Brumbies v Crusaders

[Stargazer]

Crusaders
1 Tim Perry, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Owen Franks, 4 Scott Barrett, 5 Sam Whitelock (c), 6 Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, 7 Matt Todd (vc), 8 Jordan Taufua
9 Bryn Hall, 10 Mike Delany, 11 Seta Tamanivalu, 12 Ryan Crotty (vc), 13 Tim Bateman, 14 Israel Dagg, 15 David Havili

Reserves
16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Mitch Drummond, 22 Mitch Hunt, 23 Manasa Mataele

https://crusaders.co.nz/news/1213-bnz-crusaders-team-named-to-play-the-brumbies-in-canberra

[Stargazer]

Brumbies
1 Scott SIO, 2 Folau FAINGA’A, 3 Allan ALAALATOA, 4 Rory ARNOLD, 5 Sam CARTER, 6 Blake ENEVER, 7 Tom CUSACK, 8 Isi NAISARANI
9 Joe POWELL, 10 Wharenui HAWERA, 11 Chance PENI, 12 Andrew SMITH, 13 Tevita KURIDRANI, 14 Henry SPEIGHT, 15 Tom BANKS

Reserves
16 Robbie ABEL, 17 Faalelei SIONE, 18 Ben ALEXANDER, 19 Darcy SWAIN, 20 Lolo FAKAOSILEA, 21 Matt LUCAS, 22 Jordan JACKSON-HOPE, 23 Andy MUIRHEAD

The Brumbies will be without Australian flanker David Pocock for the encounter with the dynamic flanker ruled out of action due to a calf strain.

| Brumbies

[Chris B.]

Crusaders starting XV starting to take shape.

By my count, that's eleven of the real starting XV starting - with Moody, Read, Mo'unga and Goodhue to return.

In less good news, I heard Razor on the radio saying that Funnell, Sanders and Jager are all gone for the season - meaning that bench is probably our first choice bench.

[Bones]

Wait... Wait... Crotty is starting two games in a row?

[Chris B.]

@bones He does that quite frequently - it's finishing two games in a row that's the challenge!

[Stargazer]

Confirming what @Chris-B posted:

Add Ben Funnell, Oli Jager and Tom Sanders to the list of broken Super Rugby players.

Prior to boarding a flight for Canberra, where the Crusaders will play the Brumbies on Saturday night, Scott Robertson sounded like a medic returning from a rugged military exercise as he relayed details of his latest casualties.

The news on hooker Funnell, prop Jager and loose forward Sanders was grim. Funnell and Jager won't play for the Crusaders again this year, and it's extremely doubtful whether Sanders will either.

Funnell suffered a serious knee injury against the Sunwolves last weekend, while Sanders damaged the same ankle which required a screw to be inserted into it in the pre-season. Both require operations.

Jager had been bothered by a shoulder injury, and it's been decided he needs to have it reconstructed.

Robertson said Funnell had stuffed his anterior cruciate ligament and could be out for up to eight months.

"They (the doctors) will know the extent of it once they get in, how much cartilage has been taken with it and if there are any cracks on the bone. It is a major operation for Ben and our thoughts are with him.

"It is pretty emotional for both those (Funnell and Sanders) players, they have been through a lot."

Centre Jack Goodhue remains off limits until the hamstring he injured against the Lions on April 2 is repaired. 

There is also good news:

The news on Richie Mo'unga is brighter. Although Robertson hasn't named the All Blacks first five-eighth to play the Brumbies, which was the original deadline after he fractured his jaw on March 3, he should be fit to meet the Rebels the following weekend.

Rather than take the risk of Mo'unga getting whacked on the jaw, and being out for another three to four weeks, the sensible option was to delay his comeback.

"They just had to take a little bit of the plate out … It wasn't quite fully knitted in his mouth, so the surgeon made a call and said 'look, one extra week is going to give him the ability to heal 100 per cent'," Robertson said.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/103392274/crusaders-coach-robertson-makes-changes-for-old-foe-brumbies

[Stargazer]

With Funnell out for the season, I wonder whether the Crusaders now regret letting Nathan Vella go to the Canes? He was no. 4 behind Makalio, wasn't he? Who's the next in line?

[ARHS]

@stargazer

Brendan Asomua-Goodman? But, what about Kurt Eklund, not required by the Blues?

[Chris B.]

@stargazer Same thought occurred to me. Possibly somewhat unfortunate timing for Vella.

Wonder what Ti'i Paulo is up to?

(Five minutes of Facebook sleuthing tells me he's still keen to play rugby and is RDO for Renwick Rugby Club).

[antipodean]

@stargazer said in Brumbies v Crusaders:

9 Joe POWELL, 10 Wharenui HAWERA, 11 Chance PENI, 12 Andrew SMITH, 13 Tevita KURIDRANI, 14 Henry SPEIGHT, 15 Tom BANKS

What a pedestrian backline that is. Small wonder the Brumbies attack is penalty -> lineout -> maul

[Machpants]

Saders very happy to maul too, they're the only NZ side who are almost good at it

[No Quarter]

What a ball from Tamanivalu to put master Bateman in. Outrageous.

[No Quarter]

Forearm to the face for Dagg. Fuck sakes he's only just got back on the field, poor bloke.

[No Quarter]

How excessive does "excessive force" have to be? I'm not sure he could have hit him much harder than that.

[Machpants]

So you have to punch some one in the face for a red? FFS

[Gunner]

Blimmin heck which Blue came on and dropped those 5 points?

[Machpants]

Crotty, and now he's having his traditional injury

[Gunner]

Whoa, he with the most reliable body in professional sport, Ryan Crotty is hurt.

[Gunner]

WTF, now a second knock on with a certain try in the offing.

[No Quarter]

Mataele great finish, made it look easy. He's having a great season.