All Black five-eighth Dan Carter has been named to return on a Crusaders bench packing serious firepower for their Super Rugby game against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Carter comes back after a six-month break and will occupy the bench on Saturday alongside All Blacks forwards Kieran Read and Owen Franks.
The third-placed Crusaders can cement their position as New Zealand conference leaders with victory over the sixth-placed Hurricanes.
They must do it without All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, injured fullback Israel Dagg (knee) and powerhouse winger Nemani Nadolo, away representing Fiji in a World Cup qualifier against the Cook Islands. McCaw broke a rib during the Test series against England.
The omissions are countered by the presence of world record Test points-scorer Carter, who has played 120 minutes of club rugby in Canterbury over the past two weeks.
However, coach Todd Blackadder has preferred Colin Slade at five-eighth, one of nine starting players retained from the 30-7 win over the Western Force on May 30.
Crusaders skipper Read started that game in Christchurch but later reported concussion symptoms and missed the first two Tests against England. He played the first half of the third Test in Hamilton on Saturday but Blackadder opted for a cautious approach to his domestic return.
Inside centre Ryan Crotty reclaims the captaincy in Read's absence.
Another notable bench-warmer is prop Joe Moody, who is poised for his first Super Rugby game of the season.
The uncapped loosehead was named in last year's season-ending All Blacks squad but didn't tour after breaking an ankle.
Moody returned to the Crusaders off the bench in the tour game against England on June 17. He was among 10 squad members in Saturday's starting team to play in the 38-7 loss to England.
Four of the six personnel changes from the Force game are up front.
All Blacks prop Wyatt Crockett and hooker Corey Flynn replace Tim Perry and Ben Funnell respectively in the front row, while Luke Whitelock usurps Read and Matt Todd fills the giant boots of McCaw.
Nafi Tuitavake inherits Nadolo's left wing berth while Dagg is replaced by Tom Taylor, who leaves a gap at centre filled by Kieron Fonotia.
Crusaders: Tom Taylor, Johnny McNicholl, Kieron Fonotia, Ryan Crotty (capt), Nafi Tuitavake, Colin Slade, Andy Ellis, Luke Whitelock, Matt Todd, Jordan Taufua, Sam Whitelock, Dominic Bird, Nepo Laulala, Corey Flynn, Wyatt Crockett. Res: Ben Funnell, Joe Moody, Owen Franks, Jimmy Tupou, Kieran Read, Willi Heinz, Dan Carter, Rob Thompson
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