mobanmarketAfter losing the services of several players to injury during the season, Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson is fretting over back-row Ethan Blackadder and second-row Zach Gallagher.
The forward duo and fly-half Richie Mo’unga limped off the field during the latter stages of the defending champions’ 49-8 triumph against Fijian Drua in Christchurch on Saturday.
It meant the Crusaders played the closing stages of their Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final with 13 men, as all their substitutions were made by then.
Good news on Mo’unga
There was some good news on Mo’unga as he confirmed that his departure was merely a precautionary measure due to cramping.
“We were just thinking ahead, especially that late in the game,” he told Newshub. “No disrespect to the Drua boys, it was just the time of the game.
“We were really comfortable with where we were at and it was just better to be safe than sorry.”
However, there are genuine concerns over Blackadder and Gallagher for next weekend’s semi-final against the Blues in Christchurch.
Blackadder returned to action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a calf injury but only lasted five minutes against the Drua after what Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson described as a “hip strike” with team-mate Quinten Strange.
Robertson is hopeful Blackadder’s injury is not too serious, but has plenty of sympathy for the All Black, after his 2022 season was cut short by a shoulder injury.
“I just feel for him,” he said. “It’s a tough sport, but it feels a bit unfair on him.”
Meanwhile, the prognosis on Gallagher’s calf injury is not so positive with Robertson saying it “didn’t look good”.
Gallagher came on to replace Blackadder in the final quarter but also had to leave the field after a short stint and his injury means the Crusaders’ second-row stocks are thin with veteran All Black Sam Whitelock also currently sidelined with an Achilles complaint.
Whitelock in a race to be fit for semi-final
Robertson admitted that he is not confident Whitelock will be feature against the Blues, with the 34-year-old in a race to be fit for the semi-final.
“We took him off [against the Hurricanes] and hoped it would recover a little bit quicker than it has, but it hasn’t,” he noted.
“With a six-day turnaround, probably not likely [for the semi-final] at this stage.”
“It’s day by day, week by week. We’ll see.”
Click Here: south sydney rabbitohs rugby store