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'We're just scratching the underbelly': Leicester Fainga'anuku is only getting better
We’re just one week into the Super Rugby Pacific season and already there’s one name on everyone’s lips: Leicester Fainga’anuku.
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Fainga’anuku was in sublime form for the Crusaders on Saturday night, scoring three tries in his side’s 42-32 defeat of the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old was somewhat of a surprise selection on the left wing for the match, given the presence of All Blacks outside backs Will Jordan, George Bridge and Sevu Reece in the squad, but Fainga’nuku was still given the nod ahead of Reece in the opening game of the season.
This weekend, Fainga’anuku has retained his spot in the run-on side while Bridge has made way for Reece on the right wing.
That’s a credit to Fainga’anuku’s performance against the Hurricanes but also indicative of how highly the young utility back is rated by coach Scott Robertson after he had a breakout year for the Crusaders in 2021, featuring in the midfield or on the wing 13 times throughout the season, clocking up the equal-most number of appearances for the Crusaders alongside talismanic five-eighth Richie Mo’unga.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Super Rugby centurions Bryn Hall and James Parsons were impressed with Fainga’anukue’s performance for the Crusaders and suggested higher honours could be on the cards later in the season.
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“I’m going to give [player of the weekend] to Leicester Fainga’anuku,” said Hall, a teammate of Fainga’anuku’s at the Crusaders. “He had three tries, he had 14 carries, he had 13 dominant carries – which is hard to do in this day and age – and he had 33 metres post-contact.”
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“I think if he can continue to keep playing like he was in the weekend, I think he will definitely be in contention [for the All Blacks],” Hall later added. “The fact that he can also play centre is big as well.”
Parsons was cautiously optimistic of Fainga’anuku’s chances but suggested there are still a number of players ahead of him in the pecking order.
“If there’s injuries, yes [he’ll make the All Blacks]. But it’s a logjam in that wing spot,” he said.
“I don’t know if you’d carry both [Fainga’anuku and Caleb Clarke in one squad] but they’re definitely probably going for one spot. I’ve already called [Clarke] for top try-scorer for the year but Leicester’s already got three so I might be wrong.”
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Speaking to media ahead of this weekend’s match with the Highlanders, Crusaders second five David Havili also praised his 22-year-old teammate and indicated we’ve still not seen the best of the dynamic try-scorer.
“I think we’re just scratching the underbelly,” he said. “Obviously you’ve seen it through the [NPC], the way he’s held himself around the last couple of years and no doubt that he’s gonna be there or thereabouts for the next level.
“But I think he’s just enjoying his rugby at the moment and enjoying scoring tries for Tonga as well so the more tries he scores, the more money he gets to go over to Tonga to help them out as well so I’m pretty sure he’s stoked about that.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
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