Blues player Beauden Barrett during the Blues v Waratahs Super Rugby match. Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Saturday 22 April 2023. ©Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
All Black Beauden Barrett will miss the Blues final regular season match, still hampered by a heel injury.
Barrett suffered the injury against the Reds a couple of weeks ago and need stitches.
He missed last round's win over the Hurricanes and Blues coach Leon MacDonald expected him to be right for Friday night's game against the Highlanders in Auckland.
The Blues will however get captain Dalton Papalii back early from suspension.
Papalii was been handed a three-week suspension for a late tackle on Crusaders first five Richie Mo'unga in the Blues loss earlier this month.
However the suspension has been reduced by a week after Papalli completed a tackling programme.
Blues captain Dalton Papalii. Photo: Photosport
A win over the Highlanders will guarantee the Blues a home quarterfinal next week.
The Highlanders need to win the match to earn a quarter-final spot, although a loss would not put them out of contention altogether but they would need other results to go their way.
Will Ryan Crotty add to his 151 Crusader caps? Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Meanhile the Crusaders are set to wheel out another ageing former All Black amid their on going injury crisis.
Four years leaving Super Rugby and heading to Japan to play former midfielder Ryan Crotty is back training with the Crusaders.
His appearance follows the Crusaders sending an SOS to former All Black prop John Afoa last week to play against the Waratahs.
All Blacks midfielder David Havili suffered a hamstring injury in that match and is unlikely to start against the Hurricanes in the last regular season match this weekend.
The Crusaders also lost loose foward Grace Cullen to injury last match too and if Havili and Grace are ruled out for the rest of the campaign the season ending injury toll will rise to nine and includes All Blacks props Fletcher Newell, Joe Moody and George Bower, and All Blacks wing Sevu Reece.
-RNZ
