Reece excited about Drua date
All Blacks wing Sevu Reece has been messaging brother Cyril in Fiji to say ‘‘I could have been playing you on Friday night’’.
While Sevu Reece, 25, has been named on the Crusaders’ right wing for the clash with the Fijian Drua, Cyril, 30, will be watching from afar.
But they could have been on opposite sides for the Drua’s first Super Rugby Pacific visit to Christchurch.
‘‘My older brother, he used to play for the Fijian Drua,’’ Reece said yesterday. ‘‘Just this year he stopped playing because he’s just had a little baby.
‘‘I’ve been messaging him every time now, saying: ‘Oh man, I could have been playing against you this Friday’.’’
Reece created Super Rugby history last weekend when he became the quickest player to reach 40 tries in his 50th match.
He could have been due a rest under the All Blacks rotation policy, but Reece made it clear to Crusaders coach Scott Robertson that he was never going to miss a date with the Drua.
‘‘Yeah, this is one game that I’d love to play in,’’ Reece said, noting it was the same last year when he ‘‘got to play against the Flying Fijians’’, scoring a hat-trick of tries in a test in Hamilton.
Reece met up with his Drua buddies when they were staying at the Crusaders’ hotel in Melbourne last month and he will definitely catch up with them after tomorrow’s match at Orangetheory Stadium.
He is delighted at the impact the Drua have made in their first Super Rugby season.
While Reece will be playing his countrymen, George Bower, another Crusader with Fijian heritage, is taking an enforced break.
Robertson said the All Black loosehead was disappointed but ‘‘deserves a rest this week’’.
Finlay Brewis will start at loosehead, with Tamaiti Williams continuing in the impact substitute role.
Robertson has made seven changes to the starting lineup that set up the 36-27 win over the Brumbies last week.
He has also rested in-form
Argentina test flanker Pablo Matera and former All Black backrower Cullen Grace, saying the pair, had had ‘‘a lot of load on their bodies’’ and ‘‘need a freshenup’’.
Captain Scott Barrett will move from lock to blindside flanker, with fellow All Black Ethan Blackadder named at No8. Rookie lock Zach Gallagher returns in the second row alongside Sam Whitelock.
Ricky Jackson gets the nod over Shilo Klein to replace test hooker Codie Taylor, who Robertson expects to be back in a couple of weeks after a rib injury.
All Blacks stars Richie Mo’unga and Will Jordan also get the weekend off, with Fergus Burke starting at No10 and youngster Chay Fihaki at fullback.
Centre Braydon Ennor will play his 50th game with Jack Goodhue moving inside to second five-eighth.
Leicester Fainga’anuku is back on the left wing after being a reserve last week.