Head Coach Scott Robertson has named his side for the round 8 Super Rugby Aotearoa match against the Chiefs.
Veteran All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock returns for the Crusaders for the first time since his brief stint in Japan as the reigning Super Rugby champions prepare to face the Hurricanes without captain Scott Barrett.
If Sam Whitelock had not been granted a sabbatical clause in his NZR contract, the last we would have seen of him would have been him holding the Super Rugby trophy aloft on a cold and dewy Christchurch mid-winter night.
New Zealand Rugby has signed Sam Whitelock to a new four-year deal, but he will miss the 2020 Super Rugby season to play in Japan.
Richie McCaw and Portia Woodman have scooped major awards at a unique virtual edition of the 2020 World Rugby Awards which recognised the best 15s and sevens players of the decade (2010-19) as voted by fans.
If there were any uncertainties surrounding whether or not the Crusaders could secure a fifth Super Rugby title on the trot, today's squad naming should have quelled any fears in the Canterbury and Tasman regions.
The All Blacks team has been named to play Argentina in the Investec Tri Nations Test at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, on Saturday 28 November.
After experimenting with several new combinations last week, Ian Foster has gone with plan A against the Pumas.