'Search around': Rob Penney on tighthead depth after Fletcher Newell injury

Crusaders head coach Rob Penney is among those worried about the latest injury to Fletcher Newell and Seb Calder, as they look towards a home Qualifying Final against the Blues in Christchurch.

The Christchurch-based franchise earned a home-playoff game after their impressive victory over an understrength Hurricanes, while their next opponents, the Blues, fell well short against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Experienced loosehead prop George Bower can play on either side of the scrum, and finished the game in Newell’s position against the Hurricanes, but Penney explains he’s open to looking for reinforcements elsewhere.

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie will hope Newell’s injury doesn’t keep him out of action for long, as the national side is already without Tamaiti Williams through a long-term back injury.

On Newell’s injury, the Crusaders’ head coach says the club won’t know anything for the next two days.

“I think it’s a bit of a knee. We won’t know probably for 48 hours, but anything around that is always troublesome,” the head coach told media in Christchurch.

Calder’s injury was more precarious, after coming on during the second forty minutes, before leaving the field again in the 74th minute.

“Yeah he came off with a wee calf, something again that we won’t be sure what that’ll be like, so yeah, we’ll just have to see what happens over the next day or two.”

“Well, obviously, George Bower came on and went to tighthead for a little bit, and then we’ve got Gus Brown, and maybe someone in a wider training group somewhere around the country.

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“There’ll be plenty of searching going on, losing your two tightheads potentially leaves a big hole, any team would struggle to fill that gap.”

The head coach says he feels for Calder, who has grown into a player that the Crusaders value on the paddock.

“And then Seb has been going so well for us, for him to get a little injury now, too, as for him, it’s just really unfortunate, because it was his time, really,” Penney said.

“So we do have some cattle in behind the scenes, and we’ll search around for some other ones as well, if we need to.”