Hooker George Bell was ruled out on Wednesday for the near future following a toe injury sustained in last week’s pre-season loss to the Highlanders. He will join Codie Taylor (hamstring) on the sidelines.
It means Ioane Moananu gets a start in Friday night’s opener against the Hurricanes in Christchurch, while youngster Manumaua Letiu, promoted from the academy, is poised to debut off the bench - having not even played NPC for Canterbury.
“(It's) definitely a bit of a surprise,” Letiu said.
“ It was Sunday morning, I came in for a wee gym session, got pulled aside by (forwards coach) Dan Perrin, he sat me down in the old boardroom and just asked how I was feeling.
“I was like: ‘Yeah, feeling pretty good’. And he was just saying: ‘Are you keen to debut this weekend.’
“I had a big smile on my face.”
It will be a special moment for the 19-year-old former Christchurch Boys’ High School first XV player who has also represented the Crusaders and New Zealand under-20s.
“ Being from Christchurch, born and raised here, I’ve been dreaming about this,” Letiu said.
“Always watched the Crusaders growing up and this was the team I always wanted to play for, now getting the opportunity I’m pretty excited, a little bit nervous, but that excitement will kick in, take over for sure.”
Letiu is one of four debutants off the bench - Australian first-five James O’Connor the big name, joined by Tasman prop Sam Matenga and Wellington halfback Kyle Preston.
“ As a young fella, the Canes were my number one club and I obviously thought that would be where I would debut," he said.
“To get the opportunity down here with the Crusaders is massive and definitely adds a lot of fuel to the fire, going up against the home club, you could say.”
He turned down an offer from the Hurricanes to come to Christchurch, where he trained as an injury replacement for Willi Heinz last year - and said he has loved his time so far.
“ It's been a hard decision to make to come down but, when I came down, I felt relieved just because of the club and the love and care that they have, not just as a footy player but as a person as well.
“ You never really know if you've made the right decision. But to back your decision you've made is the key thing, and I was never going to regret my decision to come down here.”
Head coach Rob Penney has given 21-year-old Taha Kemara the nod in the all-important No 10 jersey - preferred over 64-cap Wallaby O’Connor - in what will be just his third Crusaders start.
In the absence of injured locks - Quinten Strange (hamstring) and Jamie Hannah (shoulder) - Antonio Shalfoon gets a start with Tahlor Cahill on the bench.
Seb Calder (shoulder), Kershawl Sykes-Martin (knee) and Finlay Brewis (shoulder) are the front-rowers in the injury ward - Brewis ruled out for the season after having to undergo surgery.
Cullen Grace, Ethan Blackadder and Christian Lio-Willie are the starting loose forwards with Corey Kellow on the bench.
Halfback Noah Hotham, one of the better players in last season’s disastrous ninth-place campaign, starts inside Kemara with new captain David Havili and Levi Aumua in the midfield and Dallas Mcleod on the bench.
Sevu Reece and Chay Fihaki are on the wings with Will Jordan set to make his first appearance since 2023 at fullback - a shoulder injury keeping him out for all of last season.
- Crusaders v Hurricanes, Apollo Projects Stadium, 7.05pm Friday
Crusaders: Will Jordan, Chay Fihaki, Levi Aumua, David Havili (c), Sevu Reece, Taha Kemara, Noah Hotham, Christian Lio-Willie, Ethan Blackadder, Cullen Grace, Antonio Shalfoon, Scott Barrett, Fletcher Newell, Ioane Moananu, Tamaiti Williams. Reserves: Manumaua Letiu, George Bower, Sam Matenga, Tahlor Cahill, Corey Kellow, Kyle Preston, James O’Connor, Dallas McLeod
