Moody still targets World Cup
The thought of pulling on the black jersey at next year’s World Cup in France never drifted from the back of Joe Moody’s mind the past eight months.
Slogging through yet another injury rehabilitation, this time for the anterior cruciate ligament he ruptured playing against the Blues in Christchurch in April, it provided the 34-year-old loosehead prop a driver.
Forget the fact the serious knee injury, coupled with his age – he’ll turn 35 during the World Cup – led to questions regarding his future in the All Blacks.
As far as Moody was concerned, he wasn’t going to let the latest of a bunch of injuries, but his first serious knee complaint, derail his plans.
‘‘One hundred per cent, that’s been in the back of my mind the whole time I’ve been rehabbing, and that’s part of the reason why I was as vigilant as I have been and making sure that I was doing things right.
‘‘Because that is my goal for 2023. I want to be in the World Cup squad. I want to be the best Joe Moody that you’ve ever seen. I just want to be in great state, that’s been the goal.’’
Moody was speaking at Rangiora High School yesterday after the Crusaders held an open training at the school fellow Crusaders and All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell attended.
He’s all in, training fully and unhindered by the injury which ended his 2022 season just six games into Super Rugby Pacific.
Moody only played five games the previous year, after he busted his foot scrummaging against the Hurricanes in what was his 100th game for the Christchurch-based franchise.
‘‘Honestly, the knee is no issue. ‘‘It’s going really well. It’s just the rest of the rig telling me that I’m back into it now,’’ Moody said.
He’s been declared good to go for the team’s season-opener against the Chiefs in Christchurch on February 24, and is also expected to feature in both preseason games.
In addition to his two most recent injuries, Moody has missed significant playing time over the years through a nasty eye injury – inflicted by Brodie Retallick during training – a major shoulder surgery, a broken finger and a broken thumb.
Given he was able to slowly walk off the park, and his unfamiliarity with knee injuries, Moody thought little of it when he took a seat 35 minutes into the
Crusaders’ loss to the Blues.
‘‘I just thought maybe it was a bit of a tweak and I might have had a week or a fortnight [off]. Then, when they told me it was a nine-month setup, she was a bit of a shock to the system.
‘‘A different experience. To be honest, it’s probably one of the worst injuries I’ve had as far as rehabbing goes.
‘‘But I’ve ticked the boxes and done everything properly, so I think it’s in a pretty good state now.’’
The good news for Moody was he wasn’t alone.
Crusaders lock Mitchell Dunshea
was also rehabbing a serious knee injury in Christchurch, after rupturing his medial collateral ligament while attempting to make a tackle against the Chiefs in Hamilton the previous month.
Loose forward Ethan Blackadder would later join them on the casualty list, when he dislocated his shoulder during the Crusaders’ home quarterfinal win against the Reds in June.
‘‘One day at a time, I guess,’’ Moody said of the process.
‘‘Honestly, just get up and focus on what I’ve got to get done. I never really got too worried or down on things. Just always looking forward to the end result, knowing I had to tick things off properly, otherwise I wouldn’t come out the other end in the state I needed to.’’
Dunshea, Blackadder and No 8 Cullen Grace, who fractured his collarbone playing for Canterbury in August, are also back training and expected to be good to go come the new season.
Having had minor knee surgery in August, midfielder Jack Goodhue is also understood to be on track.
The Crusaders wrap up their preChristmas training window next Friday.
‘‘It’s probably one of the worst injuries I’ve had as far as rehabbing goes. But I’ve ticked the boxes and done everything properly.’’ Joe Moody