The Sharks will again start Springboks captain John Smith from the bench in Saturday's Super Rugby second qualifying final against the Crusaders in Nelson.

Coach John Plumtree on Friday opted to make just one change to the starting team that toppled the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend, with Ryan Kankowski dropped to the bench and Willem Alberts replacing him at No.8.

Plumtree opted to leave Smith as a bench option, again favouring Bismarck du Plessis as starting hooker.

"John (Smit) has covered for us at hooker and loosehead prop this year and unfortunately he's picked up two calf muscle strains which put him out for two-three weeks both times," said Plumtree.

"It's been quite hard for him to get continuity in his game.

"He's a legend in South African and Sharks rugby and the role I want him to play this week is off the bench.

"The scrummaging is going to be pretty intense. The Crusaders have one of the best scrums in the business and we are going to need his experience at some point."

On the bench, there are two other changes as Eugene van Staden and Jacques Botes come in for Wiehahn Herbst and Marcell Coetzee.

The Sharks last played the Crusaders in London at Twickenham and the Crusaders won 44-28 but Plumtree says that they have learned lessons from that match.

"A big part of what we got wrong at Twickenham was not stopping Dan Carter, Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean, with their ability to shift ball into space either by hand or by kicking, which is key to their game.

"The foundation of their game is built around their scrum, they're a good scrummaging side so we need to scrum really well against them and if we can look after them defensively and look after their scrum, then anything can happen."

The Sharks front row of Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis and Beast Mtawarira will have their work cut out for them contesting scrums against the opposition.

"They have a very short front row and they scrum low and while we have a pretty good front row ourselves, we will need to scrum a lot better than we did against the Bulls, that's a big area for us," he said on the Sharks website.

"We have the forward pack that can compete and that's going to be key if it's wet and cold there."

"Frederic Michalak can control the game and we have Pat's kicking game at the back as well, so as long as we defend really well and our setpiece functions and we make sure that territory is in our favour, you never know."

Sharks: Patrick Lambie, JP Pietersen, Stefan Terblanche (capt), Meyer Bosman, Lwazi Mvovo, Frederic Michalak, Charl McLeod, Willem Alberts, Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel, Alistair Hargreaves, Gerhard Mostert, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: John Smit, Eugene van Staden, Ross Skeate, Ryan Kankowski, Jacques Botes, Adrian Jacobs, Louis Ludik.

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