Blues drop Nonu
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: After coming off the bench in the season opener, the Blues welcome three All Blacks into its starting line-up to take on the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Props Ofa Tuungafasi and Karl Tu’inukuafe join Sonny Bill Williams in the run-on side for the second round of Super Rugby, following their 22-24 loss to defending champions, the Crusaders at home last weekend.
There’s a double celebration with Melani Nanai, starting a fullback, and No.8 Akira Ioane playing in their 50th Super Rugby game for the Blues. Ioane, who also played for the Blues against the Lions, celebrated 50 games for the team last week.
Tu’inukuafe and Tuungafasi make their first start together for the Blues, but both have also paired up with the All Blacks.
The remainder of the pack is the same that started against the Crusaders, including All Blacks Dalton Papalii and captain Patrick Tuipulotu.
Williams starts in his customary inside centre position with the in-form TJ Faiane at outside centre, while Ma’a Nonu is left out of the matchday 23 after his first game back in Super Rugby after four years last week.
“We’ve had a re-shuffle in the midfield,” Blues coach Leon MacDonald told the New Zealand Herald. “TJ has been a consistent performer, we feel, and has the skillset – he’s probably more suited to centre than the other two, Sonny and Ma’a. With his distribution skills and communication, we feel he’s quite a good fit there.
“Obviously we’ve got two pretty impressive 12s as well in Ma’a and Sonny. It was tough to leave Ma’a out after a very strong performance, but it’s a great opportunity for Sonny.”
New Zealand Under-20s wing Caleb Clarke moves to the right wing after a superb pre-season with star All Black Rieko Ioane on the left wing, while the free-running Nanai, impressive against the Crusaders, moves to fullback.
Another New Zealand Under-20s player Tanielu Tele’a, a versatile outside back who also impressed in pre-season, is positioned for his debut off the bench.
Coach Macdonald said he is looking for improvements against the Sharks, a dangerous and open-running team. While he was not involved last year, he said many of the team remembers the 40-63 loss to the South African side at Eden Park last year.
Blues: 15 Melani Nanai, 14 Caleb Clarke, 13 TJ Faiane, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Otere Black, 9 Jonathan Ruru; 8 Akira Ioane, 7 Dalton Papalii, 6 Tom Robinson, 5 Josh Goodhue, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 3 Ofa Tuungafasi, 2 James Parsons, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe.
Replacements: 16 Matt Moulds, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20 Matt Matich, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Tanielu Tele’a.
Date: Saturday, February 23
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 15.05 (13.05 GMT; 02.05 NZ time Sunday, February 24)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Griffon Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
If you start it, Melani Nanai will finish it.
Enjoy 10 of his best tries ahead of his 50th Investec Super Rugby match for The Blues!
Full Video: https://t.co/fbHeFxe8pf#RiseUp #BluesAllDay pic.twitter.com/3TDN8Kfexy
— The Blues (@BluesRugbyTeam) February 21, 2019
