Crusaders 2017
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@Chris-B. said in Crusaders 2017:
@Stargazer You mean they're signed to the end of the 2018 season? I thought we only got Fukofuka for two years and he'd served those out.
Jesus Christ Toddy, what were you thinking!
Yes, that's how I read this:
BNZ Crusaders are delighted to confirm that halfback Leon Fukofuka, has re-signed with the team for another two years. Fukofuka who joined the squad this season said: “I’m just loving being part of this Crusaders environment. It is a great group of players and coaches who I am learning a lot from so re-signing was really an easy decision to make.’http://crusaders.co.nz/news/951-bnz-crusaders-name-team-for-the-southern-derby (11 May 2016)
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Soooo, "back to the cricket" as it were.
What does Razor do this week with our returning ABs, bearing in mind my dire forecast at the start of the season that we'd be great up until the international window - when Hansen would flog our forwards into the ground - and we'd run out of gas at the close of the season.
It's worse than I expected because - I think we can all agree - we've been sabotaged by those evil and bitter Blues and Hurricanes carnts!!! Second test - cruising to a comfortable series victory and opportunities for Hansen to make early substitutions and rest our brave lads in a dead-rubber third test, when that bitter and twisted little bastard Billy Son intentionally gets himself sent off, purely to drain our forwards' power. And then in the final test, those fucking fog-beaten Canes bastard backs arsing about, playing silly buggers, dropping the ball and missing kicks - solely to keep the scores close and keep those mighty Crusaders forwards out there as long as they possibly could. Christ - we even delivered a tighthead under the posts and those bastards messed it up. It was on purpose, I tell you!
And this week - will they be fumbling and bumbling those chances? Will they fuck. They'll be running in tries from all angles - celebrating before they even get the ball down and leaping to their feet to pull off complex gangsta dance moves, while our bone weary troops are once more unto the breach... Gah, it doesn't bear thinking about.
Anyway. I reckon we've got to take the risk and rest Sam Whitelock and Codie Taylor. Both of them played big, big minutes. Surely, Romano, Barrett and Strange and Funnell and Makalio can take up the slack.
I reckon we can also risk resting Dagg - play a back three of Tamanivalu, Ioane (or Bridge) and Havili.
The props, though - I think they're going to have to pull on the boots.
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- Hall
- Mo'unga
- Ioane
- (Crotty) Bateman
- FABJG
- Tamanivalu
- (Dagg) Havili
Drummond, Hunt, Havili/Bridge
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@ACT-Crusader That looks about right to me. Hopefully Owen Franks (and Moody) still has plenty in the tank - in which case....
Moody
Funnell
Franks
Romano
Barrett
Taufua
Todd
ReadCrockett
Makalio
Alaalatoa
Strange
Bedwell-Curtis/Brown -
@ACT-Crusader said in Crusaders 2017:
- Hall
- Mo'unga
- Ioane
- (Crotty) Bateman
- FABJG
- Tamanivalu
- (Dagg) Havili
Drummond, Hunt, Havili/Bridge
I think Havili deserves to start at 15, he's been our best attacking weapon this year.
Kind of like our version of Mackenzie for the Chiefs.
I'd have dagg bracketed on the wing with Iaone
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I am a pessimist by nature, but I am expecting the Crusaders to have a few wobbles from now on. That tight five is going to be mentally and physically exhausted. Not sure they have the backs to compensate.
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Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar would only rule out midfielder Ryan Crotty (hamstring) for Saturday's game against the Hurricanes in Wellington, while decisions around their 11 other All Blacks would be made later in the week.
Mooar confirmed [Chris] King, who played 107 games for the Highlanders and 16 for the Crusaders between 2003-14, was on deck to provide front row cover, while Ta$man assistant coach Somerville was there to share ideas with Crusaders assistant forwards coach Jason Ryan.
However, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Whitelock, despite his huge workload, play at least half of the match, which the Crusaders need to win to guarantee themselves the No 1 seed and home advantage throughout the playoffs.
Should Crusaders coach Scott Robertson opt to rest any of his props, he can also call upon Michael Alaalatoa, Oli Jager and Tim Perry.
While Crotty has already been ruled out of Saturday's match, Mooar confirmed he was on track to be available for Saturday week's quarterfinal against either the Sharks or Highlanders at AMI Stadium.
First-five eighth Richie Mo'unga and flanker Matt Todd both sat out last week's friendly against the Highlanders in Timaru with calf injuries and their availability won't be known until later in the week. Meanwhile, loose forward Pete Samu (ankle) could yet feature again this season.
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With Crotty confirmed out, I hope Razor doesn't go down the path he went in the Lions match and play Havili at 12. I'd prefer Bateman or even Tamanivalu to play 12.
On the other ABs I reckon Moody will get a spell and Crockett to start.
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@ACT-Crusader yeah, havili has been excellent all season at 15, and i have never seen him be excellent at 12. might well be that he's one of those guys who is wrong about what their best position is.
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Bloody worried about this now... I was hoping we could start most of our ABs. Get a lead and sub them off early.
A win ensures we finish top, I'd be happy for a bit of rotation against the Sharks, but feel to win against the Canes in Wellington we need our best players on the park.
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@SammyC Yes - this Lions series was never going to be good for us. Not sure quite why they need Chris King in the squad - you'd think Alaalatoa and Jager will be the men to play, but that he's there is a reasonable indication that Franks won't be playing. And I tend to think that warm-up game vs the Highlanders is a bit of an indication of what is likely to happen if we have to rest too many of our ABs.
Imperative really that we finish top of the competition - not so much because of the possibility of a home final, but because the Sharks are a significantly easier QF than the Highlanders. QF against the Highlanders is basically a toss of a coin - they could easily have beaten us in both regular season matches.
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Crusaders U18 (Junior Knights) squad to play the Hurricanes U18 in the curtain raiser to Hurricanes v Crusaders this Saturday, 15 July:
Hunter Stewart – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Thomas Edwards – Timaru Boys' High Schools, South Canterbury
Shilo Klein – St Andrew's College, Canterbury
Melvin Pauni – Timaru Boys' High School, South Canterbury
Jack Rose – St Andrew's College, CanterburyPatrick Thacker
Cullen Grace – Timaru Boys' High School, South Canterbury
Sam Darry - Christ’s College, Canterbury
Caleb Havili – Nelson College, Ta$man
Finlay Joyce – Timaru Boys' High School
Veitata Kinivuwai – St Andrew’s College, Canterbury
Corban Harding – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
George Prain – Rangiora High School
Glen Beardsley – Shirley Boys' High School, Canterbury
Graham Urquhart - Nelson College, Ta$man
Max Hughes – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Louie Chapman – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Fergus Burke
Tahu Kaa-Goodwillie – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Nigel Satherley – Marlborough Boys' College, Ta$man
Isaiah Punivai – Christ’s College, Canterbury
Leicester Faingaanuku – Nelson College, Ta$man
Patrick Elia – St Thomas of Canterbury College, Canterbury
Ryan Barnes – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Rico SymeFYI: This info doesn't come from the Crusaders website or social media.
