Crusaders sweat on Blues-Chiefs result and injury to key All Black Fletcher Newell

Saturday, 30 May 2026

Crusaders prop Fletcher Newell leaves the field injured in the first half against the Hurricanes on Friday.

The Crusaders’ mounting injury list may have taken another turn for the worse.

Rob Penney’s men did what they needed to do on Friday, overcoming the understrength top-seeded Hurricanes 47-14 to keep their hopes of a Super Rugby Pacific playoff at their new One New Zealand Stadium home alive.

Who the Crusaders face in the first week of the finals won’t worry Penney and his coaching team nearly as much as fresh injury concerns – a feature for the red-and-blacks this season.

The sight of All Blacks tighthead prop Fletcher Newell moving gingerly with a knee injury after falling awkwardly in contact on the half hour mark would have made Penney wince. Newell was able to walk from the field, but was clearly struggling and did not return.

The Crusaders expect to know more on Newell in the next 48 hours, but losing the 35-test All Black for part, or all of the finals, would be another crushing blow to their title defence.

Taha Kemara celebrates with Noah Hotham after his try in the Crusaders’ win over the Hurricanes on Friday.

Newell’s replacement at tighthead, Seb Calder, also left the game late with a calf issue adding to their injury headaches. First five Rivez Reihana (concussion) departed after just eight minutes and failed his head injury assessment (HIA). Taha Kemara impressed stepping in for Reihana and could be called upon to start in the qualifying final should he be ruled out.

Loose forward Ethan Blackadder was a late scratching prior to kickoff, but it was a precautionary move and is expected back for the qualifying final.

Should Newell and Calder both be sidelined for the qualifying final, and potentially the rest of the finals, it would be a huge hit to the Crusaders’ front row stocks.

They are already without another All Blacks prop Tamaiti Williams, who was ruled out for the rest of the Super Rugby season with a serious spinal infection in March. A fourth Crusaders prop, tighthead Kershawl Sykes-Martin, is also likely done for the Super campaign with a neck issue.

Sevu Reece scored two tries in his 100th Super Rugby Pacific game for the Crusaders on Friday.

Starting loosehead George Bower switched to the tighthead side when Calder went off late. Young tighthead Gus Brown, who has played for Canterbury the last two seasons in the NPC, is in the Crusaders’ wider training squad and could be called upon. Penney might be forced to look outside the Crusaders for prop injury cover with other team’s wider training squads.

“There’ll be plenty of searching going on. Losing your two All Black tightheads potentially is a big hole,” Penney said.

“Any team would struggle to fill that gap and then Sebby has been going so well for us, Seb Calder. For him to get a little injury now too for him is really unfortunate. It was his time really.”

Brad Shields crosses for the Hurricanes opening try in Friday’s loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch.

It has been a rough injury run for the Crusaders, who have lost All Blacks star Will Jordan (calf) for the remainder of the competition. All Blacks captain Scott Barrett (back surgery) is also out for up to five months and will probably not be spotted on a rugby field in 2026. Hooker George Bell (calf) is unlikely to be ready for next week, Penney said.

On a slightly positive side, utility Braydon Ennor (hamstring), who is departing at season’s end, and lock Tahlor Cahill (hamstring) could be available for selection.

Having done what they needed to do and beat the weakened Hurricanes, who rested a stack of frontline players, the Crusaders temporarily moved into third place on 41 points.

They will sit back on Saturday night and hope the Chiefs can do them a favour and beat the Blues in Hamilton. That would clinch a first home qualifying final for the Crusaders at their new indoor stadium next Saturday, likely against the Blues.

The Crusaders have a remarkable home finals record in Super Rugby, having won all 32 playoff games they have hosted. Should they return to One New Zealand Stadium on Saturday for finals footy, they will again be favoured at home in front of 25,000 fans, even with a lengthy injury list.

“We’ll just be watching with fingers crossed that the Chiefs can do a job and we’ll see what happens. We’ll just react to whatever unfolds,” Penney said.

“A few scenarios could still unfold. It would be lovely to have one more game here at least in the new stadium and give the people a chance to come back again.”