SA prop to start for Hurricanes
South African-born prop Reg Goodes will make his first Super Rugby start when he runs out for the Hurricanes in their Round 12 encounter be with the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday.
Goodes made his debut for the franchise off the bench two weeks ago.
The 20-year-old had to undergo a rehab programme at the start of the season to overcome a shoulder injury suffered in their final pre-season match.
Now, after two appearances off the bench, Goodes will make his first start in the No.1 jersey.
He made his debut for the Wellington in 2010, but this is his first Super Rugby campaign. A specialist loosehead prop he got his break this season after two impressive seasons playing for the Lions in the New Zealand’s domestic provincial competition.
Born in Witbank in Mpumalanga, Goodes spent his childhood in his native South Africa before immigrating with his family to Wellington in 2006.
The former Wellington College and New Zealand Secondary Schools player quickly impressed and he subsequently his NPC run-on debut for Wellington against Counties-Manukau in 2010.
He played six matches for Wellington in 2010 and six of his next nine NPC matches in 2011 were in the starting XV.
He describes his earliest rugby memory a “playing barefoot rugby at 7am in Pretoria when I was six” and one of his most admired players is legendary two-time World Cup-winning Springbok loosehead prop Os du Randt.
The only other changes to the Hurricanes line-up for Saturday sees Charlie Ngatai bracketed with Tim Bateman at inside centre and Tusi Pisi bracketed with Daniel Kirkpatrick on the bench.
Hurricanes: 15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Charlie Ngatai/Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Reggie Goodes.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Brad Shields, 19 Jack Lam, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Tusi Pisi/Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 Tim Bateman/Alapati Leiua.
Date: Saturday, May 12
Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin.
Kick-off: 19.35 (-7.35 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Matthew Muir (New Zealand)
TMO: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
