While the Crusaders are preparing to
face the Blues in the Super Rugby opener at Eden Park on Friday night, the
Crusaders and Blues development teams will provide a taster when they square
off that afternoon. The match will take
place at the Waitemata Rugby Football Club at 4pm.
The Crusader Knights dominated the
Hurricanes Development team in their first match of the season last weekend,
winning 54-19, and they will be looking for a similar result tomorrow
afternoon.
Crusaders hooker Ben Funnell will
again captain the team, and his Crusaders team mate Ross Kennedy will join the
team this week at lock. Kennedy started
for the Crusaders in two of their pre-season games and scored the opening try
against the Hurricanes in Mangatainoka.
There will also be seven players from
the Crusaders wider training group in this week’s starting fifteen – Sam
Pratley, Dominic Bird, Brendon O’Connor, Joe Moody, Mark Swanepoel, Mitchell
Scott and James Schrader – plus Codie Taylor in the reserves.
The full team
to play the Blues Development team is:
|
1
|
Loosehead
Prop
|
Joe
Moody
|
Reserves:
|
|
2
|
Hooker
|
Ben
Funnell (capt)
|
16
|
Codie
Taylor
|
|
|
3
|
Tighthead
Prop
|
Sam
Pratley
|
17
|
Mitch
Graham
|
|
|
4
|
Left Lock
|
Ross
Kennedy
|
18
|
Joel
Everson
|
|
|
5
|
Right Lock
|
Dominic
Bird
|
19
|
Jordan
Taufua
|
|
|
6
|
Blindside
|
Taniela
Manu
|
20
|
Ellery
Wilson
|
|
|
7
|
Openside
|
Brendon
O’Connor
|
21
|
Hamish
Catherwood
|
|
|
8
|
No 8
|
Mark
Abbott
|
22
|
Luke
Graham
|
|
|
9
|
Halfback
|
Mark
Swanepoel
|
|
James
Lentjes
|
|
|
10
|
1st
5/8
|
Tyrone
Elkington
|
|
Martin
Swart
|
|
|
11
|
Left Wing
|
Jordan
Hyland
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
2nd
5/8
|
James
Schrader
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
Centre
|
Kieran
Fonotia
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
Right Wing
|
Mitchell
Scott
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
Full Back
|
James
Lowe
|
|
|
|