Crusaders to hold reunion

Crusaders players from all chapters of their rich 25-year history are expected to front for a reunion in Christchurch this week.

The 10-times champions will mark the celebration with a function on Friday night, after they host the Highlanders at Orangetheory Stadium.

Loose forward Sione Havili became Crusader No 240 when he came off the bench in last Friday’s 25-8 win against the Blues in Auckland. All 239 before him, and their families, have been invited to the Garden City to mark the occasion.

‘‘We’ll present them with the Tohu [team’s new logo]. It’s a special week for us,’’ coach Scott Robertson said. ‘‘All 240 of them have got the opportunity to come back. The opportunity to share with them the change of the symbolism with the Tohu, it’s a chance for them to reconnect and be a part of it, the adaption and how we’ve evolved.’’

Robertson, who won three straight titles as a Crusaders loose forward, and was a member of the then Canterbury Crusaders who played in Super Rugby’s maiden season in 1996, confirmed a ‘‘good fraternity’’ would be on hand for the reunion.

However, before he can set his sights on the celebration, Robertson has a few injury concerns to address as he plots the demise of the Highlanders.

That includes captain Scott Barrett, who picked up a minor medial collateral ligament (knee) strain during their bounce-back win against the Blues, a match in which the Crusaders were forced to make more than 200 tackles.

Fullback Will Jordan strained his groin and finished the match hobbling about on defence, while prop Oli Jager clashed heads with team-mate Codie Taylor and was concussed early in the match, before being carted off and taken to hospital.

All three will be reassessed when the team regroups at their Rugby Park headquarters today.

Despite leading the Blues by 17 points in the final 10 minutes when Jordan was hobbled, Robertson said there was no thought to finish the match a man down.

‘‘It wasn’t going to make it any worse, that was the call. He just stayed inside his limits, he wasn’t going to stride out or anything. The medicals, and himself, were fine with that.’’

The Crusaders take the first of their two byes after Friday night’s home match, which would be factored in when Robertson makes a call on the injured trio.

Finishing opportunities is the primary area Robertson is desperate for the Crusaders to improve this week, after they created ample chances but failed to cash a bunch in for a second straight week.

That included All Black Sevu Reece ignoring Jack Goodhue and numbers to burn to his left, instead cutting inside and wasting David Havili’s sparkling breakout from inside the Crusader’s own 22 in the first half.

‘‘Yeah, we all do,’’ Robertson said when asked if Reece regretted his decision to go it himself.

‘‘But he trusts his instinct, he thought he could carry on. So just those little things. Creating an opportunity and taking them is two different things.’’

Otherwise, Robertson lauded his team’s brick-wall defence after they made more than 100 more tackles than the hosts but, outside of conceding an early try, held their line until the bitter end.

Given first-year loose forwards Tom Christie (23 tackles) and Cullen Grace (19), who made his first start in the game, led the way made it even more satisfying.

‘‘Incredible. Leading our tackle stats, courageous and tough, and a lot of belief in themselves, they really trust their abilities.

‘‘It was a special night, it was a tough game.’’