Read to delay comeback
Kieran Read will miss the original deadline set for his comeback for the Crusaders.
Originally slated to only miss the first four rounds of Super Rugby, it has now been revealed that All Blacks captain and No 8 Read may not be sighted until the Crusaders meet the Hurricanes in the round-seven fixture in Wellington on March 29.
Crusaders assistant coach Jason Ryan has confirmed Read, who will soon announce what overseas club he will be aligned to after the World Cup tournament in Japan later this year, won’t join All Blacks team-mate Sam Whitelock in returning from his extended off-season break for the round five game against the Highlanders in Dunedin on March 16.
‘‘Reado is two or three, probably, weeks away. We are not 100 per cent sure yet,’’ Ryan said.
‘‘We will just see how he goes. He is back into his training, and so forth. We are pretty confident.’’
Given the World Cup casts a giant shadow over the rugby calendar, the All Blacks management had requested the Crusaders coaches manage several key forwards this season; that had meant giving Read and Whitelock permission to skip the first month of the tournament. And Codie Taylor was placed in cotton wool for the opening three rounds after the Crusaders elected to delay his comeback by a week. Taylor is confirmed as being fit to play the winless Chiefs in Christchurch on Saturday evening.
But now, clearly, Read is going to be absent for even longer. Asked if the decision to keep Read on the sideline was made by the Crusaders or the All Blacks, Ryan replied: ‘‘A bit of both.
‘‘We will just see where he is at, you know. We can’t sort of say much more than that. He is looking good, training today and jumping in the lineouts and he had a good week last week.’’
Not being able to play Read when the previously agreed deadline expires might be frustrating for the Crusaders – but if it is, they are not admitting it.
That, no doubt, is because they are the only unbeaten team following consecutive victories over the Blues, Hurricanes and Reds and are the hot favourites to extend the Chiefs’ losing stretch to four games.
Whetukamokamo Douglas has also been more than sound at No 8, enabling Read to rest until given the green light. Whitelock is still expected to be available to play, and lead the team if he starts, against the Highlanders.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that wing Manasa Mataele will take no further part in the Crusaders’ campaign after badly damaging the anterior cruciate ligament in a knee.
All Blacks loosehead prop Tim Perry, who has had the misfortune to suffer a series of injuries over the years, recently had several steel plates inserted into the arm he broke against the Blues in the opening round.
‘‘We are not sure if he’s out for all the season, but the majority,’’ Ryan said. ‘‘It’s sort of the same break Jordie Taufua had [in the Super Rugby semifinal last year], so there’s every chance he could be ready around the final round robin game.’’
Given it is World Cup year, Perry will be desperate for the Crusaders to qualify for the playoffs so he presents a compelling case to the All Blacks’ selectors.