STAT CHAT: Crusaders vs Highlanders – the numbers behind a Southern showdown
There’s something special about a Crusaders and Highlanders clash at Apollo Projects Stadium.
It’s familiar, it’s fierce, and it always comes with plenty of passion – both on the field and from our fans in the stands.
As we head into this weekend’s matchup, here are the numbers.
Let’s start with the outside backs, because they’ve been electric this season so far.
On one wing, Caleb Tangitau has been hard to handle for anyone brave enough to stand in front of him. He leads all wingers in defenders beaten with 15, and he’s sitting second in carries, carry metres (282) and post‑contact metres (183).
On the other edge, Jona Nareki has been doing the dirty work just as well as the flashy stuff. He leads all wingers in tackles made with 26 and turnovers won (4), showing how much value he brings when it comes to ruthless defence.
Then there’s Will Jordan at the back, playing the kind of footy that reminds everyone why he’s one of the best in the world.
Even after missing a game, he’s number one among fullbacks in both carry metres and line breaks (9). Any loose kick, any fractured defensive line, and Jordan is gliding through it.
And if you thought Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens wasn’t going to get in on the action, think again – he leads the entire competition in defenders beaten with 18. It feels like every time he touches the ball, something shifts.
But maybe the heartbeat of our game so far this season has been Noah Hotham.
His attacking numbers speak loudly: he’s number one among halfbacks in carries with 28, carry metres (169), offloads (5) and defenders beaten (4).
Then he turns around and does the same on defence, topping all halfbacks with 30 tackles at a 95 percent success rate. That’s a workload you usually only see from a loose forward.
All of that individual form feeds beautifully into the history of this fixture at Apollo Projects Stadium.
The last time the Highlanders came north (Round 15, 2025), the Crusaders put on one of the great defensive performances to win 15–12.
We made 219 tackles, with 11 players hitting double digits, and eight different Crusaders stealing turnovers.
The Highlanders carried for 654 metres, held 62 percent possession and had 15 entries into our 22 – yet we let them score only twice.
It also only took us five entries of our own to score two tries. A fast start – 10 points in the first quarter – was everything.
There were heroes everywhere. Rivez Reihana kicked for 589 metres, threw three offloads and beat three defenders. Tom Christie played like a man possessed, making 29 of his 31 tackles and pinching two turnovers.
And for the Highlanders, Tavatavanawai was a force of nature with 21 carries, seven defenders beaten, five offloads and three turnovers won without a single error.
So yes – history tells us this fixture gets tight.
Since 2012, the Crusaders have won 12 of 14 at Apollo Projects Stadium, scoring 51 tries to the Highlanders’ 29. The last time they beat us here was 2021. And the last two games between us (2022 and 2025) were both decided by just three points. No one walks into these clashes feeling comfortable.
But there’s something brewing in this group, and the numbers back it up. Strike power on the edges, steel in the middle, work rate everywhere you look.
If you’re coming to Apollo Projects Stadium this weekend, bring your voice. Because if history is anything to go by, we’re heading for another classic – and your energy might be the thing that tips it.
There are only two games at this stadium left – help us write the last two chapters of the past 14 years of history.