Crusaders head coach Rob Penney has hailed the impact which All Blacks utility back Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku has made since moving into the forwards recently.<\/p>\n
Penney sprung a surprise when he selected Fainga\u2019anuku, who usually plays on the wing or in midfield, on the openside flank for their Round 11 Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Waratahs last month.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old had already shifted into the pack on occasion this season, and also did that at his previous club Toulon, but prior to that he always started games in the backline.<\/p>\n
Fainga\u2019anuku<\/a> impressed on the flank against the Waratahs which meant he retained his position for the Crusaders<\/a>\u2018 clash with the Hurricanes the following week and delivered another solid performance.<\/p>\n In fine form against the Blues<\/p>\n However, he was superb on Friday when the Crusaders sealed a 36-20 victory over the Blues in Christchurch as he delivered a superb all-round performance in which he had a high work-rate on attack and defence.<\/p>\n Fainga\u2019anuku was in the thick of the action throughout against the Blues and although he did not cross the whitewash \u2013 which he did against the Waratahs and Hurricanes \u2013 he showed off a vast array of skills with deft offloads and chips and finished that match with two try assists.<\/p>\n Penney<\/a> couldn\u2019t hide his delight at how Fainga\u2019anuku has responded since being moved to the forwards.<\/p>\n The decision to switch him to the forwards was initially an experiment which Penney admitted is paying off handsomely.<\/p>\n \u201cHard to change\u2026he can do all things,\u201d the head coach told reporters regarding Fainga\u2019anuku\u2019s recent form.<\/p>\n Apart from being a willing ball carrier against the Blues, Fainga\u2019anuku also impressed on defence as he made 15 tackles and won two crucial turnovers.<\/p>\n Crusaders v Blues: Five takeaways as hybrid Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku becoming a \u2018genuine option\u2019 for the All Blacks while Beauden Barrett call \u2018a mistake\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI said to him during the week, \u2018You\u2019re still a centre, mate\u2019, because it just felt like he was falling into the role of a loosie purely,\u201d said Penney.<\/p>\n \u201cTo see him put those couple of kicks in, one of them was premeditated and the other was instinctive, and we ended up getting tries from them both.\u201d<\/p>\n Fainga\u2019anuku is happy with his performance against the Blues which has consolidated their position in the Super Rugby Pacific<\/a> standings and they are currently occupy fourth place after 12 matches played.<\/p>\n \u201cLiterally, I think I might play with a number zero or without a number at this stage,\u201d he said jokingly after the match. \u201cStart of the game was obviously nailing my role at seven around set-piece, lineout, scrum, mauls, through phase.<\/p>\n \u2018Trying to find every opportunity I can contribute to the team\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cJust making sure my feet are moving around the park and trying to find every opportunity I can contribute to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n