Sonny Bill fails to make the cut
All Black superstar Sonny Bill Williams has been ruled out of the Chiefs' Round Six Super Rugby encounter with the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie made four changes to the starting XV – with two of those to the midfield, both the result of injuries, and two to the front row.
As expected there is a new midfield combination – with Andrew Horrell and Seta Tamanivalu taking over the duties from the injured Tim Nanai-Williams and Sonny Bill Williams.
Nanai-Williams had returned home earlier this week with a fractured finger, suffered in last week's win over the Stormers.
Rennie had earlier said he would give Williams till Friday, but on Thursday named his team without the star back.
He said Williams has been clear from symptoms, after he suffered a head-clash with Stormers prop Vincent Koch in Cape Town last weekend, but according to the coach had run out of time to fulfil the protocol to return system.
Jamie Mackintosh and Siate Tokolahi will start the match in the engine room, after they provided great impact when they came on last week.
There are also six changes to the replacement bench.
Forwards Rhys Marshall, Ben Tameifuna, Mitchell Graham and Johan Bardoul join back Hosea Gear as new additions to the pine.
Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Seta Tamanivalu, 12 Andrew Horrell, 11 James Lowe, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Michael Leitch, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam (captain), 5 Michael Fitzgerald, 4 Matt Symons, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Ben Tameifuna, 18 Mitchell Graham, 19 Michael Allardice, 20 Johan Bardoul, 21 Augustine Pulu, 22 Tom Marshall, 23 Hosea Gear.
Date: Saturday, March 21
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 19.10 (06.10 Sunday, March 22 NZDT; 17.10 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
