Crusaders wing is one tough nut to stop
At a glance
Anyone who plants himself between Crusaders wing Leicester Fainga’anuku and the tryline should prepare for pain.
With a pinch of luck for the defenders of the white stripe, it will be a minimal dose. Yet the risk is always there.
When a defender’s job is to halt a ball carrier who weighs in the vicinity of 110kg, as is the case with Fainga’anuku, there’s potential for the collision to be memorable for the right, and wrong, reasons.
When Crusaders coach Scott Robertson explained his reasons for picking Fainga’anuku on the left wing ahead of All Black George Bridge for the Super Rugby Pacific match against the Queensland Reds in Christchurch tonight, he made reference to his power and form.
Then there’s the matter of his leg drive. Assistant coach Andrew Goodman compared it to what Ardie Savea does for the All Blacks and Hurricanes.
‘‘It’s a bit of a trademark for him [Fainga’anuku],’’ Goodman said. ‘‘He’s obviously a big powerful lad. He’s just got that determination, that mindset not to be put on the ground.’’
Fainga’anuku is one of three members of the Crusaders backline who haven’t represented the All Blacks – Bryn Hall and Fergus Burke are the others – but he must be close to that goal.
Last year Fainga’anuku, who can also play centre, must have been close to making the All Blacks after the Crusaders snared the Super Rugby Aotearoa title and went close to qualifying for the trans-Tasman final.
One his biggest assets is being an unfriendly force for opposition tacklers. His work-rate is also commendable; during the 61-3 win over the Fijian Drua last week Fainga’anuku made 15 runs and scored the opening try.
‘‘He’s good to watch, isn’t he?’’ Goodman said. ‘‘He works hard off the ball – an incredible workrate off the ball. He’s got great fight through the tackle and he plays with a smile on his face ... it’s always enjoyable to watch guys having fun out on the field.’’
Goodman, having also coached Fainga’anuku at Tasman, has reason to be satisfied with the finisher’s form.
A big, hard running unit getting into space on the wide edge is always valuable during the playoffs, and the Crusaders, who can’t be dislodged from second place on the competition log, will be disappointed if they lose momentum in their final roundrobin game against the Reds.
With Richie Mo’unga rested for a second consecutive week to allow a sore finger to fully heal, Burke will again start at first five-eighth.
Burke, who impressed against the Drua on a bitterly cold evening at Orangetheory Stadium, can expect a more robust reception from the Brad Thorn-coached Queenslanders.
Injuries have undermined the Reds at a crucial time, with veteran Wallaby James O’Connor the latest to be ruled out and replaced by Lawson Creighton.
There’s no shortage of quality halfbacks in Australia and the Reds are getting decent mileage out of co-captain Tate McDermott’s bravery with the ball, but his night could be a miserable one if the Crusaders pack dominates.
If the Reds forwards feel the squeeze, their hopes of punching upfield through backs Suliasi Vunivalu, Jordan Petaia and Filipo Daugunu could evaporate.
This, however, isn’t a done deal. It would be foolhardy to expect anything like the 58-point win over the Drua.*