Crusader Knights head to Auckland

While the Crusaders are preparing to face the Blues in the Super Rugby opener at Eden Park on Friday night, the Crusaders and Blues development teams will provide a taster when they square off that afternoon. The match will take place at the Waitemata Rugby Football Club at 4pm.

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The Crusader Knights dominated the Hurricanes Development team in their first match of the season last weekend, winning 54-19, and they will be looking for a similar result tomorrow afternoon.

Crusaders hooker Ben Funnell will again captain the team, and his Crusaders team mate Ross Kennedy will join the team this week at lock. Kennedy started for the Crusaders in two of their pre-season games and scored the opening try against the Hurricanes in Mangatainoka.

There will also be seven players from the Crusaders wider training group in this week’s starting fifteen – Sam Pratley, Dominic Bird, Brendon O’Connor, Joe Moody, Mark Swanepoel, Mitchell Scott and James Schrader – plus Codie Taylor in the reserves.

The full team to play the Blues Development team is:

1 Loosehead Prop Joe Moody
2 Hooker Ben Funnell (capt)
3 Tighthead Prop Sam Pratley
4 Left Lock Ross Kennedy
5 Right Lock Dominic Bird
6 Blindside Taniela Manu
7 Openside Brendon O’Connor
8 No 8 Mark Abbott
9 Halfback Mark Swanepoel
10 1st 5/8 Tyrone Elkington
11 Left Wing Jordan Hyland
12 2nd 5/8 James Schrader
13 Centre Kieran Fonotia
14 Right Wing Mitchell Scott
15 Full Back James Lowe