Isaac Kailea, Folau Faingaa and Siosifa Amone will form a new combination in the Waratahs front-row in our mouthwatering Super Round clash against the Crusaders at One New Zealand Stadium on Friday night (5.35pm kick-off AEST).
The trio have started just one game between them this season, with Faingaa getting the nod at hooker against the Hurricanes in Round 4. They get their chance after making an impact off the bench in the 29-14 bonus-point win against Moana Pasifika at Allianz Stadium last Friday.
Max Jorgensen also switches positions with Sid Harvey, moving from left wing to full-back, while hooker Ioane Moananu comes onto the bench and could appear against his former side.
Despite the Crusaders losing their three matches against Australian sides so far this year, Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar warned the home side will be a different proposition on Friday night, in what is set to be an incredible occasion for the competition.
“The Crusaders will be a different beast on Friday night over there in front of 30,000 of their fans,” McKellar said.
“It's a challenge that we're really excited about, there's definitely an opportunity for us there. We've put together a good plan around how we want to approach this game.
“The players know that it's certainly going to be played at a high intensity. It'll be as close to a Test match as we'll get to play in at Super Rugby level, with a sold-out stadium and plenty of good players throughout both teams.
“From what I'm hearing, there is a buzz around Christchurch for Super Round. In a brand new, beautiful stadium, with all the teams in one city.
“I think it's going to be a great week for Super Rugby Pacific. For us personally, it's a challenge that we need for the competition. It's a real shot in the arm before we start to get close towards finals.”
In the front-row, loosehead prop Kailea has made on average 15.8 carries per 80 minutes this season, the fourth highest in the competition, while 38-cap Wallaby Faingaa is just one try short of 200 points in his Super Rugby career. Amone completes the front-row at tighthead prop.
In the second-row, captain Matt Philip and Miles Amatosero retain their places, as does Angus Scott-Young at blindside flanker. Scott-Young made 128m worth of carries and 15 successful tackles in his first start for the club against Moana Pasifika last Friday, topping the charts for us in both categories.
Crusaders Academy graduate Charlie Gamble returns to Christchurch to face his hometown club, while number eight Pete Samu lines up against his former team. He made 33 Super Rugby appearances and won the title with the Crusaders in 2017 and 2018. Samu (10) is also the one of only two players to have won 10+ turnovers in the competition this season (Quinn Tupaea – 11).
In the halves, Jake Gordon will equal Chris Whitaker as the most-capped NSW halfback since 1882 (118, 117 in Super Rugby for Gordon), while Jack Debreczeni is also set to win his 98th Super Rugby cap, two shy of a century.
Lawson Creighton will line up at inside centre and will make his 50th Super Rugby appearance (32 Reds, 18 Waratahs). He partners Joey Walton, who made 17 carries and 15 total successful tackles against Moana Pasifika.
The back three partnership of Harvey, Andrew Kellaway and Jorgensen continues for the fourth game in a row. Jorgensen is in the top 10 in the competition this season for both defenders beaten (25) and tries (six).
Harvey has scored three tries across his last two Super Rugby Pacific games and has 48 points across his last four. His 8.7 points per game this season is the third most of any player behind Damian McKenzie (12.8) and Beauden Barrett (8.8).
On the bench, there is a six-two split once again, with Tom Lambert and Dan Botha dropping down from the starting line-up. Teddy Wilson and Triston Reilly offer coverage in the backs.
The Waratahs have won three of their last five games against the Crusaders, including last time out in Super Round in 2024, a 39-24 win with Gordon, Reilly and Wilson all scoring tries that day. We currently sit in seventh place in the ladder, two points behind the Crusaders in sixth with a game in hand, as the race for a top-six place and a finals berth hots up.
Friday night’s game will also be the opening match of Super Round and the first major event at the brand new One New Zealand Stadium. Fans in Christchurch will have the opportunity to meet both Waratahs and Crusaders players at the live site on Thursday between 4-5pm local time, at the Terrace at Riverside in the city centre.
Crusaders v Waratahs
Round 11 Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific, Friday 24 April, 5.35pm kick-off AEST
One New Zealand Stadium, 218 Madras Street, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
Starting XV:
- Isaac Kailea
- Folau Faingaa
- Siosifa Amone
- Matt Philip ©
- Miles Amatosero
- Angus Scott-Young
- Charlie Gamble
- Pete Samu
- Jake Gordon
- Jack Debreczeni
- Sid Harvey
- Lawson Creighton
- Joey Walton
- Andrew Kellaway
- Max Jorgensen
Replacements:
16. Ioane Moananu
17. Tom Lambert
18. Dan Botha
19. Angus Blyth
20. Clem Halaholo
21. Jamie Adamson
22. Teddy Wilson
23. Triston Reilly
Injury list:
- James Hendren – wrist
- Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – hamstring
