Share

Crusaders rest skipper Read

Cape Town - The Crusaders have rested captain Kieran Read for their Super Rugby clash against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday.

Read, who recently captained the All Blacks to a 3-0 series win over France, has been included on the bench to help him shrug off a few injury niggles.

Luke Whitelock starts at No 8, while his brother George was made captain.

Elsewhere, Joe Moody starts at loosehead prop and Nepo Laulala at tighthead. Owen Franks is currently recovering from an elbow infection and is out of consideration.

Corey Flynn returns from a hamstring injury taking his place on the bench, giving the starting hooker position to Ben Funnell. Flynn could surpass Reuben Thorne by becoming the most capped Crusader with 130 caps if he makes an appearance.

Locks Tom Donnelly and Sam Whitelock make the starting XV, with Luke Romano on the bench.

The backs, however, have a more familiar look to it, with Tom Taylor coming in at inside centre moving Ryan Crotty to the outside and Robbie Fruean to the bench.

The clash at Forsyth Barr Stadium kicks off at 09:35 (SA time) on Saturday.

Teams:

Highlanders:

TBA

Crusaders:

15 Israel Dagg, 14 Tom Marshall, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock (captain), 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Tom Donnelly, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Joe Moody.

Substitutes: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Kieran Read, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Robbie Fruean, 22 Adam Whitelock
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1167 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1361 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2070 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE