The All Black prop who played 80 minutes to sink the Blues

“Mate, this is the moment,” Will Jordan told Fletcher Newell before the Crusaders’ last scrum against the Blues in Christchurch on Friday night.

With time almost expired, Newell mangled opposite Mason Tupaea to win a penalty when the scores were tied 22-22. James O’Connor subsequently kicked a goal to win the game.

“It wasn’t scrum advice from Will,” Newell laughed, speaking with RugbyPass this week.

“We had the scrum right in front of the posts. All of us front rowers connected; the forward pack got excited about the opportunity. Earlier, we had won a penalty from a scrum in a similar spot, so we decided to give it everything we’ve got and executed our plan well.

“We do a bit of a preview of our opposition, but most of it is down to us nailing our stuff. We’re lucky to have a lot of experience, so we can focus on ourselves and usually get it right.

“Full credit to George Bower as well. He’s a world-class scrummager. To bring him off the bench is a real luxury.”

A bigger luxury for the Crusaders is having an All Blacks prop who can not only last 80 minutes but also get better throughout. In the 71st minute, Newell won the penalty that tied the scores. Indeed, Newell ventured into uncharted territory on Friday night by playing the entire match. In 40 previous appearances for the Crusaders, he had never achieved that feat, or at any time in his senior first-class career.

The last time Newell played 80 minutes at any level was on June 13, 2019, when the New Zealand Under-20s were beaten 25-17 by South Africa.

“Full credit to the Crusaders coaches for trusting me. I know I can play a full game if needed, I love being out there, so it was a dream result really,” Newell reflected.

“It helped that it was wet. It made the game slower. There were about 20 scrums and a few resets, too. I’m not sure I’ll last 80 minutes under the roof on Saturday.”

The Crusaders, in second place with a 6-2 record, travel to Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin to joust with the Highlanders, who are in desperate need of a win, residing outside the top six. Newell has played the Highlanders three times and won twice. Last year, he played 68 minutes in a 32-29 loss. Newell will mark All Blacks teammate Ethan De Groot.

“The boys were gutted about last season and are determined to turn it around. I wasn’t involved much in the pre-season, but I could see the hard work that had gone in and the connection established,” Newell said.

“The biggest change in my role has been being more of a leader in the group. Being an All Black, some of the younger players look up to me, I guess. I’ve enjoyed sharing knowledge and stepping up more in some of the decision-making.”

Newell made his senior first-class debut for Canterbury in a 43-24 win against North Harbour in the 2020 NPC.

That same year, Newell got done-over in a 20-19 loss to Hawke’s Bay where he conceded a tighthead and rival prop Jason Long, a former national stock car champion, scored the winning try in the 80th minute.

“That was an important lesson early in my career. I was only a sub that day, but it taught me that the only important scrum is the present one,” Newell said.

Newell became an All Black in 2022 and made his Test debut in the meritorious 35-23 victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The Rangiora High School product has played 22 Tests and won 16 times.