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The Crusaders have emerged a little worse for wear from their round one Super Rugby Pacific defeat to the Chiefs, revealing two key injury blows.
After losing influential pivot Richie Mo’unga in the offseason, and then his successor Fergus Burke to injury, the team will now be without Rivez Reihana for an as yet unknown period after the playmaker sustained a shoulder injury late in the season’s opening contest.
All Black prop Tamaiti Williams will also miss time due to what the team labelled a “significant” hamstring injury. His timeline is also yet to be confirmed.
On a positive note, the reigning champions this week will see two of their All Blacks make their season debuts, with David Havili and Fletcher Newell named in the starting XV.
The reinforcements come along with replacements for the injured players, with young Taha Kemara suiting up as the team’s last healthy specialist No 10.
Elsewhere, Noah Hotham has been handed a start at halfback after a strong outing off the bench in round one. The young halves partnership may project inexperience, but in addition to starting together for the New Zealand U20s last year, Hotham and Kemara have been playing rugby together since primary school.
Crusaders team to face the Waratahs:
- George Bower
- George bell
- Fletcher Newell
- Scott Barrett (c)
- Quinten Strange
- Dominic Gardiner
- Tom Christie
- Cullen Grace
- Noah Hotham
- Taha Kemara
- Macca Springer
- David Havili
- Levi Aumua
- Sevu Reece
- Chay Fihaki
Reserves
16. Quentin MacDonald
17. Joe Moody
18. Owen Franks
19. Jamie Hannah
20. Christian Lio-Willie
21. Mitchell Drummond
22. Ryan Crotty
23. Dallas McLeod
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