BNZ Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder anticipates an exciting Friday night as they take on the Chiefs in the first ever Super Rugby match to be played in Fiji tomorrow.

Blackadder arrived with his team at the Nausori International Airport yesterday and were greeted by government officials and a traditional welcoming ceremony was also performed. Drinking the first bowl of kava during the ceremony the head coach excitedly says, “this taste better then Nemzy (Nemani) Nadolo’s mix”.

“Very excited looking forward to the clash here on Friday, it’s really a special unique week for us.

“First time Super Rugby is being held here. This is a top of the table clash, there’s a lot on the line; it’s going to be exciting and we are really excited looking forward to the challenge,” Blackadder said.

He looks forward to finish this season on a high.

“Last year was a disappointing year for the Crusaders but we are in a good spot,” he said

“We got three weeks to go and this game is a really important game for us, but we are taking one week at a time.”

Since this will be Blackadder’s final season with the Crusaders he looks forward to a successful finish at the ANZ Stadium.

“Fijian crowds are amazing, I have been here for holidays. This is a rugby mad nation and it’s really a unique place in the world.

“We make sure it’s a special day on Friday night,” he said.

Kieran Read

Captain Kieran Read looks forward to see more Crusaders fans come out in numbers tomorrow night.

“We hope to see a lot of red and black out there on the field.  We got a good base here in Fiji and we love it.

“This is my first time playing at the stadium so we’re really looking forward to that. It’s an important clash for both teams; it’s going to be a big test,” Read said.

While the Chiefs are “hosts” they have  Lautoka-born centre Seta Tamanivalu as their sole Fijian player while the Crusaders features two Fiji-born players – wingers Nemani Nadolo and Jone Macilai – with the hulking Nadolo having scored 17 tries in 23 tests for Fiji.

“Nemani and Jone- those boys have been outstanding for us over couple of seasons and especially this year. Nemani is a rock star for us in the backline; they are good boys and we love them.”

Edited by Osea Bola

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