Chiefs drop All Black centre to the bench
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan has named his Chiefs team to challenge the Crusaders in their second game of this year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa competition in Christchurch on Saturday.
McMillan has made a raft of changes to his twenty-three. A further two debutants have been named with the Taranaki pair of lock Josh Lord and loose forward Kaylum Boshier in-line to make their Super Rugby debut. McMillan and the side will also welcome the return of Chiefs loosehead prop Aidan Ross, midfielder Quinn Tupaea and utility back Chase Tiatia.
Tighthead prop Angus Ta’avao has been promoted to join the starting front row of Reuben O’Neill and Samisoni Taukei’aho with Bradley Slater, Ross and Sione Mafileo providing front-row cover on the bench. Naitoa Ah Kuoi shifts to bench, seeing All Black Tupou Vaa’i pair with Lord, the debutant 2.02 metre lock.
Loose forward Mitchell Brown earns his first start at six alongside Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane on the openside and in-form Luke Jacobson will pack down the scrum at No.8, completing a powerful forward pack.
Only two changes feature to the backline that was a force against the Highlanders in the opening 40 minutes last Friday. Tupaea will start at inside centre with All Black midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown covering on the bench.
Māori All Blacks wing Shaun Stevenson shifts from the bench to start on the right wing. Remaining in their starting spots will be halves combination of Chiefs co-captain Brad Weber and Bryn Gatland, along with electrifying wing Etene Nanai-Seturo and All Black fullback Damian McKenzie.
Joining the tight five cover will be debutant loose forward Boshier in jersey No.20. Experienced halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi returns to the twenty-three joining Lienert-Brown and returning Chief Chase Tiatia as backline cover.
Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Shaun Stevenson, 13 Sean Wainui, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Bryn Gatland, 9 Brad Weber (co-captain), 8 Luke Jacobson, 7 Sam Cane (co-captain), 6 Mitchell Brown, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Reuben O’Neill.
Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Chase Tiatia.
Date: Saturday, March 13
Venue: Addington Showgrounds, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19.05 (06.05 GMT)
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant referees: Brendon Pickerill, Ben O’Keeffe
TMO: Paul Williams
