Rugby: Taylor's injury a big worry

Tom Taylor may not be cleared to play after suffering a head injury against the Hurricanes. Photo / Getty Images

A humbled and slightly fortunate Crusaders will be waiting anxiously on the prognosis of Tom Taylor's head injury before next weekend's Super Rugby play-off in Christchurch.

If Taylor is unable to play in the match against either the Reds or Cheetahs, then Dan Carter will probably wear the No 12 jersey, with Tyler Bleyendaal starting at first-five.

Coach Todd Blackadder said Taylor recovered quickly after lying prone for several minutes following a tackle in the first half but it was too early to tell if he would be available for his team's next match.

It's not an ideal position for the Crusaders to be in. Bleyendaal did a solid enough job at AMI Stadium when coming on in the second half of his team's 25-17 victory over the Hurricanes on Friday night but the Crusaders would prefer Carter to be in the driving seat for such an important game.

As it was, they were a little lucky to get away with the win against a team which has caused them big problems lately.

"If anything, this will be a really timely lesson that going forward we know we can't mentally switch off at all," Blackadder said. "Even though it wasn't a great performance, we still gutsed it out and still did what we needed to do to get the win."

The home side had a reasonably comfortable 13-5 halftime lead thanks to Zac Guildford's early converted try and two Carter penalties but the Hurricanes, who had scored through Victor Vito, quickly struck back after the break when Brad Shields charged through a big hole to touch down.

Andy Ellis' unconverted try gave his team an eight-point lead but that was quickly cut down when Julian Savea went over near the corner, a try converted by Andre Taylor following Beauden Barrett's injury-forced exit.

The Crusaders were left with an 18-17 lead with time ticking down. The visitors needed only a penalty to win; instead Tom Marshall's excellent kick and chase sealed it for the Crusaders.

With the pressure on to win a first title since 2008, Robbie Fruean's heart surgery has left the Crusaders light on midfielders. Ryan Crotty, a second-five, has moved out one to make way for Taylor.

Short of selecting Adam Whitelock at centre, Bleyendaal at No 10 is probably Blackadder's best option. It was the unfortunate Whitelock who threw the intercepted pass which cost the Crusaders the match against the Hurricanes in their first meeting.

Hooker Corey Flynn also left the field with a head injury on Friday night and the Crusaders lineout did not function as well after his departure. The Crusaders had put immense pressure on the Chiefs' lineout a week earlier, which had helped them to their five-tries-to-two victory over the defending champions, but they couldn't get near a Hurricanes set piece well served by Jeremy Thrush and James Broadhurst.

The visitors had also tightened up their defence considerably following their big defeat to the Highlanders at home. Skipper Conrad Smith marshalled things well in the midfield, with Julian Savea a constant menace on the counter-attack.

The Crusaders scrum was dominant as usual, but the attack was missing the cut-and-thrust which Carter and fullback Israel Dagg provided a week earlier.

If Carter is consigned to the midfield, the Crusaders' task, already a tough one as if they win their play-off their next assignment will be on the road, might have just got more difficult.