Ton up for MacDonald

All Black full-back Leon MacDonald will make his 100th start for the Crusaders in the Super 14 opener against the Brumbies.

All Black full-back to make 100th start for Crusaders

All Black full-back Leon MacDonald will make his 100th start for the Crusaders in the Super 14 opener against the Brumbies at the AMI Stadium on Friday. When he runs on for the start of the 13th crusade, MacDonald will join an elite club of veterans from the Canterbury club that includes Greg Somerville, who starts at tighthead prop this Friday, Reuben Thorne (also in the current squad) and veteran All Black scrum-half Justin Marshall. The 30-year-old MacDonald made his Super 14 debut in 1997 while still playing at the Chiefs. All Black second row Ali Williams will make his first Super 14 appearance for the Crusaders in the season opener against their trans-tasman rivals. Williams will partner up with Brad Thorn in what looks to be a solid Crusaders second row for the match against the Brumbies. Thorn left rugby union in 2004, to play league for the Brisbane Broncos, but has returned to have one final shot at a Super Rugby title.

Special

Ironically, the closest he has ever come to winning a Super title was in the 2004 final which he lost to the Brumbies in Canberra. It will also be a special moment for 20-year-old Kade Poki, who will start on the right wing, while scrum-half Kahn Fotuali'i will start ahead of All Black Andy Ellis, who has nonetheless capped a rapid return from a pre-season ankle injury by being named among the replacements. Other newcomers, who will start off the Crusaders bench include; the much raved about wing Sean Maitland and loose forward Nasi Manu. Coach Robbie Deans is confident in the youngsters he has selected, who he feels have proven themselves in the pre-season and should blend well with a number of experienced campaigners that include All Black captain Richie McCaw, Daniel Carter, Corey Flynn and Casey Laulala. "It's been a good preparation and they've all contributed - each and every member of the squad," Deans said. "There are some guys who have been unlucky to miss selection this time, no doubt about it, but it will be a long and demanding campaign, and they've all got an important role to play," added the Crusaders coach. After playing a cameo 40 minutes against the Waratahs last week at the Sydney Football Stadium as he returned from a calf strain, vice-captain Daniel Carter will start in the number 10 jersey, with the exciting Stephen Brett outside him at inside centre. "We could have got longer out of Dan last week, if we'd needed it, but it was a good hit-out and got him to where we needed him to be ahead of this week," Deans says. Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Kade Poki, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Stephen Brett, 11 Scott Hamilton, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richard McCaw (c), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks.
Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Paterson, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Andrew Ellis, 21 Tim Bateman, 22 Sean Maitland.