Stormers v Crusaders: Teams
Richie McCaw has been ruled out of Crusaders' spectacle with the Stormers due to midweek headaches.
Last Updated: 06/05/11 11:41am
Crusaders captain Richie McCaw has been ruled out of Saturday's Super Rugby showdown with the Stormers at Newlands.
McCaw suffered a head knock during last week's victory over Western Force and had been monitored since by the franchise's medical staff.
He has had to be withdrawn from the contest in Cape Town after enduring several headaches and is to be replaced by youngster Matt Todd.
Kieran Read will take over the captaincy for what is being billed the game of the weekend. Jonathan Poff comes onto the replacements bench in number 19.
Stormers - last year's losing finalists - are top of the South African Conference, second on the overall log and have tasted defeat just once this year.
It's no surprise then that the Stormers have been attracting big crowds where their supporters are enjoying that winning feeling in 2011.
Alistair Coetzee's side pulled off a vital win against the Sharks last weekend, bagging a much-needed four-try bonus point in the process which gives the Capetonians some breathing space in their Conference and setting them up nicely for a place in the play-offs.
A win against the star-studded Crusaders will put them top of the overall ladder should the Blues lose to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday.
Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Johann Sadie, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Brok Harris, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Nick Koster, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Kurt Coleman, 22 Juan de Jongh.
Crusaders: 15 Israel Dagg ,14 Sean Maitland 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Matt Berquist, 9 Kahn Fotuali'i, 8 Kieran Read (captain), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Andrew Olorenshaw, 18 Joe Wheeler, 19 Jonathan Poff, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Tom Marshall, 22 Adam Whitelock.
