Heading into the 2022 season, how Crusaders coach Scott Robertson planned to use his contingent of All Blacks backs was a topic of much debate.
In total, Robertson has nine All Blacks to select from in the backline, including halfbacks Mitchell Drummond and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga, midfielders David Havili, Braydon Ennor and Jack Goodhue, and outside backs George Bridge, Sevu Reece and Will Jordan. Add the experienced Bryn Hall and the prodigiously talented Leicester Fainga’anuku into the mix, and it’s the best kind of headache for a coach to have to deal with.
The long season has meant that everyone has had ample starting opportunities to showcase their talents while the ACL injury that kept Goodhue from representing the All Blacks in 2021 delayed his start to the year and meant there weren’t quite as many cogs that Robertson needed to fit into the red and black machine.
Now, with Goodhue back in action, Robertson has named what’s close to a top line-up for the Crusaders in their crunch match-up with the Brumbies and somewhat fittingly, all eight of the team’s fit and available All Blacks will feature in Canberra on Friday evening.
With Drummond out due to Covid, Hall and Tahuriorangi will share duties at halfback while Mo’unga will steer the ship at flyhalf. Havili and Goodhue have been named to once again partner up after the latter was given last weekend off while Bridge, Reece and Jordan will combine in the backfield. That leaves Ennor and Fainga’anuku – who scored three tries in last weekend’s 53-15 thumping of the Western Force – to add impact off the bench.
