Cruden fit to play in Chiefs pre-season opener
James Mortimer - (3/02/2012)
All Blacks first five-eighth Aaron Cruden has recovered from his knee injury suffered in last year’s World Cup final and could get a run against the Melbourne Rebels in Geelong tomorrow night.
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Cruden was called up to the All Blacks last year, famously told by Sir Graham Henry to stop skateboarding ahead of his test recall, and he displayed maturity and assuredness in the All Blacks win over the Wallabies in the semi-final.
He left the field during the final with a knee injury, meaning that another unlikely hero in Stephen Donald (the All Blacks fourth choice number ten) slotted over the crucial penalty that gave the All Blacks an 8-7 win.
Sonny Bill Williams is a notable omission in the Chiefs squad, preparing to fight for the vacant New Zealand Heavyweight belt.
The squad for the Rebels contains members of the Chiefs wider training group, and will be given a run with the trial more flexible with playing numbers and substitutions.
The Chiefs will play the Highlanders in Queenstown and the Hurricanes in Taupo to round out their pre-season preperations.
Chiefs squad to play the Rebels: Alex Bradley, Phillip Burleigh, Shane Cleaver, Aaron Cruden, Marcel Cumming-Toone, Hika Elliot, Mike Fitzgerald, Josh Hohneck, Andrew Horrell, Richard Kahui, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Tanerau Latimer, Fritz Lee, Brendon Leonard, Lelia Masaga, Liam Messam, Tim Nanai-Williams, Martino Nemani, Augustine Pulu, Ronald Raaymakers, Brodie Retallick, Robbie Robinson, Toby Smith, Ben Tameifuna, Sona Taumalolo, Kane Thompson, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Scott Waldrom, Jackson Willison.