Blues face Crusaders in Christchurch qualifying final without Barrett, Papali'i and Eklund

The Blues will contest their 2026 Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final against the Crusaders at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch without three key players: Beauden Barrett, who remains sidelined with a quad injury, fellow All Black Dalton Papali’i, and Māori All Blacks captain Kurt Eklund.

Despite those absences, the Blues have named five All Blacks in their starting XV and two more on the bench, leaning on the continuity of a squad that has largely remained intact throughout the season. Stephen Perofeta continues at fly-half in Barrett’s place, while Anton Segner starts at openside flanker with Papali’i still unavailable in what is his final season at the club.

Eli Oudenryn, who impressed on debut last week, retains the No.16 jersey. Malachi Wrampling is preferred at No.8 over Hoskins Sotutu, who drops to the bench, and Torian Barnes starts at blindside flanker. Sam Nock gets the nod at halfback with Finlay Christie named at No.21, and Payton Spencer takes the No.23 role after Cody Vai’s impact off the bench last week was not enough to earn him a place in the matchday squad.

The sell-out crowd — 25,000 tickets gone in 20 minutes — underlines the enduring weight of the Blues-Crusaders rivalry, though the visitors carry significant recent history to overcome against the reigning champions.

“Finals rugby is where you find out a lot about yourselves as a group. We’ve worked hard to get here, and now it’s about embracing the challenge that comes with a high-stakes game,” said one Blues representative in the squad announcement. “The Crusaders have consistently been one of the benchmark teams in this competition, and we know exactly what awaits us in Christchurch. The key is staying focused on our roles, bringing energy to the contest and backing the work we’ve put in throughout the season.”