Bridge leads Crusaders
Brisbane: Scott Robertson is already juggling his roster. While the Crusaders’ first Super Rugby match against the Chiefs in Christchurch isn’t scheduled until February 24, coach Robertson had to plonk his sensible hat on when selecting a 21-man squad for the Brisbane Global Tens on Friday and Saturday.
For starters he is forbidden from selecting any All Blacks who toured Europe late last year, which immediately prevents him from picking 13 of the men who returned from duty without serious injuries.
Then Robertson had to account for the fact that blindside flanker/ No 8 Jordan Taufua is recovering from the arm he broke last year, and that another backrower, Pete Samu, couldn’t be risked given regular No 8 and All Blacks captain Kieran Read won’t return from his back injury until mid-April.
It is expected Taufua and Samu will play against the Highlanders in the final warm-up game in Southland on February 15. What this means is that Robertson has named a Tens squad that is light on experience. To be captained by outside back George Bridge, it includes a dozen players not listed in the original squad of contracted players. Robertson reckons he copped an earful from those players who were instructed to stay in Christchurch, rather than get the chance to have a run around in the Queensland sun at Suncorp Stadium. “Everyone has asked, everyone wanted to be involved,” Robertson said. “You have got Seta [Tamanivalu] all over me [saying] ‘look, I want to go and play’ but with the returnto-play protocols with NZ Rugby and the collective agreement, it makes it tricky for us.” Under the collective agreement the All Blacks cannot play for 12 weeks, making them ineligible for this tournament. Tamanivalu was the only All Black to be included in the group that finished as beaten finalists to the Chiefs in Brisbane last year. No players boasting test experience have been included in this squad.
Given they did so well, prior to stumbling 12-5 to the Chiefs in the final, the Crusaders shouldn’t lack self-belief.
On Friday evening the Crusaders meet the Hurricanes and Brumbies, followed by their final pool game against Fiji on Saturday. “Last year we had no expectations – it is hard to exceed expectations when you have none,” Robertson stated. He believed they could have won last year’s final, with a pinch of luck.
Crusaders: George Bridge (captain), Jone Macilai, Manasa Mataele, Braydon Ennor, Jack Stratton, Zach McKay, Brett Cameron, Tima Faingaanuku, Ngane Punivai, Richard Judd, Andrew Makalio, Billy Harmon, Ethan Blackadder, Tom Christie, Jordan Manihera, Hamish Dalzell, Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Ben Morris, Dylan Nel, Harrison Allan, Nathan Vella. -Rugby Heaven Kurtley Beale has been heavily used to promote the Brisbane Tens but the Wallabies star will miss the tournament because of an elbow injury.
Julian Savea, Liam Messam and Beale have been the trio to feature prominently in promotions by Duco Events, who launched the inaugural Tens competition at Suncorp Stadium in 2017.
All Blacks Jerome Kaino, Israel Dagg, Ben Smith and Damian McKenzie were splashed across adverts last year, but didn’t play in Brisbane because the tournament fell within the compulsory 12-week stand-down period after the All Blacks’ northern hemisphere tour in 2016.
And Duco has lost one of their stars again – unfortunately to injury in Beale’s case – ahead of the Tens which starts on Friday.
“I’m absolutely gutted that I won’t be able to take the field,” Beale said in a statement.
“I’ve been looking to this tournament from the moment I re-signed with the Waratahs. It was going to be a real highlight of the season, so I’m bitterly disappointed to miss out.”
The Waratahs are drawn in Pool B of the 16-team tournament with the Chiefs, the Highlanders and the Panasonic Wild Knights.
- Rugby Heaven