Teams and previews via SA Rugby Magazine
Safe betting for Round 6 of Super Rugby Aotearoa folks.
HURRICANES vs BLUES (Saturday, 9:05am, Wellington)
Hurricanes co-captain Dane Coles has recovered from injury and will start in their Super Rugby Aotearoa clash with the Blues in Wellington on Saturday.
Coles sat out the Hurricanes’ win over the Highlanders last weekend with a calf strain, but is back to full fitness and replaces Asafo Aumua, who drops to the bench.
Other than Coles, there are two further changes to the starting XV – both of them in the backline.
Jackson Garden-Bachop gets back the No 10 jersey from Fletcher Smith, after he sat out last weekend’s victory entirely.
Meanwhile, Peter Umaga-Jensen returns to the Hurricanes’ midfield in place of Vince Aso, who is left out of the match-day 23.
Saturday’s match will feature the long-awaited clash between the Barrett brothers, Jordie and Beauden, who start at fullback for their respective teams.
Hurricanes – 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Peter Umaga-Jensen, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 9 TJ Perenara (c-c), 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Reed Prinsep, 5 Scott Scrafton, 4 James Blackwell, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben May.
Subs: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Fraser Armstrong, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Vaea Fifita, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Billy Proctor, 23 Wes Goosen.
A ‘tight calf’ has prevented Dan Carter from potentially making his highly-anticipated Blues debut in Saturday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa clash with the Hurricanes.
Carter was set to play off the bench and cover both flyhalf and fullback, but Blues coach Ian MacDonald said they had no hesitation to withdraw the legendary former All Black from consideration after he felt his calf tighten during a physical Thursday training session.
‘Dan pulled up a little bit tight. It’s nothing too major, but we want to make sure we don’t risk anything with Dan. If you get on top of calves early, they can be a couple of days to come right. If you get on to it a little bit later, it can be three, four weeks. It makes sense just to look after it.’
MacDonald added that although Carter was raring to go after a recent club rugby hit-out, they needed to ‘err on the side of caution’.
‘He’s been training the house down and he’s pretty determined,’ said the Blues coach. ‘He wants to get into the campaign and is pretty hungry to get out there. He hasn’t played rugby in New Zealand at this level for a long time and it felt like the time was right to get him in there.
‘We’ve said right from the start we’ll do the right thing by him, though. He is an older athlete and we’ve got to manage him a little differently than most. If he was 23 we probably would have said he’s good to go. But at 30-something we’ll err on the side of caution.’
It means there are just minimal changes for the Blues, with Aaron Carroll coming into the back row, while hooker Kurt Eklund and wing Emoni Narawa both earn starts.
Blues – 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Harry Plummer, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Otere Black, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Aaron Carroll, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Alex Hodgman.
Subs: 16 Tolai Luteru, 17 Marcel Renata, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Tony Lamborn, 21 Jonathan Ruru, 22 TJ Faiane, 23 Matt Duffie.
CHIEFS vs HIGHLANDERS (Sunday, 5:35am, Hamilton)
Warren Gatland has made five changes to his Chiefs side as they go in search of a maiden Super Rugby Aotearoa win when they host the Highlanders in Hamilton on Sunday.
The Chiefs have lost their opening four games of the tournament and are languishing at the foot of the standings with just three log points.
This prompted Gatland to make extensive personnel to the match 23, including the omission of Aaron Cruden at flyhalf in favour of rookie Kaleb Trask.
Staying in the backline, Anton Lienert-Brown returns at outside centre after sitting out the Chiefs’ previous game due to a concussion. He is joined by Alex Nankivell in midfield, where they replace Tumua Manu and Quinn Tupaea.
On the left wing, Etene Nanai-Seturo makes way for Solomon Alaimalo.
There’s just one change in the pack, with Tupou Vaa’i coming into the second row in place of Naitoa Ah Kuoi.
Gatland says he expects another close contest in this return fixture, following the Highlanders’ riveting 28-27 win against the Chiefs in the competition opener.
‘It was a tightly contested battle when we faced the Highlanders in the first Super Rugby Aotearoa match in Dunedin. They have a number of threats across the park,’ Gatland said.
‘We need to be prepared to defend that and bide our time when we are given the opportunity. We then need to apply pressure, force turnovers, attack and execute accordingly. This Sunday is about us starting better and continuing to finish strongly so we secure a win at home that our fans deserve to see.’
Chiefs – 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Sean Wainui, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Solomon Alaimalo, 10 Kaleb Trask, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Pita Gus Sowakula, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Lachlan Boshier, 5 Mitchell Brown, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Aidan Ross.
Subs: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Reuben O’Neill, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Mitchell Karpik, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Aaron Cruden, 23 Quinn Tupaea.
The Highlanders have made one personnel change and one positional swap for their match against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Sunday.
After starting every match so far in Super Rugby Aotearoa, wing Jona Nareki has been dropped to the bench to make way for Josh McKay. To accommodate McKay’s selection on the right wing, Scott Gregory will swap from No 14 to No 11.
There are four changes among the reserves, where prop Ethan de Groot, scrumhalf Folau Fakatava, flyhalf Josh Ioane and Nareki have all been added to provide cover off the bench.
Highlanders – 15 Michael Collins, 14 Josh McKay, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Sio Tomkinson, 11 Scott Gregory, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Marino Mikaele Tu’u, 7 Shannon Frizell, 6 Dillon Hunt, 5 Jack Whetton, 4 Pari Pari Parkinson, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Ash Dixon, 1 Ayden Johnstone
Subs: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Ethan de Groot, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20 Jesse Parete, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Jona Nareki.
Highlanders – 15 Michael Collins, 14 Josh McKay, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Sio Tomkinson, 11 Scott Gregory, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Marino Mikaele Tu’u, 7 Shannon Frizell, 6 Dillon Hunt, 5 Jack Whetton, 4 Pari Pari Parkinson, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Ash Dixon, 1 Ayden Johnstone
Subs: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Ethan de Groot, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20 Jesse Parete, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Jona Nareki.
