Crusaders coach implements policy of rotation

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has rung the changes to his team, making five as they prepare to face the Highlanders in Dunedin in their Super Rugby match on Saturday.

After two wins out of two, the Crusaders have the luxury of making the changes as the Highlanders struggle with injuries in the Aotearoa tournament.

The biggest change is the return to the starting line-up of vice-captain David Havili to his regular role of fullback, which comes after Will Jordan, the player he replaced, scored two tries last weekend.

Bryn Hall and George Bridge are also rested for the match, meaning Mitchell Drummond will start at scrumhalf, while Leicester Faingaanuku comes in on the left wing.

There are also changes in the loose trio, where Ethan Blackadder comes in to replace Cullen Grace, who underwent surgery on Tuesday for a fracture at the base of his right thumb. Tom Christie will start for Billy Harmon at open side flank.

Promising prospect Fetuli Paea will make his debut off the bench, while Oli Jager, who withdrew from the side at the 11th hour last weekend with a back complaint, also returns to the bench.

After their successful return from injury to play club rugby last week, Andrew Makalio and Quinten Strange have both been named in the reserves for the first time.

Robertson said the changes were aimed at keeping the side fresh.

“We wanted to make sure that we could give the majority of our squad, or as many as we could, game time,” he said.

Although they lost narrowly in their visit to Auckland last week the Highlanders will have been emboldened by their start to the Aotearoa season. But the mounting injury list might soon start to play on coach Aaron Mauger’s mind.

The Highlanders will go into battle without rookie wing Sam Gilbert, who made an impressive start to his career in top-flight rugby but is now out with a season-ending knee injury.

Ngatungane Punivai replaces him on the right wing and there has also been a change at fullback, where Michael Collins is the latest man to wear the No 15 after the experiment with Scott Gregory bombed spectacularly last weekend.

Collins, who was at Eden Park as one of the non-playing squad members last week, at least has experience in the position vacated by former Highlanders and All Black stalwart Ben Smith at the start of the year.

“Michael is a great communicator, reads a game well and will organise the back three,” Highlanders assistant coach Tony Brown said.

Mauger, meanwhile, has decided to refresh his front row, with a completely new unit of Daniel Lienert-Brown, Liam Coltman and Jeff Thwaites called in to face the Crusaders. That means that co-captain Ash Dixon will drop to the bench for this game.

It is the number of other players out with injury that might be a concern for Mauger. Besides Gilbert, Nathan Vella [concussion], Nehe Milner-Skudder [shoulder] and Josh Ioane [quad] are still unavailable.

The list of players out for the season includes Sione Misiloi [foot], Thomas Umaga-Jensen [shoulder], James Lentjes [ankle], Tevita Nabura [back] and Conor Garden-Bachop [back].