WELLINGTON, 12 APRIL 2021 (STUFF NZ) – Crusaders and All Blacks Jack Goodhue and Joe Moody face extended periods on the sideline, as the Hurricanes remain hopeful a “pretty sore” Ardie Savea doesn’t join them after a mind-boggling shift in a beaten side.
Ngani Laumape, meanwhile, awaits the Sanzaar citing commissioner’s verdict on whether a yellow card was sufficient punishment for his apparent forearm on Scott Barrett in the 30-27 golden point thriller on Sunday.
The defending champion Crusaders went to 5-1 for the season thanks to David Havili’s drop goal one minute into extra time, after a clearance from replacement halfback Cam Roigard was charged down by Mitchell Dunshea.
In a brutal, seesawing encounter before 14,237 at Wellington’s Sky Stadium, All Blacks coach Ian Foster would have winced as centre Goodhue and prop Moody – the latter having led them out in his 100th game – limped off inside the first 25 minutes.
Goodhue wrenched his left knee trying to tackle Peter Umaga-Jensen in full flight, and Moody could barely put weight on his left foot after suffering a plantar fascia injury at a scrum. Winning coach Scott Robertson said: “Both will get scans, but it looks serious.”
Savea, meanwhile, will be reassessed on Monday after he looked gone for all money as Wes Goosen scored the go-ahead Hurricanes try in the 43rd minute with Laumape in the sin bin.
The Hurricanes skipper was down for several minutes but, after medical staff applied ample strapping tape he shuffled back to position.
Savea pinched turnovers, was a general menace and hauled his team along, clearly struggling, in a mammoth performance before departing with his side 27-20 up with 19 minutes to play.
“I’ve tried to be a medic a lot of times this season and I’m not great at it. It was encouraging to see him soldier through,” coach Jason Holland said.
“We watched him pretty closely when he first did it, to see if he could run, and he really accelerated and changed direction off that knee a few times. We’re hopeful but he’s pretty sore.
“Ards was desperate to lead that team and show what it meant to him, and he did it.”
The Hurricanes slipped to 1-5, four points adrift of the Highlanders at the foot of the table as they go to the bye before the Chiefs and Highlanders, then start planning for the trans-Tasman competition.
Laumape’s shot on Barrett in response to being cleaned out at a ruck before halftime was a talking point, even if the Hurricanes scored a try and conceded none in his absence. After endless viewings on the big screen, referee Paul Williams brandished yellow.
Asked if he saw it as yellow or red, Robertson paused: “It’s a ref’s call…. one of the two.”
Holland was non-committal: “I’m not sure. I don’t waste energy on things I can’t control. I just worry about what we do, and Ngans was probably a little bit reckless.”
Holland was rightly proud of his team, though, as they bounced back from an insipid showing against the Blues and had several chances to put away the Crusaders who weren’t at their best. A misfiring lineout was costly, as were some rushed exit plays from deep.
“We challenged the boys around their performance and what they’re going to put in the jersey, and the boys stood up. I feel a bit gutted for them because they did what they said they would do.
“It’s tough to lose. Big moments, eh, and accuracy around those big moments. I’m not just talking in golden point, there were lots of little moments where we gave the Crusaders some points and weren’t quite clinical enough.”
Robertson now counts the injury toll and resets for the resurgent Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday, his team again finding a way to win.
“We were sloppy at times, created great opportunities and then missed a kickoff and got a couple of scrum penalties against us and little knock-ons, and Ardie was at his mercurial best picking balls out of nowhere. We fought from being down to take the opportunity to go to golden point. Just a good old scrap, tough win,” Robertson said.
