Super Rugby: Crusaders welcome back a stack of All Blacks for season-opener against Blues ROBERT VAN ROYENPHOTOSPORT First-five Richie Mo'unga is available for the Crusaders' season-opener against the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday night. The Crusaders' head coach watched his side get through their final pre-season fixture - a 43-38 win against the Highlanders in Southbridge last Friday night - unscathed. Including uncapped pair Bryn Hall and Jordan Taufua, the Crusaders can still call upon 15 players who have spent time in the All Blacks. Leon MacDonald, the Crusaders' attack coach during their triumphant 2017 season, took over from Tana Umaga as the Auckland-based franchise's coach last December, 15 months after quitting the Crusaders halfway through a two-year deal due to family reasons. I think he'll be willing to try a few different things, and whatever that looks like on attack, he'll bring a good mix, some good variation, to that."

Source: Stuff February 11, 2019 04:30 UTC