Whitelock passed fit to play for Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific final against Chiefs

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock will return from injury to play his 178th and last game for the Crusaders in Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final against the Chiefs.

Whitelock missed the Crusaders’ playoff matches against the Fijian Drua and Blues with an Achilles tendon injury and New Zealand's head coach Ian Foster said he doubted the No. 5 would recpver in time to play in the title decider.

But Whitelock has made a massive effort to play one last match for the Christchurch-based Crusaders before he leaves to join the French club Pau.

Flyhalf Richie Mo’unga also will be playing his last match for the Crusaders before moving to Japan and head coach Scott Robertson, who has led the franchise to six Super Rugby titles, will be departing to take up the All Blacks' head coaching role after the World Cup in France.

Scrumhalf Mitchell Drummond said the news Whitelock would be fit for the final was a “massive” boost for the team.

“He’s obviously a legend of our club and a legend of New Zealand rugby,” Drummond said. “I know he’s worked extremely hard over the last couple of weeks and (had) his fingers crossed hoping that we’d get to the final.”

Pita Gus Sowakula will start on the blindside flank in the only change to the Chiefs’ lineup for the final from the one that started the semifinal against the ACT Brumbies. Sowakula joins All Blacks Sam Cane and Luke Jacobson in the backrow.

The Hamilton-based Chiefs have named an experienced lineup with an average of 78 Super Rugby caps per player. Cane will be playing his 150th match for the Chiefs.

“We are fortunate to have a relatively unchanged lineup from last week,” coach Clayton McMillan said. “Being put under pressure over the last few weeks has given us real belief we can deal with whatever comes our way on the weekend."

After going through the regular season with just one loss and being a clear leader in the standings, the Chiefs had a narrow comeback win over the Queensland Reds in the quarterfinals and a tough 19-6 win over the Brumbies last weekend to set up a decider against the second-place Crusaders.

“The Crusaders are clearly a quality side who will come here well prepared with a lot of belief and a legacy of turning up on the big stage," McMillan said. "We respect that, there’s no point denying it, but we aren’t daunted by the task at hand either.”

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Lineups:

Chiefs: Shaun Stevenson, Emoni Narawa, Alex Nankivell, Anton Lienert-Brown, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber (co-captain); Luke Jacobson, Sam Cane (co-captain), Pita Gus Sowakula, Tupou Vaa’i, Brodie Retallick, George Dyer, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Tyrone Thompson, Ollie Norris, John Ryan, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Samipeni Finau, Cortez Ratima, Josh Ioane, Rameka Poihipi.

Crusaders: Will Jordan, Dallas McLeod, Braydon Ennor, Jack Goodhue, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Mitch Drummond; Christian Lio-Willie, Tom Christie, Sione Havili Talitui, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett (captain), Oli Jager, Codie Taylor, Tamaiti Williams. Reserves: George Bell, Kershawl Sykes-Martin, Reuben O’Neill, Quinten Strange, Dom Gardiner, Willi Heinz, Fergus Burke, Chay Fihaki.

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