Crusaders v Sunwolves
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1 Tim Perry
2 Ben Funnell
3 Owen Franks
4 Scott Barrett
5 Quinten Strange
6 Ethan Blackadder*
7 Matt Todd (C)
8 Tom Sanders
9 Mitchell Drummond
10 Mike Delany
11 Manasa Mataele
12 Ryan Crotty (VC)
13 Tim Bateman
14 Israel Dagg
15 George BridgeReserves
16 Andrew Makalio
17 Wyatt Crockett
18 Chris King
19 Luke Romano
20 Pete Samu
21 Jack Stratton*
22 Mitchell Hunt
23 Seta Tamanivalu*denotes debut
BNZ Crusaders team named to play the Sunwolves
The BNZ Crusaders return to AMI Stadium this weekend, following their successful tour to South Africa and Argentina in recent weeks. The side are preparing to take on the Sunwolves in Christchurch on Saturday night. Head Coach Scott Robertson has made a number of changes to his starting team for this match, including the highly-anticipated return of experienced All Blacks and Super Rugby centurions Owen Franks and Israel Dagg. Franks makes his return from an Achilles injury and joins Ben Funnell and Tim Perry as the starting front row. At lock, Scott Barrett and Quinten Strange earn starts this week, and Luke Romano will provide cover in the reserves. Regular captain Sam Whitelock will be rested this week, meaning flanker Matt Todd will take over the captaincy for this match. In the back row, Tom Sanders shifts from the blindside to No. 8, making way for 23 year-old Ethan Blackadder to make his Investec Super Rugby debut in the No. 6 jersey on Saturday night. Robertson has also reshuffled the back line, which sees Manasa Mataele shift from the right to left wing for this match. Dagg slots in on the right wing, having recovered from his knee injury, and George Bridge will move to the fullback position. Mitchell Drummond will start at halfback, and Mike Delany at first five-eighth, with Mitch Hunt to provide first-five cover for Delany on the bench. In the reserves, halfback Jack Stratton could be set to make his Super Rugby debut on Saturday night, if called upon from the bench. Kick off is 7:35pm, Saturday 21 April, at AMI Stadium in Christchurch. -
Team to play the Sunwolves:
George Bridge, Israel Dagg, Tim Bateman, Ryan Crotty, Manasa Mataele, Mike Delany, Mitchell Drummond, Tom Sanders, Matt Todd, Ethan Blackadder, Quinten Strange, Scott Barrett, Owen Franks, Ben Funnell, Tim Perry. Reserves: Andrew Makalio, Wyatt Crockett, Chris King, Luke Romano, Pete Samu, Jack Stratton, Mitchell Hunt, Seta Tamanivalu.
Razor rolling the dice a bit with Taylor, Havili, Hall and Sam Whitelock all rested, plus Delaney, Strange and Ethan Blackadder given starts (ahead of Hunt and Samu).
Team still looks, hopefully, solid enough to take care of the Sunwolves and there's a bit of cavalry on the bench.
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Owen and Izzy are back!
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@antipodean Yes, great to have some All Blacks back playing again! I don't like it all that so many are still not playing with the June Series starting in less than 2 months!
The Saders are resting quite a few players at the same time: All Blacks Taylor, Whitelock & Havili, but also Alaalatoa & Hall. Not confirmed, but I assume Taufua is injured (and that Alaalatoa & Hall are not).
Also still injured: Moody, Jager, Read, Mo'unga, Goodhue & maybe some of the fringe players (not sure whether Dunshea is still injured). -
@antipodean said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:
Owen and Izzy are back!
Yes Boy!
It'll be a cricket score, that's a good looking saders - injuries permitting. Just lack of Mo'unga will hold them back a bit.
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@chris-b 2 Collingwood boys starting, that's neat.
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@siam Golden Bay-Motueka - should've held out as it's own union - glory was just round the corner - though I'm not sure Ethan identifies with his heritage.
Or is there a third? -
@chris-b last one. Both with strong rugby pedigree, Quinten's grandad was a former NZRU President, great man too was Murray.
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Sunwolves
15 William Tupou, 14 Hosea Saumaki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Lappies Labuschagne (c), 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig MillarReserves: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Sam Wykes, 20 Edward Quirk, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Ryoto Nakamura, 23 Semisi Masirewa
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@stargazer That's a pretty international-looking Sunwolves starting 15 to face the Saders.
Be interesting to see how Little goes. -
@stargazer said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:
Sunwolves
15 William Tupou, 14 Hosea Saumaki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Lappies Labuschagne (c), 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig MillarReserves: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Shintaro Ishihara, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Sam Wykes, 20 Edward Quirk, 21 Yutaka Nagare, 22 Ryoto Nakamura, 23 Semisi Masirewa
Must be awkward for the captain to be named after something a stripper does.
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@machpants said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:
@antipodean said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:
Owen and Izzy are back!
Yes Boy!
It'll be a cricket score, that's a good looking saders - injuries permitting. Just lack of Mo'unga will hold them back a bit.
Interestingly, this week I'm certain we can pick a better starting XV from the guys who aren't playing:
Moody, Taylor, Alaalatoa, Whitelock, Dunshea, Taufua, Harmon, Read, Hall, Mo'unga, Havili, Goodhue, Macilai, Ennor, Jordan
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Goddamn Sunwolves have already scored. Fucking up my tipping again.
14-5 after 17.
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Game is 15 mins old, 2 tries to 1, Saders up ...
And nobody has written a thing on the game so far.
Man, the sun wolves have REALLY added a lot to this tournament ...
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That's even a harsh penalty. He pretty much put cushions down for Dagg.
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Snap.
Yep, I appreciate them, but only because I can occasionally go to games. They need to get a better recruitment policy, and they’d be at least less uncompetitive...
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Thunder, lightning, hail.
@MajorRage Parker and Little are good SW players...
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Sunwolves like lifting in the tackle...
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I don’t know how Little missed out on a contract.
Bit of a lift there.
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What lovely weather, wolves making the most of it!
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@gt12 did he miss out or did he move? I can't see any typical starters at any kiwi sides who he'd be ahead of.
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I doubt he was looking to start in NZ (but I could be wrong). My understanding is that he went to the SWs because of a lack of interest in NZ, mainly by the Blues, I guess.
I’d have him about Faiane (who is slowly getting better), or as a squaddie in the Chiefs.
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Crusaders lineout an absolute shitshow so far
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@gt12 yeah definitely ahead of Faiane, but what I mean is - he probably got an offer (I imagine a decent one) and thought hey I get to live in Japan and get to start every week. Why sit around holding tackle bags?
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Especially after living here. He was pretty good at Japanese when he left, so for any number of reasons I can’t argue with the decision to come here.
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Sunwolves tight five are feeble
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Saders discipline appalling
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I thought the ruck was being assessed in a different way this year? I can’t see anything different noawadayz. Seems to have last about a week.
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After a blistering start the Saders are looking average outside the scrum
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Saders lineout looks like the All Blacks at the turn of the century.
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@gt12 said in Crusaders v Sunwolves:
I thought the ruck was being assessed in a different way this year? I can’t see anything different noawadayz. Seems to have last about a week.
It is slightly. They're just making sure that ONLY the first arriving player can go for the ball. I thought the one the commentators were talking about was correctly decided, or at least it was so fine that you should allow him to continue (IMO anyway)
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SWs constantly living off side
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Seems like the Saders pulled back after dominating the first 10...
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"Mud the great leveler".
Crusaders struggling to build anything with the wet ball.
I wonder if the guy who put $38K on them to win @ $1.01 has started hedging his bet?
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Funnell and Sanders have both hobbled off - both look like knee injuries.
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Did anyone see what happened in about the 37th minute near the touchline (close to the SW try line)? Radio commentators said it was something for the citing commissioner. Tackle on Bateman? Mataele?
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@stargazer No idea sorry.
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@chris-b Stuff live commentary claims "knee for Funnell and ankle for Sanders".
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Fuck Drommond's kicking in general play is all shades of shit
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@shadowtrooper He's covered himself in shit in the first few minutes of the second half.
