Rugby News: SBW's verdict on crashing Crusaders as 'beast' suffers blow, Sam Cane ABs replacement emerges

The Crusaders have suffered another potential blow as their ill-fated Super Rugby defence lurches from bad to worse – and Sonny Bill Williams has declared they’re no chance this season.

On Monday Crusaders tighthead prop Owen Franks had his yellow card from Friday’s match against the Hurricanes upgraded to a red by SANZAAR.

Franks was alleged to have contravened Law 9.20b for dangerous play in a ruck or a maul, when he cleaned out Hurricanes flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi.

His embattled coach Rob Penney defended the former All Blacks prop afterwards.

Rob Penney. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

“Owie is a big beast of a man, steaming in to do a job at the breakdown, and he’s (Kirifi) popped his head up,’’ Penney said.

“It’s like an oil tanker, you can’t turn him around in a second.’’

Penney has seen his team go 0-4 after taking over from All Blacks’ new coach Scott Robertson, who was in Japan over the weekend to meet with Kiwis based in that league.

Injuries to key players such as captain Scott Barrett, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder, Tamaiti Williams and Leigh Halfpenny have been destructive. Only three of the starting 15 from last year’s final were involved against the Hurricanes. Penney’s team faces a tough next two games – against the Blues and Chiefs.

Meanwhile Sonny Bill Williams, who played one season with the Crusaders in 2011, says they won’t overcome the poor start to secure a miracle title defence.

Williams made his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders in 2011, playing one season at the franchise before winning a title at the Chiefs the following year.

“Even after losing their two greatest ever players in Mounga and Whitelock, I still don’t think anyone saw starting the year like this,” Williams said on X, formerly Twitter.

He said the title would be fought out between the Blues and Chiefs.

Harmon makes an impact

Highlanders captain Billy Harmon has won some serious admirers who are tipping him for All Blacks selection after an impressive impact in the loss to the Brumbies.

Harmon completed 26 tackles from as many attempts and scored a powerful individual try.

“You want to keep an eye on guys who are putting up their hand and the skipper, the Highlanders are going to need him to play like this every week because they will be disappointed they didn’t get this result,” former All Black Jeff Wilson said on The Breakdown.

“I just think he’s been immense, I really do. He was in the conversation (for All Blacks selection) last year, and we’ve got to remember Sam Cane’s away for the season but he’s coming back. With the competition for the seven jersey, I think (Harmon is) a guy who has some versatility, carries strongly, just look at those numbers; 26 from 26 (tackles). That’s outstanding in terms of tackle accuracy.

“Once again, I’d like to highlight guys who are putting up their hand. He’s a guy doing it not just this season, he did it last season. He’ll be, I think, in the conversation right now.”

John Kirwan suggested the All Blacks were stacked in the position.

“I think the problem he might have – and I mean I never made 26 tackles in my whole career – is you’ve got these young guys coming through, like Peter Lakai,”said Kirwan.

“Six, seven and eight, for New Zealand, we just keep producing them. So, if he keeps performing like that, it’s going to be interesting.”

Deans beats Rennie in Japan

Robbie Deans has won the battle of the Wallaby coaches in Japan as his Saitama Wild Knights beat Dave Rennie’s Kobe Steelers 28-18 to continue their unbeaten march in League One.

The Wild Knights finished strongly to record their 10th win of the season, scoring the final two tries after Kobe had rallied from a three-point halftime deficit to lead 18-14 with 25 minutes to play.

Saturday’s success came in the first meeting between Deans and his Wallaby successor since the pair were coaching rivals in New Zealand’s national provincial championship, 20 years ago.

Both won that competition, as well as sharing seven Super Rugby titles between them before embarking on journeys that eventually led to the Wallabies.

(Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Collectively, they coached Australia 108 times, winning 56 of those games, with Deans returning 43 wins from 74 attempts, at 58 percent, and Rennie 13 from 34 at 38 percent.

Deans has rewritten the record books since joining the Wild Knights, where he has won the league five times.

This matches his titles with the Crusaders, although the win over fourth-placed Kobe suggests he is on track to exceed his Super Rugby achievements.

Kobe remain in the hunt, although they are tied with Yokohama on the ladder.

Rennie will need to work out a plan to get his star man, World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea, into the game after the Wild Knights nullified his threat.

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo remain second after a 41-19 win over the Sagamihara Dynaboars, while Wallaby fullback Tom Banks was a try-scorer as Mie Honda Heat scored their first win of the season, downing Quade Cooper and Will Genia’s winless Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, 20-19.

Friday night produced a thriller as Kubota Spears Tokyo Bay scored twice in the final three minutes to beat Yokohama 29-26, despite playing the last 50 minutes with 14 men.

Tokyo Sungoliath drew a crowd of more than 34,000 on their visit to play Toyota Verblitz for a game that ended even more dramatically.

The sides traded tries in the final minute of regular time, and the fifth minute of added time, with the visitors coming from behind to beat Verblitz 39-38.

Borthwick’s scouting mission

England coach Steve Borthwick has headed straight from the Six Nations to New Zealand to start preparations for this winter’s two Tests there.

After a 33-31 loss (but a moral victory) over France on the weekend, Borthwick has turned his attentions to matches against Eddie Jones’ Japan and games against the All Blacks.

He has delayed a break until after on ground planning for the England visits.

“Every time an England team comes together we intend to be improving and get better,” said Borthwick.

“I am on a plane to New Zealand on Monday, I have got to go and put plans in place for where we are going to be and how we will do it, so we prepare properly.

“I went to Japan just before the start of the Six Nations, and Aled Walters is going to Japan as well, after New Zealand.

Steve Borthwick. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

“In a week’s time we will understand exactly where we are going with our training programmes, our locations, our venues, so we give the team the best opportunity to get the results we want.”

England will face Japan in Tokyo in late June, before facing the All Blacks in Dunedin and Auckland.

Borthwick wants to take a full strength squad on tour.