The
Crusaders will open the Super Rugby season this Friday night when they meet the
Blues in Auckland. Coming off a
successful pre-season where they knocked off the Highlanders, Hurricanes and
Rebels, the Crusaders will be looking to continue their winning streak as the
official season kicks off.
Four
changes have been made to the starting fifteen that met the Rebels last week:
Wyatt
Crockett comes into the number one jersey, and Ben Franks moves from loosehead
prop to tighthead prop in place of brother Owen who will take the bench.
Sam
Whitelock and Tom Donnelly remain the starting locks but switch jerseys. They will be backed up by Luke Romano on the
bench.
Robbie
Fruean returns to centre and Ryan Crotty has recovered from a hamstring strain
to start at second five. Adam Whitelock,
who has filled both positions in the last two warm-up games, is named in the
reserves.
Crusaders team to play the Blues:
|
1.
Wyatt
Crockett
2.
Quentin
MacDonald
3.
Ben
Franks
4.
Tom
Donnelly
5.
Samuel
Whitelock
6.
George
Whitelock
7.
Matt
Todd
8.
Kieran
Read (capt)
9.
Andy
Ellis (vice capt)
10.
Tyler
Bleyendaal
11.
Israel
Dagg
12.
Ryan
Crotty
13.
Robbie
Fruean
14.
Sean
Maitland
15.
Tom
Marshall
|
Reserves:
16.
Corey
Flynn
17.
Owen
Franks
18.
Luke
Romano
19.
Luke
Whitelock
20.
Willie
Heinz
21.
Patrick
Osborne
22.
Adam
Whitelock
|