Cullen Grace will return from a thumb injury in Canterbury's Ranfurly Shield clash against North Otago. Photo / Photosport
Cullen Grace will return from a thumb injury in Canterbury's Ranfurly Shield clash against North Otago. Photo / Photosport
Canterbury's first Ranfurly Shield defence of the season will take place today as they take on North Otago. One player emerges as the one to watch, writes Christopher Reive.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Cullen Grace.
The 20-year-old loose forward was building an impressive campaign withthe Crusaders in Super Rugby Aotearoa before a fractured thumb forced him to the sidelines after just two appearances - both of which were 80-minute outings. He still finished the season with 32 tackles.
At 193cm and 107kg, Grace was an imposing figure in the Crusaders defensive line. He was well on track to top the competition's tackle count with relative ease had he been available for the full season, but it wasn't just his tackling that caught attention. He was a solid option at the lineout and used his athleticism to consistently challenge and disrupt opposing throws. On attack, he was more than happy to take the ball into contact.
When he went down for the season, the Crusaders were unable to find a way to replace him – such is the impact he has on the game.
Cullen Grace takes on Chiefs first five-eighth Aaron Cruden. Photo / Getty Images
Deployed predominantly as a lock with Canterbury's Mitre 10 Cup side last season, Grace took advantage of an opening in the loose forwards of the Crusaders squad to get his Super Rugby debut in the pre-Covid competition, turning heads from his first performance.
He kept that up in the post-Covid competition, but was forced into surgery early in the piece. His workrate has drawn comparisons to the likes of Richie McCaw and Brodie Retallick, and he has quickly developed a reputation for his concrete shoulders due to his willingness to hit opponents hard and without hesitation.
But after missing the majority of Super Rugby Aotearoa, Grace missed out on a spot in the South squad for the upcoming inter-island clash in arguably the most competitive position in the country. He was, however, name-checked by All Blacks coach Ian Foster when running through the list of injured players who might have been in contention.
Now, clear for contact, Grace is set to be unleashed on the Mitre 10 Cup again.
Cullen Grace will return from a thumb injury in Canterbury's Ranfurly Shield clash against North Otago. Photo / Photosport
The Timaru Boys' High School product will make his return for Canterbury in today's Ranfurly Shield clash against North Otago in Christchurch, lining up at the back of the scrum. It will be an inexperienced Canterbury side running out for the game, with 14 players making their debut for the province, while North Otago will welcome the opportunity to play with no Heartland competition this year.
The Mitre 10 Cup, which kicks off in mid-September, presents an opportunity this year for an extended run for players like Grace who might have been in contention for the All Blacks but were hampered by injury. The likes of Chiefs flanker and two-test All Black Luke Jacobson and one-test Crusaders back David Havili also find themselves in that position.
There remains hope the All Blacks will be able to play at some point in October, with the squad likely to be selected from those in the North v South game as well as injured incumbents who become healthy before then. Should Grace continue through the Mitre 10 Cup in the same fashion in which he began the year, he's going to be hard for the selectors to ignore.
