Richie McCaw is poised for a return to the Crusaders next week, an addition which will boost the team's increasingly competitive loose forward mix.
McCaw hasn't played since receiving surgery after cracking his left thumb bone in the Crusaders' second match of the season, a defeat to the Blues at Eden Park on February 28. After missing the majority of last season due to his sabbatical, he is extremely keen to make his mark for a team who have impressed over the past three weeks, their away victories over the Lions, Cheetahs and Chiefs setting them up nicely for the home run.
The Crusaders have the bye this weekend, allowing No8 and skipper Kieran Read more time to recover from the concussion he suffered against the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium. If Read is fit to play in the team's next assignment against the Brumbies in Christchurch next Saturday, McCaw will be vying with the impressively consistent Matt Todd and Jordan Taufua, who played extremely well in Hamilton, for a starting place.
Luke Whitelock is also improving - he made a big impact when replacing Read last weekend. His brother, George, who couldn't make the match-day squad, is also waiting for his opportunity.