KEY POINTS:
Not many animals can match a cheetah for sustained pace but the Crusaders clearly plan to go toe-to-toe with South Africa's rugby version in Bloemfontein.
Victory on Sunday morning (NZT) will see the Cheetahs sprint to the top of the Super 14 through four rounds and leave the
defending champion Crusaders on just one win.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans this week identified his opponents as the most enterprising of the South African sides and has responded with the selection of a raw-looking but mobile forward pack.
Michael Paterson, 21, who has played most of his rugby in the loose forwards, is at lock in place of Kevin O'Neill while the mobile Wyatt Crockett makes his first start of the year at loosehead prop.
Prop Ben Franks accommodates Crockett by shifting to the tighthead side, pushing out Campbell Johnstone.
Franks expects a high-pace game at Vodacom Park, a far cry from their 3-9 loss to the Lions at Johannesburg last weekend.
"They're a little bit different to the other South African teams, they try to shift it wide every time so it will be a bit faster than normal," Franks told NZPA.
"We're going to have to be switched on.
"I'm probably not one of the bigger props so I enjoy the fast pace. But I like the physical stuff as well so it doesn't really bother me."
Melbourne-born Franks, 22, has been one of the Crusaders' best this season, part of a strong scrum and impressing with his prominence around the park.
With two seasons of New Zealand Colts rugby behind him, Franks had set his mind to improving on the two appearances in last year's Super 14.
"It was one of my goals pre-season, to hopefully put a bit more pressure on the coaches to give me a bit more game time," he said.
"Every week I get nervous when they read out the team but so far it's going well."
One of New Zealand's most promising props, he has the added value of versatility. This week's switch of sides is no problem.
"I've played both sides pretty much all the way up through the grades. I possibly see myself more as a tighthead but I've been used on both sides in the last couple of years."
If Deans' plan is to play at pace, he has not been helped by a shoulder injury to All Black Rico Gear, which has seen him replaced on the wing by Brent Ward.
Ward has scored tries in his two previous appearances in Bloemfontein -- for the Hurricanes when beat the Cats in 2003 and for the Blues in last year's narrow 34-33 defeat of the Cheetahs.
This year's Cheetahs have been impressive winners of their two home games and will field an unchanged team to the one which downed the New South Wales Waratahs in Kimberley.
The Crusaders have been based in Cape Town all week but will relocate to Bloemfontein on the eve of the match.
The Free State capital holds a special place in Crusaders history, being the first overseas venue the side won at, in 1997, when they beat the Free State Cheetahs 16-11.
- NZPA