All change for Crusaders

Defeat to Highlanders forces Deans to shuffle his pack

Last updated: 22nd May 2008

Robbie Deans as the new Australian coach looking very happyu

Deans: Changes

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Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has made five changes to last week's team for Saturday's Super 14 semi-final against the Hurricanes in Christchurch.

In the pack, prop Wyatt Crockett and blindside flanker Kieran Read come in for Ben Franks and Reuben Thorne respectively.

Winger Scott Hamilton returns to the backline where there is a change to the midfield combination, with outside centre Casey Laulala and inside centre Tim Bateman taking over from Caleb Ralph and Stephen Brett.

Brett, winger Sean Maitland, Thorne and Franks are on the bench. Ralph has been omitted from the matchday squad alltogether.

Deans said changes to the starting XV that lost 26-14 to the Highlanders last weekend were performance-related.

"We'll take on board the lessons that are to be learned from the experience," he said.

"Last week was the end of that phase of the competition - the quest to make the play-offs.

"We start a new and exciting phase on Saturday and it is 0-0. Nothing that has gone before really matters now."

Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Kade Poki, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Scott Hamilton, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richard McCaw (c), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacement: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Reuben Thorne, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Stephen Brett, 22 Sean Maitland.