The Crusaders recently conducted a public vote for fans to have their say on the team’s Legends XV and the process has concluded with the line-up now named.
After weeks of voting the team is complete and it’s been confirmed that over 12,000 entries and 27,523 individual votes were cast from 26 countries around the world.
In terms of territories, the Crusaders confirmed that New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, France and Japan led the way, but that every single vote helped to shape the line-up.
Richie McCaw topped the list
The Super Rugby Pacific outfit also revealed who received the most votes across the process and it might come as no surprise that was All Blacks legend Richie McCaw.
McCaw amassed 2,455 votes while his back-row colleague for many a year, Kieran Read, was next on the list with 2,039 and fly-half great Dan Carter was third (1,946).
Former New Zealand scrum-half and now well respected pundit Justin Marshall came in fourth with 1,884 while current wing Sevu Reece took fifth position on 1,856.
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Joining Marshall, Carter and Reece in the backline is Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue, who make up the centres, while Caleb Ralph and Will Jordan are in the back three.
Up front it’s Wyatt Crockett and Owen Franks as the props either side of hooker Codie Taylor while Sam Whitelock and Brad Thorn form a formidable lock partnership.
Last but by no means least, former captain Reuben Thorne was voted as blindside flanker and joins fellow Crusaders legends McCaw and Read in a strong back-row.
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Notable absences include Israel Dagg, Richie Mo’unga, Matt Todd, Greg Somerville, Leon MacDonald, Aaron Mauger, Chris Jack, Andrew Mehrtens and Corey Flynn.
There’s also no place for former All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, Ali Williams, Ben Franks and Sonny Bill Williams and another ex-head coach, Todd Blackadder.
Crusaders Legends XV
Line-up: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Justin Marshall, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Reuben Thorne, 5 Brad Thorn, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Wyatt Crockett