All Blacks in and out

From Fox staff writers
April 03, 2007

THE Crusaders will have New Zealand five-eighth Dan Carter back for the key Super 14 game with Western Force on Saturday.

But the defending champion, in second place, will be without All Blacks lock and lineout ace Chris Jack for the Christchutch game.

Carter returns after being withdrawen from the team which beat New South Wales Waratahs last weekend, when he failed to recover from a neck injury sustained in his first match back from the All Blacks' reconditioning program.

Jack is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks after straining a hamstring tendon in the 34-33 win over the Waratahs.

Coach Robbie Deans has made four changes from last week's starting line-up.

Winger Caleb Ralph, Carter and halfback Andy Ellis all return to the back division, in place of Scott Hamilton, Stephen Brett and Kevin Senio respectively.

Michael Paterson is promoted from the bench to the second row for Jack.

Hamilton, Brett and Senio have all been included among the replacements.

"While we've had to make a few changes, we've still been able to enjoy a fair bit of continuity, with all but Dan Carter having been involved in the match day 22 last week," said Deans.

Deans had no concern about Carter's preparation.

"He was involved in most of the preparation for that (Waratahs) match anyway, until we had to pull him out through injury, so we are benefiting from a bit of consistency in terms of having the core of the group involved," he said.


Leon wary of Force

by: Lynn McConnell, Sportal

Having played under former All Blacks coach John Mitchell, Crusaders fullback Leon MacDonald is well aware of the job lying ahead of the Christchurch-based side in this weekend's Super 14 clash with the Western Force at Jade Stadium.

Fresh from a wake-up call delivered by the Waratahs, the Crusaders now face the best-performed Australian side of the competition and one looking for a place in the semi-finals to be wrapped as quickly as possible.

"I have a huge amount of respect for John Mitchell," MacDonald said.

"He will get them pretty excited about coming to Jade Stadium to play us."

But MacDonald said the lessons from the close-call at the weekend in Sydney, and the challenge of going up against the Force would be a good motivation for the Crusaders.

Also aware of the latent goal-kicking ability of Cameron Shepherd, the season's highest scorer to date, MacDonald said the side had let itself down in giving away so many penalties against the Waratahs.

"Discipline will be important for us. But we do like playing against teams like the Force who come with good form and as a side willing to attack."

"These are the games we enjoy playing. Teams that come to play rugby and who like to give it a go, because that is the way we like to play," he said.

MacDonald said the Crusaders had not been complacent going into the Waratahs game and expected something similar to what happened.

"They had lost six in a row but some of their players told us afterwards that this was their big one for the season. They really wanted to win it.

"A game like that keeps us on our toes and they definitely gave us a shake-up," he said.

After going out to an early, and what would normally have been a comfortable, lead, the side seemed to mentally ease off and the latter stages of the game were definitely not up to the usual Crusaders' standards, he said.

For himself, after being part of the All Blacks reconditioning program, MacDonald said he felt 'a heck of a lot better' after another game on Saturday than he had after his first game the week before.

He admitted to feeling not quite as sharp as he might normally have expected at this stage of the season, but he did say that the extra time away from the rugby had allowed for a recovery from injuries.

But he added that with more games under the belt, the match fitness would be improved and he was sure he would feel better.

Just how much better may well be determined by the ability to contain the high-flying Force on Saturday.