Whitelock, Crotty ruled unfit for ABs camp
Wyatt Crockett, Seta Tamanivalu and Mike Delany flew the All Blacks’ flag as a Crusaders squad decimated by absentee internationals trained on Monday.
While captain Sam Whitelock and Ryan Crotty had to be scratched after suffering head knocks in the 29-19 loss to the Hurricanes last weekend, 13 others from the Super Rugby champions joined seven Highlanders players in attending the All Blacks ‘‘foundation day’’ for South Island players at the Christchurch Rugby Club.
With so many men in the clutches of All Blacks management, loosehead prop Crockett, wing Tamanivalu and first five-eighths Delany were the only souls with test caps to continue working at the Crusaders. It was odd to not see the usual familiar faces running about, and whether Whitelock and Crotty will be fit to play the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday night remains uncertain.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen
‘‘Everyone is a key player, but when you lose a captain (Whitelock) and a vice-captain (Crotty) a couple of minutes into a crunch game against the Hurricanes, you are going to be tested really severely.’’
Brad Mooar
declared the pair weren’t fit enough to join his sessions, and now they must go through the usual protocols to prove they can play the Highlanders. If the duo are ruled out, it will mean the Crusaders will be without seven All Blacks, who have played almost 700 Super Rugby games between them, for the South Island derby.
‘‘Everyone is a key player, but when you lose a captain (Whitelock) and a vice-captain (Crotty) a couple of minutes into a crunch game against the Hurricanes, you are going to be tested really severely,’’ Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar said.
‘‘And we were. That was a lot of leadership gone, pretty quickly. A couple of hundred games-plus. But we learned plenty from it.’’
At least loosehead prop Tim Perry should be available to make his first appearance of the season, possibly replacing Chris King on the bench.
Loose forward Tom Sanders and lock Mitch Dunshea are also fit. Blindside flanker Pete Samu, who missed the Hurricanes match because of a sore shoulder, has yet to be cleared to play.
Because NZ Rugby had signalled in advance that the All Blacks wouldn’t be at training, Mooar said they arranged for newcomers to fill the gaps at Rugby Park. ‘‘We have planned well for that and there is a couple of new faces out on the park, getting an opportunity to get an experience for us,’’ Mooar added.
‘‘It is excellent. We are happy with that, and the boys are off doing their thing with the All Blacks. They will come back in tomorrow. It is an opportunity to freshen-up.’’
All of the Crusaders that attended the All Blacks training camp made appearances on the northern tour late last year.
The Highlanders’ group included hooker Liam Coltman, who never toured because he was injured, and fullback Ben Smith who was on his sabbatical.
The Crusaders made errors that prevented them exerting unbearable pressure on the Hurricanes in the Cake Tin and a repeat may prove fatal against a Highlanders side that thrives on opponents’ mistakes.
Last year the passes stuck for the Crusaders – there was no better example of this when their superior handling and kicking skills got them home against the Highlanders in dramatic circumstances in Dunedin and Christchurch.