Dan Carter of the Crusaders looks on during the round 12 Super Rugby match between the Rebels and the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images.
Dan Carter is back in his favoured first-five position for the Crusaders as they prepare to play the Blues in Christchurch on Saturday night.
As expected, Carter has been named in the No 10 jersey, with Ryan Crotty making a rare start at second-five this season. However, Richie McCaw has
been named in the relatively unfamiliar No 8 position due to Kieran Read's pelvis injury.
Tom Taylor, the Crusaders' first-five for the past five matches, has been left out of the squad due to a quadriceps strain, with Tyler Bleyendaal on the reserves bench.
The Crusaders struggled for penetration in the backline in their shock loss to the Rebels in Melbourne and Todd Blackadder will be looking to Crotty, hampered by an early-season hamstring injury, to provide momentum.
Blackadder has made seven changes to the starting XV.
