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Christchurch - Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has named his team to tackle the Melbourne Rebels in Christchurch on Friday (kick-off 08:35 SA time).
Richie McCaw will start for the Crusaders for the first time in 2015, in one of three changes made to the starting line-up that played a warm-up game against the Reds in Brisbane last week.The other changes are Joe Moody starting in the No 1 jersey and Ben Funnell at hooker.
Wyatt Crockett and Ryan Crotty also return to the mix for the first time, looking for a start off the bench on Friday.
Blackadder said the team is chomping at the bit to hit the field on Friday and get the 2015 competition underway.
“There is something special about this season, with it being our 20th Crusade and Rugby World Cup year,” he told the Crusaders’ official website. “So there is a real buzz within the team at the moment, they are fired up for this season and ready to get it started.
“The Rebels have always been a tough challenger for us so we know we’re going to have a real battle on Friday night. It should be a good spectacle and a great way to kick this season off,” Blackadder said.
Teams:
Crusaders:
15 Colin Slade, 14 Robbie Fruean, 13 Kieron Fonotia, 12 Tom Taylor, 11 Johnny McNicholl, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Matt Todd (captain), 6 Richie McCaw, 5 Dominic Bird, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Ben Funnell, 1 Joe Moody
Substitutes: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Wyatt Crockett, 19 Scott Barrett, 20 Jordan Taufua, 21 Billy Guyton, 22 Ryan Crotty, 23 Nathaniel Apa
Rebels:
TBA
