The Crusaders bench has received a significant boost ahead of their clash with the Blues at Eden Park this weekend, with All Black Noah Hotham and veteran lock Quinten Strange set to return from injury.
Two teams bouncing back from poor 2024 campaigns met in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon, both coming into the round five contest with two wins to their names.
Crusaders head coach Rob Penney has made five changes to his team to play the Western Force at home in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon.
The Crusaders have made minor changes to the team that beat the Hurricanes in round one ahead of their trip to Hamilton to face the Chiefs in round two.
The Crusaders are out for redemption after dropping out of the Super Rugby Pacific title fold entirely in 2024. And a new, shortened finals format hasn't made that job any easier for the former champions.
Injured Crusaders midfielder Braydon Ennor insists the fallen giants can return to the top of Super Rugby Pacific this season.
Braydon Ennor missed the entirety of last year’s Super Rugby Pacific season with an injury but the midfielder still felt the “hurt” of the Crusaders’ campaign.
Super Rugby Pacific is rich in talent, but not all players are in a position to shine in a way that is beneficial to not just their own careers, but to their respective national teams.
Every year there are players that have a change of scenery across New Zealand Super Rugby teams in search of more playing time and and the chance to establish their careers.
Some experienced heads have called time on illustrious Crusaders careers ahead of the 2025 DHL Super Rugby Pacific season.