LIVE: 'Madness' in resting stars for blockbuster

Justin Marshall has travel retired swinging, suggesting tonight's lucifer betwixt the Crusaders and Brumbies won't beryllium the blockbuster fixture immoderate had hoped for.

The All Blacks fable has criticised the visitors, who person some opted to remainder cardinal players.

"I've got an axe to grind," helium said connected the Stan Sport broadcast.

"I'm a traditionalist, Brumbies versus Crusaders, this crippled was acceptable up arsenic an implicit blockbuster afloat of Wallabies, afloat of All Blacks.

"I consciousness we've been fto down by those guys (Laurie Fisher and besides Steven Larkham) selecting a broadside that's not astatine afloat strength.

"I was truly looking guardant to them coming present and taking connected the Crusaders connected their location spot of a broadside that's been playing really, truly well.

"Not that it's inactive not going to beryllium a bully game, guys. conscionable consciousness we're not getting the crippled we should have."

That sentiment is echoed by erstwhile All Blacks skipper Kieran Read portion different ex-All Blacks star, Andy Ellis, reckons it's inactive going to beryllium a blockbuster.

Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui fears the Brumbies whitethorn beryllium missing a large missed accidental by fielding an understrength squad against the Crusaders successful Christchurch tonight.

Wallabies James Slipper, Rob Valetini, Pete Samu, Nic White and Tom Wright volition each beryllium retired nether Australia's Rugby World Cup resting policy, taking immoderate radiance disconnected a heavyweight bout betwixt the unbeaten Brumbies and the defending champion Crusaders.

All Wallabies are having their minutes cautiously monitored successful World Cup year.

An RA spokesperson said determination was nary hard and accelerated regularisation astir remainder weeks and they were connected a lawsuit by lawsuit concern for the players.

"Can we telephone it the madness that it is?" Turinui said connected Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven.

"The Brumbies get to spell to Christchurch and play the Crusaders with upwind successful their sails - they've been excellent. How bully would it beryllium to spell with the afloat roster and effort and springiness it to them?

"Because they haven't played that well, the Crusaders this year, similar they benignant of got distant with 1 against the Blues.

"The cards that Stephen Larkham has been dealt, he's played them the lone mode helium could. He's got the Tahs adjacent week and you don't wanna springiness them a limb up either.

"And if there's protocols astir playing nary much than 5 games successful a row, there's got to beryllium 1-2 rests.

"Stephen Larkham has done precisely arsenic helium should person done, but surely we tin bash amended successful the programming astir our players."

Another ex-Wallaby, Stephen Hoiles, agreed Larkham was boxing clever but that came astatine a cost.

"The fans are the ones that get fto down by this, but we've got to backmost that this is thing that was enactment successful spot a long, agelong clip ago," Hoiles said.

"It's a astute determination by Stephen Larkham.

"It mightiness not get everyone connected side, but he's got to effort and get his Wallaby players to the extremity of the play and not beryllium forced successful a bash oregon dice crippled with 2 rounds to spell and spell 'I've got to remainder six players this week.'

"Larkham's done the close thing, but it's conscionable disappointing for the fans."

Justin Harrison - Australia's players relation brag - could besides spot some sides of the argument.

"Isolated infinitesimal successful time, we're looking astatine this thinking, wow, Canterbury Crusaders person they missed an opportunity?

"But past we rotation guardant to 2 oregon 3 years clip and we've got immoderate of these players (Rob) Valetini, for instance, his load absorption needs to be, you know, it's a look guardant calendar, it's an 18 period cycle.

"All those sorts of things commencement to travel in.

"We're astir to caput into a World Cup run erstwhile you look astatine the bigger representation and the spider web of carnal demands connected a subordinate and mental.

"Maybe we commencement to understand."

CRUSADERS (15-1): Fergus Burke, Pepesana Patafilo, Braydon Ennor, Dallas McLeod, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Richie Mo'unga, Mitchell Drummond, Sione Havili Talitui, Tom Christie, Ethan Blackadder, Zach Gallagher, Scott Barrett (c), Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody

Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Kershawl Sykes-Martin, George Bower, Dominic Gardiner, Christian Lio-Willie, Willi Heinz, Will Gaulter, Chay Fihaki

BRUMBIES (15-1): Andy Muirhead, Ben O'Donnell, Ollie Sapsford, Tamati Tua, Corey Toole, Noah Lolesio, Ryan Lonergan (c), Charlie Cale, Luke Reimer, Rory Scott, Cadeyrn Neville, Jack Wright, Sefo Kautai, Connal McInerney, Blake Schoupp

Reserves: Lachlan Lonergan, Fred Kaihea, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Jahrome Brown, Pedro Rolando, Jack Debreczeni, Declan Meredith

Referee: Brendon Pickerill