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Crusaders set to debut another up-and-coming loose forward as captain Barrett succumbs to knee injury

Ethan Roots. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

The Crusaders will play their first home game in Christchurch this Friday night, when they host the Highlanders at Orangetheory Stadium.

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The only changes to the starting team this week are in the forwards, with Captain Scott Barrett (knee) and Oli Jager (concussion) both ruled out with injury. Luke Romano and Michael Alaalatoa come into the starting side at lock and tighthead prop respectively.

Isi Tuungafasi moves into the matchday team and will wear the number 17 jersey.

The backline remains unchanged this week, but there is a reshuffle of the captaincy with David Havili named as captain and Codie Taylor and Jack Goodhue vice-captains for this game.

Will Jordan (groin) has also been ruled out of this match, so Leicester Faingaanuku will be on the bench in his place.

Continue reading below…

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Meanwhile, Ethan Roots is set to become Crusader #241 on Friday night, if called on in the reserves to make his Super Rugby debut.

Roots will become the fourth new loose forward that the Crusaders have blooded this year with Tom Christie, Cullen Grace and Sione Havili all earning their first caps for the side over the past three weeks.

Coach Scott Robertson has no reservations about bringing another debutant into the mix.

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“He’s [Roots] tough, he’s abrasive. We wanted someone who can cover six/lock, same as Cullen [Grace], and that’s what we got,” said Robertson.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8cmJ9Rgs2C/

“He’s fitted in, he’s picked up the detail really quickly, he’s got a real good edge to him.”

Christie and Grace, in particular, have received plenty of praise for their performances so far with Christie topping the tackle charts for the year and Grace notching up 20 of his own in last week’s starting debut against the Blues.

The four newbie loose forwards are all 22-years-old or younger, showing there’s plenty of promise coming through the ranks for last year’s champions.

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Kick-off in the Crusaders match against the Highlanders is 7:05pm, Friday 21st February, at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.

Crusaders: David Havili (c), Sevu Reece, Braydon Ennor, Jack Goodhue, George Bridge, Richie Mo’unga, Bryn Hall, Tom Sanders, Tom Christie, Cullen Grace, Mitchell Dunshea, Luke Romano, Michael Alaalatoa, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody. Reserves: Andrew Makalio, Isi Tu’ungafasi, George Bower, Ethan Roots, Sione Havili, Mitchell Drummond, Brett Cameron, Leicester Fainga’anuku.

– with Crusaders Rugby

WATCH: ‘Spectacular’ Six Nations TV numbers have been recorded in France on the back of the national sides revival under new coach Fabien Galthie.

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Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
N
Nickers 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Very poor understanding of what's going on and 0 ability to read. When I say playing behind the gain line you take this to mean all off-loads and site times we are playing in front of the gain line???


Every time we play a lot of rugby behind the gain line (for clarity, meaning trying to build an attack and use width without front foot ball 5m+ behind the most recent breakdown) we go backwards and turn the ball over in some way. Every time a player is tackled behind the most recent breakdown you need more and more people to clear out because your forwards have to go back around the corner, whereas opposition players can keep moving forward. Eventually you run out of either players to clear out or players to pass to and the result in a big net loss of territory and often a turnover. You may have witnessed that 20+ times in the game against England. This is a particularly dumb idea inside your own 40m which is where, for some reason, we are most likely to employ it.


The very best ABs teams never built an identity around attacking from poor positions. The DC era team was known for being the team that kicked the most. To engineer field position and apply pressure, and create broken play to counter attack. This current team is not differentiating between when a defence has lost it's structure and there are opportunities, and when they are completely set and there is nothing on. The reason they are going for 30 minute + periods in every game without scoring a single point, even against Japan and a poor Australian team, is because they are playing most of their rugby on the back foot in the wrong half.

43 Go to comments
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