KEO News Wire
Leicester Faingaʻanuku is the STECO Hero of the Week
The All Blacks will have a new hybrid strike weapon and power tool of a backline player who is comfortable playing in the pack.
Leicester Faingaʻanuku, the versatile Crusaders hybrid player, is the STECO Hero of the Week.
STECO RUGBY PARTNERSHIP
Keo looked at some of the best individual performances from Bordeaux’s emphatic 41-19 Investec Champions Cup Final win against Leinster. He identified captain and scrumhalf Maxime Lucu, flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert and winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey as contenders for the weekly award.
Bielle-Biarrey, who was the Six Nations Player of the Year in 2026, was also named Investec Champions Cup Player of the Year for 2025/26.
But Zels was insisted that in true hybrid form, the winner had to come from Down Under in the form of Crusaders winger, turned centre, turned flanker Leicester Fainga’anuku.
Leicester Faingaʻanuku STECO
“Look no further than in the Land of the Long White Cloud, mate,” said Zels. “He started at number seven for the Crusaders in their victory over the Chiefs. He scored a great try. He’s been in vicious form in Super Rugby.
“I’m not sure it’s going to translate to the Test arena, but I do love Leicester Fainga’anuku. So he’s my Hybrid Power Tool Hero this week.”
STECO has been a partner of Keo.co.za and the Keo & Zels show for the past two years, with Keo & Zels dedicating a section of the show to the STECO Power Play of the weekend.
Sharks and Springboks centre Andre Esterhuizen, who has played centre and flank for the Boks is the official STECO Hybrid Power Tools Hero and Hybrid Craftsman Ambassador
Leicester Faingaʻanuku 2025/26 season positional selections
| Tournament | Team | Opponent | Date | Playing No |
|---|
| Autumn Nations Series R1 | New Zealand | Ireland | 01/11 | 22 |
| Autumn Nations Series R2 | New Zealand | Scotland | 08/11 | 13 |
| Autumn Nations Series R3 | New Zealand | England | 15/11 | 11 |
| Autumn Nations Series R4 | New Zealand | Wales | 22/11 | 22 |
| Super Rugby R1 | Crusaders | Highlanders | 13/02 | 11 |
| Super Rugby R2 | Crusaders | Brumbies | 22/02 | 23 |
| Super Rugby R3 | Crusaders | Chiefs | 28/02 | 13 |
| Super Rugby R4 | Crusaders | Blues | 07/03 | 13 |
| Super Rugby R5 | Crusaders | Highlanders | 14/03 | 22 |
| Super Rugby R6 | Crusaders | Moana Pasifika | 21/03 | 22 |
| Super Rugby R8 | Crusaders | Fijian Drua | 03/04 | 13 |
| Super Rugby R9 | Crusaders | Reds | 11/04 | 13 |
| Super Rugby R10 | Crusaders | Western Force | 18/04 | 13 |
| Super Rugby R11 | Crusaders | Waratahs | 24/04 | 7 |
| Super Rugby R12 | Crusaders | Hurricanes | 01/05 | 7 |
| Super Rugby R13 | Crusaders | Blues | 08/05 | 7 |
| Super Rugby R15 | Crusaders | Chiefs | 22/05 | 7 |
| Total Matches | 17 |
PlanetRugby rated his performance against the Chiefs as an 8/10.
“He is is absolutely irrepressible at the moment. A bit of a learning curve at times, with Fainga’anuku just getting it slightly wrong at the breakdown and in the tackle, conceding three penalties, but he was once again just so influential in the contest. His late assist for Havili’s winning try showed what a difference-maker he can be.”
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