Crusaders Crotty and Barrett miss Super final

Key Crusaders and All Blacks Ryan Crotty and Scott Barrett have been ruled out of Saturday’s Super Rugby final against the Jaguares and, in Crotty’s case, the entire Rugby Championship after X-rays on their hands confirmed the worst.

Midfielder Crotty suffered a fractured thumb during the Crusaders’ 30-26 semifinal victory over the Hurricanes and had surgery on Sunday. He is out for up to eight weeks, which will rule him out of all rugby until early September. He will hope to be available for the All Blacks’ World Cup warm-up test against Tonga in Hamilton on September 7.

Lock Barrett suffered a fractured metacarpal at the base of his index finger in the same game and is out for five to six weeks, which means he will be touch and go for the All Blacks test against Australia in Perth on August 10. The All Blacks also face the Wallabies a week later at Eden Park in Auckland.

You can’t just replace world-class players. Crusaders flanker Matt Todd

Neither Crotty nor Barrett would have been considered for the All Blacks’ first Rugby Championship test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on July 21 due to the Crusaders making the final.

The All Blacks play the Springboks in Wellington a week later.

The news will be extremely disappointing for both, in particular Crotty, who won’t play in Super Rugby’s showpiece before moving overseas next year. However, on the plus side both are likely to be available for the World Cup which kicks off for the All Blacks on September 21.

“You can’t just replace world-class players and they’re a big part of the team,” flanker Matt Todd said yesterday. “But they’ll still help the team prepare during the week. We trust the whole squad.”

Assistant coach Brad Mooar, about to coach the Crusaders for a final time before moving offshore, said: “Absolutely you feel for them, you’re not human if you don’t, and that would apply to an opposition player as well.”

The Crusaders will be big favourites to win title No 10, and their third in succession, despite facing a near Argentina test-strength team.