Crusaders lock Brad Thorn comes back into the starting line-up for the Crusaders in their Rebel Sport Super 14 match against the Hurricanes at AMI Stadium on Friday night.
Thorn, who sat out last week’s loss to the Brumbies in Canberra with a heel injury, trained fully with the team today and will take his place in the second row alongside fellow All Black Ross Filipo.
Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder said there was still a question mark over skipper Richie McCaw, who did not play last Saturday due to a concussion suffered in the first-round victory over the Chiefs.
Blackadder said a decision over McCaw’s availability would be made once test results came through this afternoon so he has remained bracketed with George Whitelock.
“Richie is looking good and feeling sharp and healthy but we won’t know for sure if he will play until this afternoon,” Blackadder said.
Halfback Andy Ellis, who sprained an ankle against the Brumbies last weekend, will not play against the Hurricanes after failing to get through training today.
Kahn Fotuali’i will wear the No9 jersey, with Tyson Keats, a wider training group member, coming on to the reserves bench.
Fullback Leon MacDonald is again unavailable for selection after injuring his shoulder against the Chiefs, but Blackadder said he was very close to being right and should be in the mix for next weekend’s match against the Highlanders in Dunedin.
Jason Macdonald, the Crusaders’ only draft player this season, comes in at hooker in place of Corey Flynn, who broke his left arm last week against the Brumbies.
The match against the Hurricanes provides several notable match-ups, the main one being Thomas Waldrom against his brother Scott, a fellow loose forward, who played one game for the Crusaders in 2004.
Thomas, who will be directly marking All Blacks No 8 Rodney So’oialo, said he was looking forward to the match which will be attended by his parents, Anne and Tony.
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