Moody comeback may have to be put on ice
All Black Joe Moody was 9900 kilometres away from Buenos Aires but he was still the Crusaders’ biggest casualty of the weekend.
Although the Crusaders whistled a sigh of relief to emerge unscathed from their rugged 40-14 bonus-point win over the Jaguares in Argentina yesterday morning, it still didn’t mean all their players escaped unharmed from the action in recent days.
Test loosehead prop Moody, in his comeback game after spending seven months rehabilitating a serious shoulder injury, injured a finger in a rare appearance for his club Lincoln against Ashley in Loburn, Canterbury, on Saturday.
Crusaders backs coach Brad Mooar, speaking from Buenos Aires after his side scored six tries to push the team to the head of the New Zealand conference in Super Rugby, said it was too early to give the exact details of the injury to Moody.
If Moody has broken the finger it is expected to prolong his forced absence from the Crusaders campaign which is now back on track after they suffered defeats to the Highlanders and Hurricanes last month.
The win over the Jaguares follows victories over the Lions in Johannesburg and Bulls in Christchurch. The Crusaders have the bye next weekend.
All Blacks Israel Dagg and Owen Franks, also on the comeback from serious injuries, also made cameos for the University and Linwood clubs.
Mooar said it was yet to be decided whether the pair would be required to get another run in the Christchurch metro division one club competition prior to the Crusaders’ next match against the Sunwolves in Christchurch on April 21.
Apart from the usual battering that players can expect from playing the Jaguares on their home ground at Velez Sarsfield, Mooar said his side appeared free of any serious injuries.
Midfielders Ryan Crotty and Tim Bateman both dropped to the turf within seconds of each other in the first quarter, but quickly recovered and kept playing.
The Crusaders had good reason to be satisfied with their tenacity as they were forced to feed off less possession and territory, and make 112 tackles to their opponents’ 61.
Although the game didn’t flow, turnovers and penalties conceded by both sides spoiled it as a spectacle, the New Zealanders’ grit in defence and ability to swoop on errors meant they they returned from their two-match road trip against the Jaguares and Lions with nine competition points from a possible 10.
Individual brilliance from right wing Manasa Mataele added some punch to the attack. He scored two tries and created another for first five-eighth Manasa Mataele. Right wing George Bridge also scored two tries.
A powerful defensive scrum in the 66th minute would have had scrum coach Jason Ryan celebrating. With the starting front row having been replaced by Super Rugby debutant Donald Brighouse, Ben Funnell and Chris King the Crusaders back destroyed a Jaguares attacking set piece, which eventually resulted in Crotty scoring about 90m down field.
The try resulted in the Crusaders stretching their lead to 33-14 after Mitchell Hunt kicked the sideline conversion.