Johannesburg - The last time the Crusaders visited Ellis Park, on April 1, they won 43-37. It was a thrilling encounter with the visitors out-scoring the Lions six tries to four.
Here rugby writer Jacques van der Westhuyzen highlights a few players in the Crusaders team that the Lions will have to be on the look out for on Saturday when the teams clash in the Super Rugby quarter-finals
Israel Dagg
The hugely talented fullback-cum-winger has been in sensational form this season and poses a huge threat to the Lions. He missed the April 1 meeting because of injury, but has shone at Ellis Park before when he’s worn the All Blacks jersey.
At 28, he’s played in his fair share of knockout games, among them during the 2011 World Cup. He missed selection to the squad last year, but has again been a first choice All Black in 2016.
Kieran Read
Where does one start to tell the story of how important No 8 and captain Read is to the Crusaders. He’s a phenomenal leader and a brilliant player, the link between forwards and backs... matched only, maybe, by Warren Whiteley. At 30 he’s a seasoned campaigner, with two World Cups behind him, and will know what’s required to come away with the win on Saturday. A huge player for the Crusaders ... and a threat to the Lions this weekend.
Ryan Crotty
Another player who “terrorised” the Lions a few months ago, the experienced centre scored a hat-trick of tries in his team’s big win and he will again pose a big threat this weekend. Together with David Havili, theirs is a seriously lethal Crusaders midfield pairing and it will be Crotty marshalling the backs. The former captain has loads of experience and is currently on top of his game having returned to the All Blacks squad in June.
Codie Taylor
Not all that well-known among South African rugby watchers, but the 25-year-old hooker is fast establishing himself as a player on the rise. He’s not quite Dane Coles of the Hurricanes, but he’s just as quick around the field and is a powerful and dangerous carrier in the wide channels. He was the least experienced member in the Crusaders squad last year and a few months later was in the World Cup squad.
Johnny McNicholl
The 25 year-old winger is not quite the giant that Nemani Nadolo is, standing 1.85m tall and tipping the scales at 96kg. But he’s just as dangerous a runner and made the Lions pay the last time the teams met. He scored a great try in that clash in April and followed up that good performance with several more quality outings, which has resulted in him topping the Crusaders try-scoring charts, with seven dot downs.
Sam Whitelock
The 75-Test veteran of the All Blacks - for many the best lock in the game at the moment - didn’t feature from the start at Ellis Park in April, the 27-year-old coming off the bench with 20 minutes to go. He also didn’t feature in last weeks’ defeat by the Hurricanes because of illness, but is sure to be back this weekend ... the Crusaders need him. An excellent line-out man, he’ll be tasked to put plenty of pressure on the Lions’ second row men.
The Star