All Blacks World Cup hopefuls remain without timetable to return for Crusaders following week one injuries

Injury has ruled Fletcher Newell out of the Crusaders' round-two Super Rugby Pacific clash. Photo / Photosport

The Crusaders are yet to learn the severity of injuries to All Blacks World Cup hopefuls Cullen Grace and Fletcher Newell, after the pair left under a cloud of concern during their loss to the Chiefs last Friday.

Grace left the field just nine minutes into the contest after injuring his shoulder, while Newell saw out 50 minutes before the Crusaders rotated their props.

Neither were named in the squad for their Super Round game against the Highlanders in Melbourne on Friday night, but coach Scott Robertson could not confirm their timeframe for a return as Grace and Newell are still undergoing scans to learn the extent of their issues.

It will be a particularly frustrating setback for Grace, who has spent time in the casualty ward every year since making his Crusaders debut in 2020. That year, he sustained a thumb injury that required surgery to repair. In 2021 and 2022, he suffered season-ending shoulder injuries playing for Canterbury’s NPC team.

The one-test All Black was able to bounce back in 2022′s Super Rugby season following the 2021 injury; however, it remains to be seen how bad his new injury is.

It’s a blow for the side to lose two members of their starting squad a week removed from a 21-point loss, while Mitchell Dunshea – who started in place of an absent Sam Whitelock last weekend – was also ruled out of the Highlanders clash due to a concussion.

The Crusaders, however, welcome Whitelock back into the fold. Christian Lio-Willie joins the starting side at No 8 in Grace’s absence, while Tamaiti Williams joins Joe Moody and Codie Taylor in the front row in Newell’s place.

Robertson has also rotated his backline, with Fergus Burke given the start at fullback as David Havili moves to second-five, pushing Braydon Ennor to the bench.

This week will be the first time since 2016 that the Crusaders come into the second week of a competition looking for the first win of their campaign; coincidentally that, too, was a week-one loss to the Chiefs in Christchurch.

Reflecting on last weekend’s defeat, Robertson said his side weren’t far away in a lot of areas, but they had clarity on exactly where they needed to focus their attention against the Highlanders.

“It was good until about 50 minutes,” Robertson said of the performance against the Chiefs. “But the context of the game, how many tackles we had to make, how we could’ve been better around a lot of areas like just getting out of our own part of the field. It was hard to get off our back fence and they did a great job. We learned a lot in round one. They’re a hell of a team. That was a pretty special performance from them and we could’ve been better. That was the margin.

“It’s important to focus on the things you just have to get right. There were some awesome efforts and some incredible individual efforts, there’s a couple of things in the game we just need to get those right and the rest works itself out. That’s been our focus from round one, just to clear our mind nice and early.”

The Highlanders, meanwhile, have rested all their All Blacks from their starting XV, with blindside flanker Shannon Frizell, loosehead prop Ethan de Groot and halfback Aaron Smith all not playing, while Folau Fakatava is on the bench.

Loose forward Marino Mikaele-Tu’u is also out injured, as is wing Jona Nareki.

Crusaders: Fergus Burke, Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, David Havili, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Mitchell Drummond, Christian Lio-Willie, Tom Christie, Ethan Blackadder, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett (c), Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody.

Reserves: Brodie McAlister, George Bower, Seb Calder, Zach Gallagher, Sione Havili Talitui, Noah Hotham, Braydon Ennor, Macca Springer.

Highlanders: Sam Gilbert, Jonah Lowe, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Connor Garden-Bachop, Freddie Burns, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Nikora Broughton, Sean Withy, Billy Harmon (c), Will Tucker, Paripari Parkinson, Jermaine Ainsley, Andrew Makalio, Ayden Johnstone.

Reserves: Rhys Marshall, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Mau, Max Hicks, James Lentjes, Folau Fakatava, Mitch Hunt, Mosese Dawai.