They defeated Lincoln University 52-17 on Saturday, even with three players away on New Zealand under-20 duty and head coach Daniel O’Brien in Thailand for his sister’s wedding.
Lock Jake Frost also suffered a broken arm during the match and will miss most of the season.
Adding to the uncertainty, captain and first-five James White could be called into the Crusaders squad following Taha Kemara’s injury.
Halfback and backs coach Jared Mitchell, who stepped in as head coach, said the match was tougher than the score suggested.
“We only had 39% possession and territory and managed to score 50 points, so that’s always a good thing,” he said.
The win also saw University reclaim the Hart-O’Reilly Trophy, contested between the two varsity teams, after losing it 31-26 to Lincoln last season.
University will face Sydenham this weekend, with O’Brien back in charge – though several key players will still be sidelined.
Mitchell is expecting a tough contest.
“I would expect them to be much the same as they have been. They always have a good pack and they try and rumble you around. They’ve had some pretty exciting outsides as well, so they can hit you from anywhere.”
Elsewhere, Linwood held onto the DCL Shield after a 36-29 win over Shirley. They will defend it again this weekend against New Brighton, who are tied with University on competition points but trail on points difference.
Lincoln University will aim to bounce back against Belfast, who impressed despite a 42-29 loss to Burnside. Shirley meet Burnside, HSOB face Marist Albion and Christchurch host Sumner with all matches taking place on Saturday.
