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.

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 Reserves:
2 Hooker Ben Funnell (capt) 16 Codie Taylor
3 Tighthead Prop Sam Pratley 17 Mitch Graham
4 Left Lock Ross Kennedy 18 Joel Everson
5 Right Lock Dominic Bird 19 Jordan Taufua
6 Blindside Taniela Manu 20 Ellery Wilson
7 Openside Brendon O’Connor 21 Hamish Catherwood
8 No 8 Mark Abbott 22 Luke Graham
9 Halfback Mark Swanepoel James Lentjes
10 1st 5/8 Tyrone Elkington Martin Swart
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