Super Rugby Pacific: Week 13 team announcements

All five New Zealand Super Rugby teams will play in round 13.

 

Hurricanes v Moana Pasifika

7pm Friday, May 17

Sky Stadium, Wellington

Hurricanes:  

 

Chiefs v Melbourne Rebels

9:30pm Friday, May 17

AAMI Park, Melbourne

The Chiefs are near full strength for their jaunt across the Tasman, with the halves combination of Cortez Ratima and Damian McKenzie returning to the starting XV, and fullback Shaun Stevenson back from a hamstring injury.

Flanker Samipeni Finau is the most notable absentee, with his shoulder injury.

Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-George Dyer, 4-Manaaki-Selby-Rickit, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Simon Parker, 7-Kaylum Boshier, 8-Luke Jacobson (c), 9-Cortez Ratima, 10-Damian McKenzie, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Quinn Tupaea, 13-Anton Lienert-Brown, 14-Emoni Narawa, 15-Shaun Stevenson

Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Jared Prottit, 18-Reuben O'Neill, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Wallace Sititi, 21-Xavier Roe, 22-Josh Ioane, 23-Rameka Poihipi 

 

Crusaders v ACT Brumbies

4:30pm Saturday, May 18

GIO Stadium, Canberra

First-five Fergus Burke will make his first appearance for the season, after recovering from an Achilles tendon tear suffered last season.

Tom Christie returns to the starting XV at No.7, while Antonio Shalfoon is also promoted to start, after debuting off the bench last week. Jone Rova is called into the midfield, with injuries to Dallas McLeod and Levi Aumua.

Crusaders: 1-Joe Moody, 2-Codie Taylor (c), 3-Fletcher Newell, 4-Antonio Shalfoon, 5-Quinten Strange, 6-Cullen Grace, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Christian Lio-Willie, 9-Noah Hotham, 10-Fergus Burke, 11-Sevu Reece, 12-David Havili, 13-Jone Rova, 14-Chay Fihaki, 15-Johnny McNicholl

Reserves: 16-George Bell, 17-George Bower, 18-Seb Calder, 19-Jamie Hannah, 20-Dominic Gardiner, 21-Mitch Drummond, 22-Reivez Reihana, 23-Macca Springer

 

Blues v Highlanders

7pm Saturday, May 18

Eden Park, Auckland

All Blacks first-five prospect Stephen Perofeta will return to action off the bench, as Blues coach Vern Cotter rests many of his frontline internationals against the Highlanders.

Perofeta has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, but comes back with the playoffs in sight. 

Captain Patrick Taiupulotu, No.8 Hoskins Sotutu and winger Mark Tele'a all get the week off on workload management, while centre Rieko Ioane is still under concussion protocols. Fullback Zarn Sullivan is out for at least a month, requiring surgery on a meniscus tear in his left knee.

Prop Marcel Renata will make his 50th appearance for the Blues, while prop Mason Tupaea and backs reserve Kade Banks will make their debuts off the bench.   

Blues: 1-Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Marcel Renata, 4-Laghlan McWhannell, 5-Sam Darry, 6-Adrian Choat, 7-Dalton Papali’i (c), 8-Akira Ioane, 9-Sam Nock, 10-Harry Plummer, 11-Caleb Clarke, 12-Corey Evans, 13-Bryce Heem, 14-AJ Lam, 15-Cole Forbes

Reserves: 16-Soane Vikena, 17-Mason Tupaea, 18-Angus Ta'avao, 19-Josh Beehre, 20-Cameron Suafoa, 21-Taufa Funaki, 22-Stephen Perofeta, 23-Kade Banks

Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody has the luxury of naming exactly the same gameday squad that toppled defending champions Crusaders in last week's southern derby.

All Black Folau Fakatava will continue developing combintation with first-five Cam Millar, while international prop Ethan de Groot retainst the captaincy in the absence of injury Billy Harmon.

Highlanders: 1-Ethan de Groot (c), 2-Henry Bell, 3-Jermaine Ainsley, 4-Mitch Dunshea, 5-Fabian Holland, 6-Oliver Haig, 7-Sean Withy, 8-Nikora Broughton, 9-Folau Fakatava, 10-Cameron Millar, 11-Martín Bogado, 12-Jake Te Hiwi, 13-Tanielu Tele’a, 14-Timoci Tavatavanawai, 15-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens

Reserves: 16-Jack Taylor, 17-Ayden Johnstone, 18-Saula Ma’u, 19-Will Tucker, 20-Will Stodart, 21-James Arscott, 22-Sam Gilbert, 23-Finn Hurley

 

Join Newshub for live updates of Super Rugby Pacific this weekend

All five New Zealand Super Rugby teams will play in round 13.

 

Hurricanes v Moana Pasifika

7pm Friday, May 17

Sky Stadium, Wellington

Hurricanes:  

 

Chiefs v Melbourne Rebels

9:30pm Friday, May 17

AAMI Park, Melbourne

The Chiefs are near full strength for their jaunt across the Tasman, with the halves combination of Cortez Ratima and Damian McKenzie returning to the starting XV, and fullback Shaun Stevenson back from a hamstring injury.

Flanker Samipeni Finau is the most notable absentee, with his shoulder injury.

Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-George Dyer, 4-Manaaki-Selby-Rickit, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Simon Parker, 7-Kaylum Boshier, 8-Luke Jacobson (c), 9-Cortez Ratima, 10-Damian McKenzie, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Quinn Tupaea, 13-Anton Lienert-Brown, 14-Emoni Narawa, 15-Shaun Stevenson

Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Jared Prottit, 18-Reuben O'Neill, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Wallace Sititi, 21-Xavier Roe, 22-Josh Ioane, 23-Rameka Poihipi 

 

Crusaders v ACT Brumbies

4:30pm Saturday, May 18

GIO Stadium, Canberra

First-five Fergus Burke will make his first appearance for the season, after recovering from an Achilles tendon tear suffered last season.

Tom Christie returns to the starting XV at No.7, while Antonio Shalfoon is also promoted to start, after debuting off the bench last week. Jone Rova is called into the midfield, with injuries to Dallas McLeod and Levi Aumua.

Crusaders: 1-Joe Moody, 2-Codie Taylor (c), 3-Fletcher Newell, 4-Antonio Shalfoon, 5-Quinten Strange, 6-Cullen Grace, 7-Tom Christie, 8-Christian Lio-Willie, 9-Noah Hotham, 10-Fergus Burke, 11-Sevu Reece, 12-David Havili, 13-Jone Rova, 14-Chay Fihaki, 15-Johnny McNicholl

Reserves: 16-George Bell, 17-George Bower, 18-Seb Calder, 19-Jamie Hannah, 20-Dominic Gardiner, 21-Mitch Drummond, 22-Reivez Reihana, 23-Macca Springer

 

Blues v Highlanders

7pm Saturday, May 18

Eden Park, Auckland

All Blacks first-five prospect Stephen Perofeta will return to action off the bench, as Blues coach Vern Cotter rests many of his frontline internationals against the Highlanders.

Perofeta has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, but comes back with the playoffs in sight. 

Captain Patrick Taiupulotu, No.8 Hoskins Sotutu and winger Mark Tele'a all get the week off on workload management, while centre Rieko Ioane is still under concussion protocols. Fullback Zarn Sullivan is out for at least a month, requiring surgery on a meniscus tear in his left knee.

Prop Marcel Renata will make his 50th appearance for the Blues, while prop Mason Tupaea and backs reserve Kade Banks will make their debuts off the bench.   

Blues: 1-Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Marcel Renata, 4-Laghlan McWhannell, 5-Sam Darry, 6-Adrian Choat, 7-Dalton Papali’i (c), 8-Akira Ioane, 9-Sam Nock, 10-Harry Plummer, 11-Caleb Clarke, 12-Corey Evans, 13-Bryce Heem, 14-AJ Lam, 15-Cole Forbes

Reserves: 16-Soane Vikena, 17-Mason Tupaea, 18-Angus Ta'avao, 19-Josh Beehre, 20-Cameron Suafoa, 21-Taufa Funaki, 22-Stephen Perofeta, 23-Kade Banks

Highlanders coach Clarke Dermody has the luxury of naming exactly the same gameday squad that toppled defending champions Crusaders in last week's southern derby.

All Black Folau Fakatava will continue developing combintation with first-five Cam Millar, while international prop Ethan de Groot retainst the captaincy in the absence of injury Billy Harmon.

Highlanders: 1-Ethan de Groot (c), 2-Henry Bell, 3-Jermaine Ainsley, 4-Mitch Dunshea, 5-Fabian Holland, 6-Oliver Haig, 7-Sean Withy, 8-Nikora Broughton, 9-Folau Fakatava, 10-Cameron Millar, 11-Martín Bogado, 12-Jake Te Hiwi, 13-Tanielu Tele’a, 14-Timoci Tavatavanawai, 15-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens

Reserves: 16-Jack Taylor, 17-Ayden Johnstone, 18-Saula Ma’u, 19-Will Tucker, 20-Will Stodart, 21-James Arscott, 22-Sam Gilbert, 23-Finn Hurley

 

Join Newshub for live updates of Super Rugby Pacific this weekend

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