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All Blacks prospect dealt injury blow on eve of new Super Rugby season

(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Highly-touted Crusaders lock Quinten Strange has been dealt a cruel injury blow in the opening week of the 2020 Super Rugby campaign.

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A broken bone in his right hand means the 23-year-old will miss the Crusaders’ season-opening fixture against the Waratahs in Nelson on Saturday.

Strange sustained the injury during his side’s 41-7 pre-season thrashing of the Highlanders in Wanaka last week, and is expected to be sidelined for up to five weeks.

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The fractured hand is especially painful for promising youngster, who was expected to line up alongside captain Scott Barrett in the second row this weekend, given that he will miss out on the opportunity to play in front of his home crowd at Trafalgar Park.

“Really gutted for him, especially heading into this game at home. Nelson College, Collingwood lad. He was devastated,” Crusaders assistant coach Andrew Goodman told media on Tuesday.

Strange’s frustration is understandable considering this week presented a rare opportunity for a starting role in the absence of All Blacks star Sam Whitelock, who is on sabbatical in Japan with Top League club Panasonic.

Whitelock, Barrett and Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu are all likely to return to the All Blacks this year, but with Brodie Retallick on two-season sabbatical in Japan with the Kobe Steelers, there will be at least one vacant spot in the national set-up that needs filling.

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The departure of five-test former Highlanders utility forward Jackson Hemopo to the Mitsubishi Dynaboars seems to have paved the way for Strange, who is one of the highly-regarded young locks in the country, to challenge for a place in Ian Foster’s squad.

However, this injury has provided an unwelcome delay to what’s expected to be a coming-of-age season for the former New Zealand U20 representative.

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Mitchell Dunshea, who started in last year’s final in place of the injured Barrett, and former All Black Luke Romano are now the frontrunners for a place in this week’s run-on side.

Rookie Cullen Grace will also be in contention, while ex-Highlanders lock Alex Ainley has been training with the squad, and featured in the team’s 40-19 pre-season win over the Hurricanes in Ashburton a fortnight ago.

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Strange joins flanker Billy Harmon (knee) and Ethan Blackadder (shoulder) in the Crusaders’ injury ward, but Goodman confirmed that the remainder of the squad, including the side’s eight All Blacks, will all be available for selection against the Waratahs.

In other news:

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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