All Black Codie Taylor to take sabbatical and miss majority of Super Rugby season
The 32-year-old Crusaders veteran will put his feet up and miss the majority of next year’s Super Rugby Pacific regular season, likely returning two or three weeks before the playoffs kickoff.
Taylor re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders through 2025 in 2021, and opted to utilise a clause in his contract on the back of a hefty workload this year.
Having named his first squad as Crusaders coach, Rob Penney said Taylor’s long service warranted an extended break, and suspected a chat with the man he’s replaced as coach – Scott Robertson – played a part.
“I suspect so,” Penney said when asked if Taylor was thinking about playing another four years.
“He has probably had the new All Blacks coach [Robertson] in his ear, having a discussion. And that's all good. Whatever Codie needs, and those [veteran] boys that have earned the right to be treated a bit more special, we will accommodate anything there.”
Before carrying the load at hooker for the All Blacks during their recent World Cup campaign, Taylor was instrumental in helping the Crusaders win a seventh title in as many years, starting 12 games and scoring twice in the final against the Chiefs.
His brace in the final pushed his career tally to 42 tries in 129 games, third equal with Leon MacDonald on the Crusaders’ all-time list.
While Penney is bracing to be without his vice-captain until mid-May, he did not rule out an early return – as now departed pivot Richie Mo’unga did when he took a non-playing break in 2022.
“He could get itchy feet. We will let him do what he needs to do and clear his mind of footy. When he's back and ready to go, we will welcome him back with open arms.”
In the meantime, the Crusaders are well-equipped at hooker with George Bell, Brodie McAlister and Ioane Moananu, who played three games for the red and blacks this year as an injury replacement.
Moananu is one of 10 newly contracted players in the 2024 Crusaders, although Penney is set to name another prop in the coming weeks due to the unexpected departure of tighthead Oli Jager.
He’s played 51 games for the Crusaders since 2017 and had been chasing his All Blacks dream, but requested a release from his contract in recent days, citing an opportunity to play elsewhere.
“We are in the process of working through that and, ultimately, that will probably be honoured,” Penney said.
“I can’t elaborate too much...you will put two and two together, and he will come out with a release very shortly,” he said when asked if Jager, who hails from Ireland, was returning home.
The Crusaders remain loaded at prop, with a mix of past and current All Blacks, including George Bower, whose rehab from a season-ending knee injury is ahead of schedule, meaning he could be fit in time for round one in February.
The same can’t be said about first five-eighth as the Christchurch-based franchise looks ahead to their first season without Japan-bound Mo’unga since 2015.
Not helped by Fergus Burke (Achilles) being sidelined until April, they’ll head into the season with second-year No 10 Taha Kemara (two caps) and former Chief Rivez Reihana (eight caps) battling it out for the starting job.
Penney ruled out playing Welsh great and outside back Leigh Halfpenny there, and said there were no plans to move midfielder David Havili into the playmaking role.
“It’s a great opportunity for someone to put their hand up. Taha has been here for a season now and is a very talented individual, and Rivez matured and led Northland around really effectively. Neither of them have had a great deal of experience at Super yet, and it's really important for people around them to take the heat off them and let them do their thing."
Penney confirmed academy member and Canterbury outside back Blair Murray was “very close” to earning a full contract, and would train with the team as an injury replacement for Burke.
CRUSADERS 2024 SQUAD (one to add)
* Newly contracted players
Hookers: Codie Taylor, Brodie McAlister, George Bell, *Ioane Moananu
Props: Joe Moody, Finlay Brewis, George Bower, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell
Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Quinten Strange, *Tahlor Cahill, Zach Gallagher, *Jamie Hannah
Loose forwards: Ethan Blackadder, Cullen Grace, Tom Christie, Christian Lio-Willie, Corey Kellow, Dominic Gardiner
Halfbacks: Noah Hotham, Mitchell Drummond, Willi Heinz
First fives: Fergus Burke, Taha Kemara, *Rivez Reihana
Midfielders: David Havili, Dallas McLeod, *Levi Aumua, *Ryan Crotty, *Jone Rova
Outside backs: Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Macca Springer, *Manasa Mataele, Chay Fihaki, *Leigh Halfpenny, *Heremaia Murray
Major gains: Levi Aumua (Moana Pasifika), Ryan Crotty (Kubota), Leigh Halfpenny (Scarlets), Rivez Reihana (Chiefs), Manasa Mataele (Force)
Major losses: Sam Whitelock (Pau), Richie Mo'unga (Toshiba), Braydon Ennor (injured), Jack Goodhue (Castres Olympique), Leicester Fainga'anuku (Toulon), Sione Havili Talitui (Moana Pasifika),
