The Super Rugby Aotearoa champs ran in nine tries in a 63-28 victory over the Reds.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson is hopeful Ethan Blackadder will pass all his concussions protocols this week and believes the teak-tough Tasman backrower new-found versatility offers him the chance to “push for higher honours’’. Blackadder passed the first stage of his head injury assessment tests after leaving the field in the 74th minute of the unbeaten Crusaders’ commanding 63-28 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman win over the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night.
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Ethan Blackadder was the Crusaders standout forward in a 63-28 win over the Reds in Brisbane.
Starting with Saturday night’s clash against the Reds in Brisbane, Bridge will miss the Crusaders’ last four regular season matches of the trans-Tasman competition, and the final – should they qualify for it. The Crusaders will also be without captain Scott Barrett for the clash of the Super Rugby Aotearoa (SRA) and Super Rugby Australia champions.
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Crusaders wing George Bridge won’t play Super Rugby again until next year after his latest health setback. Scratched due to an illness ahead of last week’s game against the Brumbies, the Crusaders are hopeful he will join the team in Australia ahead of their round three game against the Waratahs in Wollongong.
Sevu Reece: Took this opening try brilliantly and covered an enormous amount of ground defensively. There is no one better in New Zealand when it comes to coverting chances in tight spaces, and Reece is probably making better reads in defence than his breakout year in 2019. Docked a mark for his yellow card but he’s back in All Blacks form.
7.5
Leicester Fainga’anuku: His form has been so good the Crusaders may keep him at No 13 even when Jack Goodhue is back and Braydon Ennor is fully fit. Smashed his way past anyone wearing a Chiefs jersey and his leg drive is phenomenal.
The 26-year-old Southlander started the first nine matches, playing mostly at fullback while occasionally switching to first five-eighth, before being rested against the Blues last Saturday as the Chiefs, who were already in the decider, gave their stars a break. He struggled to hit top form in 2020 on his comeback from a serious knee injury the previous year, which ruled him out of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but he has been back to his best in the Chiefs’ resurgence under coach Clayton McMillan. The debate about whether he’s better at fullback or first-five will never cease, but the All Blacks will have a selection headache when considering how to fit McKenzie into their squad after he rediscovered his mojo. He has played 27 tests since his All Blacks debut in 2016 but hardly featured last year.
Super Rugby: Argentina captain Pablo Matera signs with Crusaders
30 Apr, 2021 04:15 AM
3 minutes to read
Cheree Kinnear explains the key points in the Silver Lake buy-in.
NZ Herald
Block-busting back rower and Argentina captain Pablo Matera signed with the Crusaders for the 2022 Super Rugby season.
Matera, playing in the French Top 14 for Stade Francais, has signed a one-season contract for the Crusaders and will link up with them next season.
The owner of over 60 caps for Los Pumas, Matera will add some considerable heft to the Crusaders back-row stocks that this season has consisted of Cullen Grace, Tom Sanders, Ethan Blackadder, Tom Christie, Whetukamokamo Douglas and Sione Havili Talitui.