Crusaders hit by huge injury list as they prepare for season kick-off

Any hopes the Crusaders may have had about their injury woes from last year being behind them have been dashed ahead of their first game of the season against the Hurricanes in Christchurch on Friday.

The franchise, who won only four matches last year under new coach Rob Penney, have 14 players on their casualty list, including All Blacks hookers Codie Taylor and George Bell, neither of whom will be available to play the Hurricanes.

Taylor has a hamstring strain and is out for up to three weeks, with Bell nursing a foot injury. Bell’s return-to-play timeframe is unclear.

Top locks Quinten Strange (pectoral muscle and hamstring) and Jamie Hannah, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, are both out for up to six weeks.

Penney’s prop stocks have also taken a hit, with Finlay Brewis’ shoulder injury requiring surgery, which will put him out for the season, Seb Calder nursing an AC joint problem which will sideline him for up to five weeks and Kershawl Sykes-Martin’s knee issue ruling him out for up to six weeks.

Wing Johnny McNicholl, back from a stint in Wales last year, also has a hamstring issue and is likely facing a long stint out, with midfielder Dallas McLeod a doubtful starter for Friday due to a hip problem.

Wing or midfielder Braydon Ennor, who has played nine Tests for the All Blacks, but didn’t play at all last year due to his third anterior cruciate knee injury in eight years, faces an uncertain return due to wrist surgery.

It is another blow for Ennor, whose recovery from his latest knee operation was hampered by a bad infection.

He told RugbyPass at the recent Super Rugby Pacific launch in Sydney that the Crusaders were determined to put things right this year after a disastrous 2024. The season failure broke a run of seven consecutive titles under previous coach Scott Robertson, now head coach of the All Blacks.

“Everyone’s feeling that hurt,” Ennor said. “Our fans deserve a lot more from us, our community, so we felt like we let ourselves down last year.”

While the Crusaders are missing a host of players, they still have quality in depth in a majority of positions, including among the outside backs where Sevu Reece, Will Jordan and Chay Fihaki will be in the mix for Friday’s season opener.

All Blacks props George Bower, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell are also in the mix, along with All Blacks skipper and lock Scott Barrett.

Hooker Codie Taylor, hamstring, 2-3 weeks; loose forward Fletcher Anderson, heel, 2-3; first-five Rivez Reihana, ankle, 2-3; prop Seb Calder, AC joint, 3-5; lock Quinten Strange, pec/hamstring, 4-6; lock or loose forward Dom Gardiner, hamstring, 4-6; lock Jamie Hannah, shoulder surgery, 4-6; midfielder Aki Tuivailala, finger surgery, 4-6; Wing Johnny McNicholl, hamstring, 4-6; midfielder or outside back Braydon Ennor, wrist surgery, unclear; hooker George Bell foot – unclear; prop Kershawl Sykes-Martin knee 5-6; prop Finlay Brewis shoulder out for season; midfielder Dallas McLeod hip, doubtful.