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Super Rugby Pacific

Crusaders name new-look side to take on Moana Pasifika

(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

After beating the Blues in Christchurch last weekend, the Crusaders have made 11 changes to their starting side to take on Moana Pasifika on Friday.

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The Crusaders are missing a number of All Blacks, including the likes of Codie Taylor, Richie Mo’unga, Leicester Fainga’anuku and Braydon Ennor.

But they aren’t the defending champions for no reason. This team still packs plenty of punch, and will be raring to go ahead of the Crusaders’ first-ever trip to Mt Smart Stadium.

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Kershawl Sykes-Martin, Brodie McAlister and the in-form Tamaiti Williams make up the Crusaders front-row this week, which looks a bit different to their trio last time out.

Scott Barrett with captain the team once again in round 13, and is set to pack down in the second row alongside Zach Gallagher.

Sione Havili Talitui and Corey Kellow will line up on the flanks, while Cullen Grace retains his spot in the No. 8 jersey.

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has named an intriguing halves combination this week, with rising star Noah Hotham set to start at halfback alongside flyhalf Fergus Burke.

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Dallas McLeod and Jack Goodhue will combine in the midfield, while Macca Springer and Chay Fihaki have been given the nod to start on the left and right wings.

Following a successful return to Super Rugby Pacific a couple of weeks ago, All Black Will Jordan will run out in the No. 15 jersey again on Friday.

Crusaders team to take on Moana Pasifika

  1. Kershawl Sykes-Martin
  2. Brodie McAlister
  3. Tamaiti Williams
  4. Scott Barrett (c)
  5. Zach Gallagher
  6. Sione Havili Talitui
  7. Corey Kellow
  8. Cullen Grace
  9. Noah Hotham
  10. Fergus Burke
  11. Macca Springer
  12. Dallas McLeod
  13. Jack Goodhue
  14. Chay Fihaki
  15. Will Jordan

Replacements:

  1. Ioane Moananu
  2. Andrew Turner
  3. Seb Calder
  4. Dom Calder
  5. Christian Lio-Willie
  6. Mitchell Drummond
  7. Taha Kemara
  8. Wil Gualter

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Comments on RugbyPass

C
CG 23 minutes ago
Should the All Blacks return the fabled number seven jersey to Ardie Savea?

If the Friz is back then yes Ardie at seven if not then Karifi at seven

Popalili is a big strong fast suitcase and blacky has a very solid head

240 Go to comments
D
Derek Murray 32 minutes ago
Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

Wow, Hooper’s stats are impressive.


I have been unimpressed previously by Lonergan but his form over the last month or two, when it has mattered the most, has been top drawer.


I was very surprised you chose Foketi in your hybrid Brumbies’ side - he’s always been a favourite of mine but has looked old and slow this season. I think Lal’s time has passed.

55 Go to comments
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Tommy B. 42 minutes ago
Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

I’ll go with one more because it’s so funny but then I must stop. There’s only so long you can talk to the nutter on the bus.

There is no legal impediment in the GFA to ANY form of border. It’s mentioned very briefly and ambiguously but even then there’s a caveat ‘if the security situation permits’ which is decided by the British government as the border is an internationally, UN recognised formal border between sovereign states. Now, you can argue that this is because it was assumed it would always be in the EU context - but we all know the issue with ‘assumption’. As to your hilarious drivel about what you think is in the GFA, you clearly haven’t read it or at best not understood it. There are still 1,580 British Army troops in NI. The legal status of NI as part of the UK is unchanged.

So, there was a problem for those that wanted to use the border to complicate any future British government changing regulations and trade arrangements through domestic legislation. Hence ‘hard border’ became ANYTHING that wasn’t a totally open border.

This allowed the EU and their fanatical Remainer British counterparts to imply that any form of administration AT the border was a ‘hard border.’ Soldiers with machine guns? Hard border. Old bloke with clipboard checking the load of every 200th lorry? Hard border. Anything in between? Hard Border. They could then use Gerry’s implicit threats to any ‘border officials’ to ensure that there would be an unique arrangement so that if any future parliament tried to change trade or administrative regulations for any part of the UK (which the EU was very worried about) some fanatical Remainer MP could stand up and say - ‘this complicates the situation in NI.’

You’ve just had a free lesson in the complex politics that went WAY over your head at the time. You’re welcome.

Now, I must slowly back out of the room, and bid you good day, as you’re clearly a nutter.

584 Go to comments
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Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Why the Gallagher Premiership is setting the gold standard in club rugby

Yeah, urc way more stable. You only have to look at Cardiff where, despite their own wobbles, the wru stepped in and ensured everything didn’t fall into bankruptcy. Currencies relatively simple to manage, F1 do it but the really interesting scenario would be if a Craig, Lansdowne, Altrad type came along and decided to really go for it in the URC!

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PB 1 hour ago
Rassie Erasmus names 54-man Springboks squad with 9 uncapped players

Junior Boks last won the U20 WC in 2012. Won the WC in 2019 and 2023.

So where is the correlation?

Part of your answer is in that at U20 level the coaches are still balancing quota numbers.

Many fine young players end up playing for Euro clubs instead.

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f
fl 1 hour ago
Only two Lions make Gallagher Premiership team of the season

Cotgreave

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SC 2 hours ago
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Does McKenzie have another sabbatical in his new contract?

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SC 2 hours ago
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To be fair, I do not believe ALB or Havili should be selected for the All Blacks again. There are simply younger and better midfielders.

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SL 2 hours ago
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Like everything else with the Welsh team, they clung on to Jenkins for too long. He was a goal kicker foremost, distributor second and tactical kicking and running well down the order. He did well with Halfpenny but that was down to the player being dedicated and to some extent with Biggar. But place kicking has deteriorated in the last 5 years and tactical kicking and skills have been non-existent in the last 2 or 3 years. Jenkins’ role is no longer valid and he should be thanked and moved on.

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JD 2 hours ago
Fiji name squad for pivotal Tests after ex-captain Nayacalevu retires

They managed to nab Rayasi from Samoa I see, great coup.

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fl 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus names 54-man Springboks squad with 9 uncapped players

SA haven’t won it very frequently, but they’re equal 1st for SF appearances, and have finished in the top 3 more than anyone else. France were patchy at senior level before they began performing well in the u20s, and improved rapidly thereafter. There’s an extremely strong correlation between how good a team is at u20 level, and how good they are at senior level.


Its certainly possible that Rassie will pull a rabbit out of the hat and suddenly unearth a load of young talent, but there’s absolutely no evidence to suggest that that would be likely.

18 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!


You are a weapons grade moron!


A ‘hard border’ would refer to the only time a physical, manned border has or would have existed on the island. It could NOT be enforceable.


An armed British army presence on the Island can’t happen under the GFA and passing the border duties onto a police force would make them the legal definition of a paramilitary force!!!!


Even BORIS wasn’t so thick that he couldn’t grasp this! 😝


Correction - you didn’t have the largest empire in history. You LOST the largest empire in history!


You have a life? Do you have an empire?

584 Go to comments
T
Tommy B. 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

2024 ‘race riots’? What are you banging on about? Hilarious for a country about to be split asunder and burning down asylum seeker hotels. Wonder if Conor McGregor will be your next President? Would just about sum you up.


I can’t carry on with this back an forth with two mental patients. Unlike you I’ve got a life.

584 Go to comments
C
Carlos 2 hours ago
Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

Nick, it’s “finals” rugby. Drops are three points still. You should have at least three players that can drop kick from those distances.

55 Go to comments
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Tommy B. 3 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

😂🤣😂🤣😂

I’ll try one more time then I must leave it. I can’t waste any more time on thick mental patients. Unlike you, I’ve got a life.

THE PHRASE ‘HARD BORDER’ WAS USED PRECISELY BECAUSE IT COULDN’T BE FIRMLY DEFINED. THAT WAS THE POINT OF THE PHRASE YOU MORON.

If you don’t understand by now it’s a waste of everyone’s time. We must simply accept you’re uneducable.

At the time of Collins’s death (hilariously killed by his ‘own side’) Britain was the biggest empire in history. You were a small, piddling little inconvenience somewhere off the coast that wasn’t worth crushing anymore. It was after the First World War and there were far, far more important things to do.

You were insignificant then, and you’re insignificant now. The really hilarious thing is that you almost immediately started to slaughter each other. You need dominating, you see, it’s why you actually NEED to be someone’s gimp all through your history.

584 Go to comments
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Tommy B. 3 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus wades into heated debate over Jaden Hendrikse antics

‘Implicit?’ Who cares? The key is that there was nothing ‘explicit’ about the border. In fact there wasn’t even much ‘implicit.’ Hence nothing legally to stop the British government telling the EU and Ireland to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine - which is what a government without an ideological pro-EU agenda would have done.

584 Go to comments
C
CV 3 hours ago
'We endure, we fight to survive - that's who we are': Welcome to the Basque Country

Great story. Would love to go to a Bayonne or Biarritz game one day.

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H
Hammer Head 3 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus names 54-man Springboks squad with 9 uncapped players

Agreed.

18 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 3 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus names 54-man Springboks squad with 9 uncapped players

Yes I agree. Very tough year. But exactly what the boks need. Toughen up.

18 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 3 hours ago
Why Brumbies could be key to avoiding a Lions tour cricket score

He is ever present. Lurking in the shadows under the bridge.


🧌


🐐🐐🐐

55 Go to comments
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