17 February 2010 10:15
Andy Ellis gets 50 Super caps
The dream just gets better for All Blacks halfback Andy Ellis who will make his 50th appearance for the Crusaders in their second round Super 14 match against the Reds in Brisbane on Friday night
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The Reds were also the opposition when Ellis made his Crusaders debut in Brisbane in 2006 and the 25-year-old pivot is hoping the outcome for his milestone match on Friday is the same as four years ago when the Crusaders won 47-21.

"It [the milestone] has slipped around actually but it's awesome. I grew up in Canterbury loving the Crusaders and to play for them is amazing. Now to play 50 games is one of those things where the dream just keeps getting better. I'm stoked and can't wait to get out there and hopefully cap it off with a win," Ellis said after training on Wednesday.

Ellis said he had a healthy respect for the Reds who were desperately unlucky to lose to the Waratahs in the last play of their opening round match last Saturday.

"We played them pre-season and they beat us (20-12 at Ballymore). They're a tough side, strong in both forwards and backs, and they're a good defensive team. It's a big game for us and we've talked about it - we've got to front up and match up and it's not going to be easy in the heat."

Ellis said he faced a formidable challenge dealing with his opposite, Wallaby halfback Will Genia, and he added that the Crusaders had to be accurate with their kicking game with Peter Hynes such a dangerous counter-attacker.

The new rules relating to the breakdown and scrum had been successful in round one according to Ellis and encouraged more open play with the attacking side being better rewarded than last year.

"At times players didn't know when they were allowed to attack the ball at the breakdown or not. Now unless someone is really isolated you stay out of it."

Ellis believed the Crusaders had played well in their opening round win against the Highlanders.

"Most pleasing for me was the 30 minutes in the middle when they were on attack. We were really resilient and showed our mental toughness. We stuck at it, kept working hard, and got two tries late in the game to clinch it."

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has kept faith in that team making just one change to the reserves. All Blacks prop, Wyatt Crockett, who has recovered from an ankle injury, replaces Peter Borlase.

The record book is certainly against the Reds who have lost the last 10 encounters since winning by three points in Christchurch in 1999. The Crusaders have won 11 of their 14 matches in mainly high-scoring contest with the smallest combined aggregate of points being 37 and the highest being 83 when the Crusaders had a record 59-24 win in Nelson in 2005.

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