Todd shock recall for Crusaders
At a glance
Matt Todd must ignore the pain of a cracked thumb so he can duel against Ardie Savea in Wellington tomorrow night.
Openside flanker Todd was a shock inclusion in the Crusaders side to play the Hurricanes in their Super Rugby match at Westpac Stadium, and will wear a protective guard over the damaged thumb to protect it during an encounter that’s expected be of white-hot intensity.
Having hurt the hand during the match against the Chiefs on February 24 - he didn’t know how it occurred - Todd was stood down from the game against the Stormers last weekend; many expected Billy Harmon to once again fill the No 7 jersey against the Hurricanes until Crusaders coach Scott Robertson dropped this selection bombshell on Thurs
The thought of playing with a fractured bone might make some sensitive souls turn the colour of sour milk, but Robertson said Todd volunteered for active duty.
Robertson was always hopeful the 13-test fetcher would only be sidelined for one or two weeks, despite speculation he could be out for up to a month.
‘‘It was just the nature of the little break that he has got on his thumb,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘He trained really well on Tuesday, and he functioned well. The surgeon is happy to give him the clearance, and more importantly Matt Todd is keen.’’
The return of Todd, who knocked Savea off his perch last season when he won the right to be considered as the All Blacks’ reserve openside flanker to incumbent Sam Cane, is significant news.
Already without key playmaker Richie Mo’unga for up to two months because of a fractured jaw, the Crusaders appeared set to start a back row seriously down on manpower until Todd insisted he play.
Blindside flanker Pete Samu has been ruled out because of a shoulder complaint, forcing Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, who wasn’t named in the original squad over the offseason, to start at No 6. Jordan Taufua remains at No 8, filling that job because All Blacks captain Kieran Read won’t return until mid-April from back surgery. Be clear on one thing: there is a real chance that the contest at the breakdowns could be as subtle as a couple of bricks banging around inside a washing machine. Hurricanes captain Brad Shields is certain to be a menace, and No 7 Savea, who knows he will have to be more effective if he’s to win back some love from the All Blacks selectors, will be amped to can slow ball and pilfer turnovers against Todd.
Now the secret is out, all eyes will be on the Crusaders opensider to see whether he allows the distress of playing with his injury to be a distraction.
Robertson was adamant the right decision had been made, and was confident Todd’s health was not in jeopardy. ‘‘It is just at the base of his thumb, there is a little crack,’’ Robertson explained. ‘‘The surgeon was happy enough if he could function well, it wasn’t going to make it any worse. Basically he just had to get a week of training in, and it was Toddy’s call. Because from his point of view, it was safe for him to carry on. He has functioned well.’’
The Crusaders’ last outing against the Hurricanes in Wellington, a 33-21 loss in their final round-robin game of 2017, hasn’t been forgotten. They advanced past the Highlanders and Chiefs in the playoffs to beat the Lions 25-17 in the final in Johannesburg.
‘‘It put us in good stead for finals football,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘It was a chance to end-up winning the competition. They deserved that win.’’