Crusaders hope for a miracle
Crusaders assistant coach James Marshall has conceded it will take a miracle for David Havili or Cullen Grace to feature again this season.
The pair were to have scans yesterday before the Crusaders can be sure of the severity of Havili’s hamstring injury and Grace’s dislocated kneecap, but they’re preparing to defend their title without the midfielder and No 8.
That’s despite offering a glimmer of hope regarding Grace, who Marshall said had dislocated a kneecap in the past and not been sidelined for a substantial period of time.
However, with just four weeks remaining in Super Rugby Pacific, time is not on the Crusaders’ side.
‘‘Yeah, if I was a betting man, I wouldn’t be betting on either of them being there . . . we’re hoping for a miracle, but it doesn’t look too likely,’’ Marshall said.
Grace suffered his latest injury blow in the first half of last weekend’s bonus point win against the Waratahs in Christchurch, when team-mate Codie Taylor landed on the back of his leg after he carted the ball into contact and got caught upright.
Havili limped off in the final quarter of the match, after bursting inside the opposition 22m and going down in a heap.
It took an age for him to make his way to the bench, pain plastered across his face, signalling it’s more than a low-grade strain.
‘‘Like, even a minor one is generally
quite niggly. But when they’re limping off like that ... we’ll just have to wait and see, but we’re hoping for a miracle,’’ Marshall said.
‘‘It’s brutal, eh? I thought we went through a wee patch where we weren’t having too many season enders, but it [injury bug] came back this week, hopefully nothing too major, but it looks like potentially two [more gone].’’
That would result in the Crusaders’ list of players done for the season due to injury ballooning to nine. They’ve also just farewelled young guns Macca Springer, Noah Hotham and Taha Kemera, who have joined the New Zealand under-20s ahead of their World Cup campaign.
Ahead of Saturday night’s regular season finale against the Hurricanes in the capital, the Crusaders have used a staggering 45 players this year, including 13 debutants.
Marshall confirmed that flanker Ethan Blackadder, who hasn’t played since tearing his calf against the Brumbies on March 24, wouldn’t return against the Hurricanes, but he would train this week.
If Havili is indeed finished for the year, it’s a significant blow to the Crusaders’ kicking game ahead of the sudden-death stage of the season.
Havili has an excellent short kicking game and, equipped with a booming punt, is often asked to unleash bombs from deep inside his own half.
Jack Goodhue and Dallas McLeod are the Crusaders’ primary options to replace Havili in the No 12 jersey.
‘‘Yeah, I just think other guys are going to have to step up there. Obviously, Jack and [centre] Braydon both have left foots, so we might have to use those a little bit more,’’ Marshall said.
‘‘A little bit more will come on Richie [Mo’unga] and Will [Jordan]. Our kicking nines, hopefully Willy [Heinz] will be back for those games, and [Mitchell Drummond] Drummy. I think everyone is just going to have to step up a little bit more.’’
In his first season as a Crusaders assistant coach, Saturday night marks Marshall’s first game up against the side he played 54 matches for, adding extra meaning to a game the red-andblacks will need to bag one bonus point from to secure the second seed, if the Blues record a hefty bonus point win over the Highlanders on Friday night.
‘‘Obviously, we’re playing to win the game, we will be trying to get all our combinations ready to fizz for the finals, massive week for us to take momentum into those finals,’’ Marshall said.