Sam Whitelock will make his 150th appearance for the Crusaders in their showdown against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.
The 31-year-old lock started playing for the Crusaders in 2010 and left the franchise at the end of the 2019 season to join the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan. But the cancellation of the Japanese Top League due to Covid-19 had Whitelock return to Canterbury to represent the Crusaders in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Whitelock will auction off his 150th commemorative game jersey to raise funds for a rural well-being group.
Meanwhile, there are three personnel changes to the starting lineup, with scrumhalf Mitchell Drummond, flank Sione Havili and prop George Bower replacing Bryn Hall, Wheto Douglas and Joe Moody.
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Crusaders – 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Fetuli Paea, 12 Jack Goodhue, 11 George Bridge, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond 8 Tom Sanders, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Sione Havili, 5 Mitchell Dunshea, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Codie Taylor (c), 1 George Bower.
Subs: 16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Isi Tu’ungafasi, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Quinten Strange, 20 Billy Harmon, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Brett Cameron, 23 Leicester Fainga’anuku.
Photo: Martin Hunter/www.photosport.nz
