Chiefs get their Cane back
All Black Sam Cane returns to the Chiefs starting XV ahead of the encounter with the Western Force in Perth on Saturday.
Cane will have his first start of the Super Rugby season, having returned back from injury.
Another change to the forwards will see Mike Fitzgerald start at lock.
In the backs, Asaeli Tikoirotuma reclaims the No.11 jersey, with Tim Nanai-Williams joining the newly capped Tom Marshall in the midfield and All Black centurion Mils Muliaina takes his place on the right wing.
Kane Thompson, Tanerau Latimer, Augustine Pulu and Andrew Horrell are all added to the replacement bench – alongside 18-year-old Anton Lienert-Brown, who will become the eighth player to make his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs this season.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie said they will encounter a Western Force team that is in a "confident mood" after beating the Highlanders last week.
"The Force is a team we have struggled to put away in the past, so it is a challenge the boys are looking forward to," Rennie said.
Chiefs: 15 Gareth Anscombe, 14 Mils Muliaina, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Tom Marshall, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden (captain), 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Liam Squire, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Michael Fitzgerald, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Mahonri Schwalger, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Pauliasi Manu, 18 Josh Hohneck, 19 Kane Thompson, 20 Tanerau Latimer, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Andrew Horrell, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown.
Date: Saturday, March 22
Venue: nib Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 19.00 (11.00 GMT, 00:00 Sunday, March 23, NZ time)
Referee: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Will Houston (Australia)
TMO: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)
