga'anuku blasts through the Hurricanes on way to hat-trick for Crusaders
Crusaders left wing Leicester Fainga’anuku has started the season in blistering form scoring three tries in his side’s 42-32 win over the Hurricanes in Dunedin.
The outside back spent most of last season at centre as the Crusaders went through an injury crisis in the midfield with Jack Goodhue and Braydon Ennor spending significant time on the sidelines but was back on the left wing to start the Super Rugby Pacific season.
Fainga’anuku was matched up against former All Blacks left wing Julian Savea who was wearing number 14 on the right side in a mouth-watering matchup between youth and experience.
The Crusader quickly got on the score sheet by barging over from close range after a Will Jordan line break took play inside the five. Fainga’anuku travelled across the field to get the carry where no Hurricane could not stop him.
He bagged his second shortly after to put the Crusaders up 12-3 when a switch play from the scrum saw fullback Jordan explode through the midfield defence on an inside pass by Braydon Ennor.
Fainga’anuku strolled over untouched after receiving the final two-on-one pass from Jordan for a simple finish.
His third of the evening came on a lineout play special that put him on a collision path with Julian Savea defending in the first five channel. From a peel play, the Crusaders wing took the ball steaming around the corner, running directly where the Hurricanes wing was defending.
Some footwork by Fainga’anuku broke through the grasp of Savea and he tumbled over to finish his hat-trick just ten minutes into the second half.
The 22-year-old almost had his fourth when a deep kick was sent down the left touch line. In a foot race with hooker Asafo Aumua, only an unkind bounce saved the Hurricanes from conceding another with no one else in sight to stop a try from being scored.
Not a bad way to start the season for Leicester Fainga’anuku. A hat-trick to kick off 2022 👏 pic.twitter.com/TOOZ38MCgO
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) February 19, 2022
The performance elevates Fainga’anuku’s quest for securing a starting spot with All Black wings George Bridge and Sevu Reece in the squad.
“I think personally, nothing’s really changed,” Fainga’anuku told Sky Sport NZ on his off-season after the match.
“It’s the same old every year, I just want to come into every campaign with the ears open and take in all the learnings from S&C [Strength and Conditioning] and the trainings, also the work-ons from the coaches from last year.
“Just really put in at training to take the opportunities in game time.”
Fainga’anuku said it’s no secret that competition for a wing spot in the Crusaders is tough, but that the chance to work with international talent benefits everyone in the positional group.
“The whole world knows about this team and the competition we have in this group. It’s more of a blessing really to compete against some of the best players going around the world.”
Former All Black fullback Mils Muliana praised the work of the young Crusaders wing in the post-match discussion.
“I love the way his tries were scored,” Muliana said on Sky Sport NZ
“The first one was obviously a little bit different, he goes around looking for work.
“This one here, his third, he knows his role. It’s obviously a set piece play by Jason Ryan.
When asked whether he would be a certainty to start every week, former Crusaders captain Kieran Read conceded he would have to be but didn’t envy the coaches who had to make that call.
“He’s got to be there in that starting team, I guess,” Read conceded before adding, “Sevu Reece came on, had a massive impact too,”
“George Bridge played tonight too, probably his best performance in a wee while in the Crusaders jersey, so there’s guys there to play. I don’t know, I wouldn’t envy those coaches trying to make those decisions.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments