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The Crusaders will be looking to warm up for the Super Rugby finals when they host the Hurricanes in Christchurch to kick off Round 20 tonight. We’ll have live scores from 5.35pm AEST.
They might still trail the Chiefs by five points in the New Zealand Conference, but last Friday night the Crusaders made a huge statement as to who is the dominant New Zealand franchise with a 43-15 win over their Waikato rivals.
The Crusaders led by just 11 points at the half-time break but raced away in the second half, in a game where flyhalf Dan Carter celebrated becoming the first player to pass the 1500-point mark in Super Rugby history.
Coach Todd Blackadder has made just one change to the starting XV this week, forced into bringing in Tom Donnelly at lock after Luke Romano was ruled out with an ankle injury.
More ominously – at least for opposition supporters – is the club rugby return of All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw this weekend.
The champion flanker will line up on Saturday afternoon for Christchurch in his first game of 2013 after taking a six-month sabbatical from rugby.
He could come back into the frame for the Crusaders in time for the finals, beginning next weekend, should he get through unscathed on the weekend.
The Hurricanes’ up-and-down season was summed up perfectly last weekend when they went down to the then-last placed Highlanders 49-44 in a 93-point thriller.
Hurricanes boss Mark Hammett has made just one changed to the starting XV that lost to the Highlanders, with Brad Shields replacing Alapati Leiua, while Ope Peleseuma and Blade Thomson could make their run-on debut after being named on the bench.
While the Crusaders hold a dominant record over the ‘Canes, losing just six times in 24 Super Rugby matches, the Wellington outfit have won their past two matches, including a one-point win earlier this season.
With the pressure off, the free-wheeling Hurricanes could spring a surprise tonight if the Crusaders are looking ahead to more important engagements in the coming weeks.
Can the Hurricanes finish their 2013 Super Rugby campaign with a rare win, or will it be business as usual for the Crusaders?
Find out from 5.35pm AEST, and don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the space below.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.