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Crusaders call for help

Cape Town - Super Rugby's form team, the Crusaders, have been forced to call up reinforcements for their two-match tour of South Africa after losing four backs to injury in their victory over the Stormers on Saturday.

All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg, who has scored seven tries this season, pulled up with a thigh problem while making a clearance kick early in the 20-14 victory in Cape Town and that was just the start of the injury problems.

Winger Sean Maitland, the top try-scorer in Super rugby this year with eight, hurt his foot, scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali'i damaged medial ligaments in his knee and replacement back Adam Whitelock tore a pectoral muscle, all in the first half.

All four will return home and be replaced in the squad to face the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday by Ryan Crotty, Steve Alfeld, Tom Taylor and Brent Ward, the Crusaders said on their website.

The Crusaders were already without All Blacks Andy Ellis, Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock and Ben Franks through injury, although flyhalf Carter and flanker McCaw are expected to face the Cheetahs.

Coach Todd Blackadder praised his team's "real guts, determination and character" in coming through a tough Newlands test with an eighth victory in 11 matches this season.

"It would have been disappointing to have lost this game because I felt we created so many opportunities," he told sports website Stuff.co.nz.

"We had so many injuries, but it brought out some more resolve and that was great to see. There's all those other occasions when Crusaders teams have done that, and this group showed they've got that in them too."

The seven-time Super Rugby champions trail the New Zealand conference-leading Blues by three points after 12 rounds of the southern hemisphere's provincial championship.

They were awarded a draw against the Hurricanes after their round two match was cancelled in the wake of the deadly earthquake in their home city, Christchurch, in February.

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