All the NZ team line-ups for week two of Super Rugby Pacific.
Crusaders v Hurricanes
7pm Friday, March 15
Orangetheory Stadium
Lock Zach Gallagher will return from injury to fill the void left in the second row by Scott Barrett's broken finger, while Riley Hohepa becomes the third player to start in the Crusaders No.10 jersey this season.
Winger Macca Springer also slots back into the starting XV, after missing the trip to Lautoka to face Fijian Drua.
Crusaders: 1- George Bower, 2-George Bell, 3-Fletcher Newell, 4-Quinten Strange, 5-Zach Gallagher, 6-Dom Gardiner, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Cullen Grace, 9-Willi Heinz, 10-Riley Hohepa, 11-Macc Springer, 12-David Havili, 13-Levi Aumua, 14-Sevu Reece, 15-Chay Fihaki
Reserves: 16-Ioane Moananu, 17-Finlay Brewis, 18-Owen Franks, 19-Jamie Hannah, 20-Tahlor Cahill, 21-Mitchell Drummond, 22-Ryan Crotty, 23-Dallas McLeod
Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw has made two changes to the starting line-up that beat the Blues to retain their unbeaten record to start the campaign. Xavier Numia replaces Tevita Mafileo in the front row, while Devan Flanders packs down at blindside flanker instead of TK Howden.
Hurricanes: 1-Xavier Numia, 2-Asafo Aumua (cc), 3-Tyrel Lomax, 4-James Tucker, 5-Isaia Walker-Leawere, 6-Devan Flanders, 7-Peter Lakai, 8-Brayden Iose, 9-Cam Roigard, 10-Brett Cameron, 11-Kini Naholo, 12-Riley Higgins, 13-Billy Proctor (cc), 14-Josh Moorby, 15-Ruben Love
Reserves: 16-James O’Reilly, 17-Pouri Rakete-Stones, 18-Pasilio Tosi, 19-Justin Sangster, 20- Du’Plessis Kirifi, 21-TJ Perenara, 22-Peter Umaga-Jensen, 23-Salesi Rayasi
Highlanders v ACT Brumbies
4:30pm Saturday, March 16
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Wales internatinal Rhys Patchell is missing from the Highlanders line-up, but the southerners will have Argentinian winger Martin Bogado on deck for the first time this season.
Bogado joins hooker Jack Taylor and first-five Cameron Millar in the starting XV, with captain Billy Harmon returning from the bench to cover the absence of No.8 Hugh Renton.
Highlanders: 1-Ethan de Groot, 2-Jack Taylor, 3-Saula Ma'u, 4-Fabian Holland, 5-Max Hicks, 6-Tom Sanders, 7-Billy Harmon (c), 8-Nikora Broughton, 9-Folau Fakatava, 10-Cameron Millar, 11-Martín Bogado, 12-Sam Gilbert, 13-Tanielu Tele'a, 14-Timoci Tavatavanawai, 15-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
Reserves: 16-Henry Bell, 17-Ayden Johnstone, 18-Jermaine Ainsley, 19-Oliver Haig, 20-Sean Withy, 21-James Arscott, 22-Ajay Faleafaga, 23-Connor Garden-Bachop
Chiefs v Fijian Drua
7:30pm Saturday, March 16
FMG Stadium, Hamilton
All Blacks lock Jack Lord makes his first appearance of the 2024 season from the bench, as coach Clayton McMillan continues to rotate his squad early, with six changes to the starting XV from last week.
Prop Reuben O'Neill comes into the front row, while Manaaki Selby-Rickit and Jimmy Tupou make up the second row, and Kaylum Boshier takes the No.7 jersey. Among the backs, All Blacks midfielder Anton Leinert-Brown is elevated from the bench, while Shaun Stephenson reclaims the fullback slot, with Daniel Rona shiting to wing.
Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-Reuben O'Neill, 4-Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 5-Jimmy Tupou, 6-Samipeni Finau, 7-Kaylum Boshier, 8-Luke Jacobson (c), 9-Cortez Ratima, 10-Damian McKenzie, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Rameka Poihipi, 13-Anton Lienert-Brown, 14-Daniel Rona, 15-Shaun Stevenson
Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-George Dyer, 19-Josh Lord, 20-Tom Florence, 21-Xavier Roe, 22-Josh Ioane, 23-Quinn Tupaea
NSW Waratahs v Blues
9:30pm Saturday, Martch 16
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Coach Vern Cotter has resisted the temptation to persevere with a 6-2 split on his bench this week, after his experiment with overloading on forwards backfired spectacularly against the Hurricanes last week.
All Blacks Ofa Tu'ungafasi and Caleb Clarke return from their rest weeks, while No.8 Hoskins Sotutu returns to the starting line-up.
The most significant form selections see Bryce Heem inserted at second-five over Harry Plummer, with Hoskins' return relegating Anton Segner to the bench.
Blues: 1-Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Marcel Renata, 4-Josh Beehre, 5-Laghlan McWhannell, 6-Akira Ioane, 7-Dalton Papali'i (c), 8-Hoskins Sotutu, 9-Finlay Christie, 10-Stephen Perofeta, 11-Caleb Clarke, 12-Bryce Heem, 13-Rieko Ioane, 14-Mark Tele'a, 15-Zarn Sullivan
Reserves: 16-Soane Vikena, 17-Joshua Fusitu'a, 18-Angus Ta'avao, 19-Cameron Suafoa, 20-Anton Segner, 21-Sam Nock, 22-Harry Plummer, 23-Cole Forbes
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