While former Crusaders boss Scott Robertson has been replaced by Rob Penney – after he took over the All Blacks’ coaching reins – the Christchurch-based outfit have also lost the services of experienced New Zealand internationals in Sam Whitelock (lock) and Richie Mo’unga (fly-half), who are now plying their trades in France and Japan respectively.
And while Whitelock’s experience will be missed, Mo’unga‘s absence will arguably be the bigger loss for the 12-time Super Rugby champions as his playmaking skills proved invaluable in their recent tournament triumphs.
Fly-half position up for grabs
The Crusaders‘ fly-half position is up for grabs now and there are three players in line to wear the famous number 10 jersey in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific tournament.
Fergus Burke appears to have the inside lane as he was Mo’unga’s understudy in recent seasons and has already played in 39 matches for the Crusaders, although many of those appearances was at full-back last season.
However, he will be sidelined for the opening rounds of Super Rugby Pacific due to an Achilles tendon injury sustained while on duty for Canterbury during the 2023 National Provincial Championship (NPC) play-offs.
That means 20-year-old Taha Kemara, who played in two matches for the Crusaders in 2023, and Rivez Reihana, 23, who joined from the Chiefs during the off-season, are involved in a battle to wear the Crusaders’ number 10 jersey on a short-term basis.
“I’ve taken a real different role this year,” Kemara told Newshub. “Last year was stepping back and learning opportunities.
“This year, I’m getting the reps in this pre-season, still learning. Rivez is a top quality player and he’s settling into this environment quite well.
“Being a young age, you have to step up into the 10 jersey, if that’s the end scenario. I have to be more vocal, go over the detail when I go home and being a real leader, stepping out of my comfort zone… being able to lead a team with guys more experience than me, but that’s having confidence in myself and them having confidence in me too.”
The duo have faced each other during the pre-season, with their rivalry bringing out the best in both of them.
“There’s nothing better than having good competition, but the relationship we have is quite strong and we just want whatever’s best for the team,” said Kemara. “Whoever ends up in that 10 jersey for round one will definitely deserve it.”
Despite their inexperience, Kemara and Reihana have caught the eye of seasoned players in the Crusaders squad, especially All Blacks who only returned to the Christchurch-based franchise recently after an extended break after last year’s World Cup in France.
Both have impressed during the pre-season
“It’s been a battle,” said Crusaders assistant coach James Marshall. “They’ve both put their hands up massively in the pre-season.
“We’ve split into two teams and I’ve loved how they’ve driven their respective sides. Both have shown really good leadership.
“We’ve had feedback from Will Jordan coming back, really impressed with how they’ve run the ship and their calm demeanour for such young players.”
Kemara and Reihana’s duel for the number 10 jersey will intensify during the Crusaders upcoming European tour, where they will face United Rugby Championship title holders Munster and Premiership outfit Bristol Bears in fixtures scheduled for February.
“Their position will probably be decided over there in the UK,” said Marshall. “It’s exciting to see who will stand up.”
Meanwhile, Burke will stay home to continue his rehab.
“I saw him jogging yesterday, which is awesome,” said Marshall. “I think he’s recovering really well.
“I don’t think they’ll move the timeline forward at all, but when it does, I believe he’ll be ready to dive right in.” When you return from them, it can take some time to get back on track, but by all accounts, he will be ready to go.”
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