Christie ready for ABs in toughest test
Sam Cane or Ardie Savea – it doesn’t matter for Tom Christie.
The Canterbury openside flanker could butt heads with both at AMI Stadium on tonight, when the All Blacks, Canterbury and Otago clash in the ‘game of three halves’.
‘‘I live in a flat full of rugby boys, so there’s been a few names chucked around,’’ Christie said when asked about who his opposite might be.
Given Christie captained the New Zealand under-20s this year, and was part of the World Cup winning team last year, he has played in big matches before.
But, regardless of how big and physical the French side which kicked New Zealand out of the semifinals at the under-20 World Cup earlier this year were, playing 40 minutes against the All Blacks trumps everything, Christie said.
‘‘I think it will be physical. I’ve watched a lot of All Blacks games on TV,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s going to be a really good opportunity to test myself, and for the other boys.
‘‘Just to really have a crack at that next level, physically, and their skill sets will be very high as well. It’s going to be a really good opportunity to see where we’re at and what we can improve on.’’
Christie is one of eight new names in Canterbury’s squad, as they chase a fourth consecutive Mitre Cup 10 title, and 10th in the past 11 years.
Tonight’s match, which the All Blacks are using to prepare for Bledisloe I next weekend, begins between Canterbury and Otago, before the All Blacks play Otago. The final 40-minute period is between Canterbury and the All Blacks.
First-year Canterbury coach Joe Maddock has named two different sides, with the lineup playing Otago mostly made up of the province’s best club players.
‘‘Then, giving our contracted group probably the toughest hit out they’re going to have for 40 minutes before we play Tasman next week,’’ Maddock said.
‘‘It’s not about points on the board, the All Blacks are probably thinking the same. It’s about getting some continuity in our game, building combinations, and how what we’ve been training over the last 6-7 weeks is going.’’
Maddock, who will name his captain for the 2018 season next week, has not named any of his fit Crusaders – George Bridge, Braydon Ennor, Mitchell Drummond or Luke Romano – to play against the All Blacks, although they will be available for the season opener against Tasman in Blenheim next Friday night.
Super Rugby players will feature for Canterbury, including Josh McKay (Highlanders), Tom Sanders (Crusaders), prop Alex Hodgman (Blues), and hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate (Highlanders).
Queensland Reds prop Sef Fa’agase will also play, while the returning Whetu Douglas, having signed with the Crusaders for next year’s campaign, will start at No 8.
For Christie, a commerce student at the University of Canterbury, and a member of the Crusaders academy since 2016, playing against the All Blacks is the next step towards earning a Super Rugby contract.
The match is on track to sell out, with only a ‘‘few hundred’ tickets remaining last night.
The games are not televised, but Stuff will have live coverage of the match from 6.30pm.