SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC 2024 Game 4
SATURDAY MARCH 2nd
Crusaders coach Rob Penney must be licking his chops at the chance to take the Waratahs down a peg, given they sacked him in 2021.
Then again, he might be so desperate to get a win that he doesn’t want to even think about the prospect of losing to the Sydney-based club that showed him the door.
We will probably never know exactly what thoughts bounced around inside Rob Penney’s brain when the Waratahs tore up his contract in 2021.
They may not have been fit for print.
Or perhaps a frustrated Penney was relieved to cut ties with the Sydney-based club after the team was win-less from its five opening games, forcing his departure fewer than two seasons deep into a three-year contract.
The peripatetic life of a professional coach meant Penney later found work in Japan, before he arrived back in his old town of Christchurch to take over from Scott Robertson at the Crusaders, the Super Rugby Pacific champions.
Penney would have been disappointed that the Crusaders gave away two kickable penalties that allowed Josh Ioane to kick six points and earn the Chiefs a 33-29 in Hamilton in the first round of the season.
The Crusaders have been forced to make a couple of changes because of injury. All Blacks tighthead prop Tamaiti Williams and young No 10 Rivez Reihana have been ruled out because of hamstring and shoulder injuries.
Williams has been replaced by Fletcher Newell. Taha Kemara will start at No 10.
Waratahs star Mark Nawaqanitawase is under an injury cloud for Saturday’s clash with the defending champion Crusaders.
Mark has pulled up with some hamstring soreness from Tuesday training apparantly.
He is having scans and receiving treatment, and they will give him until later in the week to prove his fitness. They are fortunate that Triston Reilly has successfully recovered from his ankle injury, and he will come into the starting side if Mark is unable to play.
First choice centres Lalakai Foketi (neck) and Izaia Perese (concussion) are ruled out with Joey Walton and Harry Wilson to start instead.
The Crusaders have been so dominant for so long and the Tah’s will be keen to take them on again,
The Crusaders have lost prop Tamaiti Williams and No.10 Rivez Reihana to injury and Fletcher Newell and Taha Kemara will start in their places.
CRUSADERS (1-15)
George Bower, George Bell, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett (c), Quinten Strange, Dominic Gardiner, Tom Christie, Cullen Grace, Noah Hotham, Taha Kemara, Macca Springer, David Havili, Levi Aumua, Sevu Reece, Chay Fihaki
RESERVES: Quentin MacDonald, Joe Moody, Owen Franks, Jamie Hannah, Christian Lio-Willie, Mitchell Drummond, Ryan Crotty, Dallas McLeod
WARATAHS (1-15)
Angus Bell, Mahe Vailanu, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Jed Holloway, Hugh Sinclair, Fergus Lee-Warner, Charlie Gamble, Langi Gleeson, Jake Gordon (c), Tane Edmed, Dylan Pietsch, Joey Walton, Harry Wilson, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Max Jorgensen
RESERVES: Julian Heaven, Hayden Thompson-Stringer, Dan Botha, Miles Amatosero, Ned Hanigan, Teddy Wilson, Mosese Tuipulotu, Triston Reilly
Referee: James Mabey
Assistant Referees: Brendon Pickerill, Dan Waenga
PREDICTION
Both sides looked good last week, at times ,and both coaches will have concerns. The Crusaders had a poor first half, and the Waratahs had a poor second half. The Crusaders dispelled any doubts they would fall away dramatically in the post-Scott Robertson era, turning in a gutsy fightback against the Chiefs that only just saw them denied by two late penalties. Skipper Scott Barrett was magnificent while back-rowers Cullen Grace and Tom Christie, and fullback Chay Fihaki also caught the eye. The red-and-blacks did see All Blacks prop Tamaiti Williams go down with injury after a 30-metre sprint in open field, and he is out this week, with Fletcher Newell a more than adequate replacement at tighthead prop. Young No. 10 Taha Kemara is also into the starting line-up in place of the injured Rivez Reihana. The Waratahs, meanwhile, were outclassed by an impressive Reds outfit, albeit after a controversial penalty try and sin-binning of Max Jorgensen. The second-year Tahs fullback will be eager to make up for that error, but the Waratahs have been further affected by injury with Izaia Perese joining Lalakai Foketi on the sidelines, meaning there is a new centre pairing of Joey Walton and Harry Wilson, something the Crusaders David Havili and recruit Levi Aumua will likely exploit. NSW have a reasonable record against the Crusaders on Australian soil, but they will need to be significantly better than they were in Brisbane to have any hope of winning this one.
I will have to follow the Crusaders in this game and I am eager to watch Levi Aumua in the middle. This guy is a weapon and hard to stop. Ask Damian McKenzie how his ribs feel. Crusaders by 13 plus points.
Watch Game 5, Chiefs v Brumbies.
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