Coach Todd Blackadder has warned his Crusaders to expect an aerial bombardment from the Bulls in Timaru on Saturday night.

The reigning Super Rugby champions are renowned for their kick-and-chase game and are past masters at putting opponents under pressure and then capitalising on mistakes through the accurate goalkicking of Springboks five-eighth Morne Steyn.

Blackadder is predicting more of the same.

"I don't expect the Bulls to change at all from what they did against the Hurricanes (the Bulls won 26-14 in Napier last round) and we've got to be ready for that," he said.

"We've been practising our aerial skills, but we've still got to implement our game so it will be a battle of wills I suggest."

As expected, the Crusaders will be without five-eighth and goalkicker Dan Carter.

In other changes to the team that overcame the Sharks at Twickenham, veteran lock Chris Jack steps in for the injured Sam Whitelock and Ben Franks replaces younger brother Owen at tighthead prop as part of the frontrow rotation.

Blackadder said Carter was at 60 per cent at the start of the week and had probably improved 10 per cent each day, but no risks were being taken with new signing Matt Berquist getting his first start of the campaign.

"Dan's hamstring injury was only grade one so that's one to two weeks. The risk was that if we played him and he pulled it then he'd be out for two to three weeks," Blackadder said.

"The team is really settled so that (starting Berquist) was the wisest thing to do right now.

"Matt has got experienced combinations inside and outside of him. He's been running with the team for a long time now and it's his opportunity to be the general and run the ship.

The Crusaders have lost three semifinals to the Bulls in the last four years, but since the Bulls changed their name from Northern Transvaal to the Bulls in 1999, the Crusaders have won 10 of their 13 clashes in the round robin.

"It's always a big game and players always get up for big games," Blackadder said.

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