All Blacks duo set to return for Crusaders
All Blacks Owen Franks and Israel Dagg will finally fire up their engines in Super Rugby on Saturday.
While that news won’t encourage a burst of enthusiastic applause by the winless Sunwolves, the fact tighthead prop Franks and fullback/wing Dagg are finally set to represent the Crusaders in Christchurch will generate a much warmer response from multiple parties in New Zealand.
No-one will be more pleased than Franks and Dagg themselves.
The pair haven’t played first-class rugby for eight and seven months respectively, not since All Blacks coach Steve Hansen declared they must take an enforced break to attend to injuries: Franks required surgery on an Achilles tendon, and Dagg had to rehabilitate a serious knee problem.
Each has rubbed shoulders with the amateur warriors in club footy over the last two weekends and Franks, whose CV is loaded with 95 test appearances, is straining at the leash.
‘‘People need to understand the injury he had – if you could imagine waking up with a rock in your shoe, and walking with it every day like he was last year,’’ Crusaders assistant forwards coach Jason Ryan said. ‘‘He played through a bit of pain and no-one probably would have known.
‘‘But he has rehabbed incredibly well. He was still in a moon boot and we were doing binding drills in the gym. That is how dedicated he is.’’
Dagg, too, has been slowly progressing his way to peak fitness. He has been a regular sight at Crusaders trainings for over a month, and played around 60 minutes for his University club last weekend.
Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson will reveal tomorrow whether to ask Dagg to start at fullback or the right wing, or give him minutes off the bench.
The update on All Blacks loosehead prop Joe Moody was not as rosy.
Ryan confirmed Moody, who fractured a finger playing for his club on April 7, will extend his time on sideline and won’t be seen until next month.
Moody hasn’t played since requiring surgery on his right shoulder in September, but Ryan was optimistic he would represent the Crusaders prior to the All Blacks’ test series against France in June.
‘‘He is going to be [unavailable for] three to six weeks,’’ Ryan stated. ‘‘He is not going to need an operation.’’
Loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett is still working his way through concussion protocols after suffering a head knock against the Lions on April 2.
Centre Jack Goodhue is expected to take a couple of weeks to recover from the hamstring injury he picked up against the Lions. First five-eighth Richie Mo’unga, who fractured his jaw on March 3, trained with the squad yesterday but will not play for his club this weekend.