Changes afoot at Crusaders
Scott Barrett’s busted foot is expected to keep the Crusaders skipper out of action until November.
That wasn’t the only grim news Crusaders coach Scott Robertson delivered yesterday, when he named a side littered with changes to play the Highlanders in Dunedin tomorrow.
Outstanding rookie flanker Cullen Grace is likely to miss the rest of Super Rugby Aotearoa, given he needs between six and eight weeks to recover from Tuesday’s thumb surgery, Robertson confirmed.
Grace fractured the base of his thumb (Bennett’s fracture) against the Chiefs last week, while Barrett had surgery last Thursday to repair the damaged plantar fascia ligament in his foot, which he wrecked in an inter-squad match on June 13.
Barrett was last week ruled out of the redand-blacks’ campaign. Now, it’s clear it will be between 12 and 16 weeks before he is able to play again, not that any All Blacks fixtures have been locked down.
Robertson has no choice but to move on, something made easier by a squad oozing with depth.
He’s made five personnel changes to the starting side for his team’s first match under the Forsyth Barr Stadium roof since 2018, including resting All Black wing George Bridge and halfback Bryn Hall.
There is also a debut for Tasman utility Fetuli Paea, a former Tongan sevens representative. The 25-year-old can play centre and wing, and can expect to be injected into the allSouth Island clash in the second half.
‘‘He’s a power athlete. He’s trained extremely well over this whole period, and we wanted to make sure we give as many of our squad game time,’’ Robertson said.
‘‘With the nature of these games, if you make too many changes you can lose a little bit of your rhythm and combinations, but it works quite nicely for him to come in with Dave [Havili] covering 10 as well.’’
Having named the same 23 the opening two weeks, before tighthead prop Oli Jager was scratched ahead of last Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, Robertson has replaced Bridge with Leicester Faingaanuku, and shifted in-form fullback Will Jordan to the right wing to
accommodate Havili’s return at the back.
Plagued by a string of injuries, lock Quinten Strange is back for the first time since April 26 last year.
Openside flanker Tom Christie and substitute hooker Andrew Makalio also return to the 23, while Ethan Blackadder, who was expected to own the No 6 jersey before he busted a shoulder late last year, replaces Grace.