Crusaders forced to change
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder made an injury-enforced change to his team for their final league match of the 2013 Super Rugby season.
The Crusaders take on the Hurricanes in Christchuirch on Friday in a match they must win to retatain their chance of topping the New Zealand conference and finishing in the top three on the global standings.
Blackadder made only one change to the starting XV that beat the Chiefs 43-15 last weekend.
Luke Romano is out of consideration with an ankle injury, with Tom Donnelly joining Sam Whitelock in the second row.
With Donnelly, who played the last of his 15 Tests in 2010, in the startring XV – Jimmy Tupou has been added to the bench as cover for the second row.
The two sides have met on 23 occasions during the competition with the Crusaders winning 65 percent of the matches.
However, the last time the two sides met was back in March in Round Four of the competition – when the Hurricanes pipped the Crusaders to the post by one point.
The Crusaders are currently sitting fourth on the points table and will be looking for a win against the Hurricanes in order to secure themselves home ground advantage in the preliminary qualifiers (or quarterfinals).
Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Tom Donnelly, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Ben Funnell, 17 Joe Moody, 18 Jimmy Tupou, 19 Luke Whitelock, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Tyler Bleyendaal, 22 Telusa Veainu.
Date: Friday, July 12
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick–off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Garrett Williamson (New Zealand), Kane McBride (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
