Squad Naming | Round Three v Drua

09 Mar 2023

The Crusaders have named their squad to take on the Fijian Drua in Fiji on Saturday afternoon as we enter Round 3 of Super Rugby Pacific 2023.

The Drua are celebrating a full season of home games this year, welcoming teams from across the pacific to take on the pride of Fiji.

Meanwhile, the boys in red and black are coming off a dominant Super Round performance against the Highlanders in Melbourne. The pieces are in place for a huge encounter at Churchill Park in Lautoka.

For Captain Scott Barrett it’s a biggie – 100 games in the Crusaders jersey. The veteran debuted in 2014 in an exhibition match against England, and now nine years later he leads the boys out as captain. Epic effort Scooter, we’re all proud of you and are stoked your family can join you in Fiji for the occasion.

Willi Heinz gets his first start back in the jersey after a sojourn overseas. David Havili returns to the mid field after a huge game last weekend. Chay Fihaki will take up fullback responsibilities.

Three potential debutants occupy seats on the bench. Ioane Moananu and Kershawl Sykes-Martin have their opportunity to join the front row, while Taha Kemara looks to slot into first-five. A lot has been said about fresh talent in the team this year, with Kemara’s name often the first to roll off the tongue.

Scott Hansen, Crusaders Assistant Coach, said the team were excited about “an awesome opportunity to play the Fijian Drua here at home”. The team travelled north to the island on Wednesday afternoon.

“Some boys will be making their debut, and others will be playing their first game for the Crusaders for awhile. We’re excited for all those boys and their families,” Hansen said.

In some ways, the future has arrived hasn’t it, it’s here now, so we’re very excited to see those boys out there.
While the one-hour time difference is unlikely to impact preparation, temperature and humidity the being taken into account. Hansen said a number of the boys had played in Fiji before, and “there’s been a lot of experience shared”.
“[The Fijian Drua] have a real skill set, they’ve got a true belief in open running rugby, and they’ll make some decisions from areas of the field that possibly other teams wouldn’t around their attack,” he said.

The Crusaders take on he Fijian Drua at 4.35pm (5.35pm NZT) on Saturday 11 March from Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji. It’s set to be a proper battle in front of a passionate home crowd. Don’t miss this one, and Crusade On.