Challengers need to beat Canterbury All Blacks

Canterbury have called up seven more All Blacks to their starting XV for the Ranfurly Shield defence against Southland in Christchurch tonight.

Midfield backs Daryl Gibson and Nathan Mauger have passed fitness tests and will take their places outside test halves Justin Marshall and Andrew Mehrtens.

Ten of the 15 Canterbury starters were part of the All Blacks' Tri-Nations campaign, and two others - Ben Blair and Mauger - were All Black tourists last year.

Chris Jack - a second-half substitute against Bay of Plenty last week - will lock the scrum with rookie Matt Dalzell, Dave Hewett will take over at tighthead prop from All Blacks team-mate Greg Somerville, and Caleb Ralph is back on the left wing, with Alisi Tupuailei on the reserves' bench.

All Blacks captain Reuben Thorne is still on footballing furlough, but Canterbury can still field an all-international back row, with No 8 Scott Robertson and openside flanker Richie McCaw returning to join Sam Broomhall, who shifts to the blindside flank.

All Blacks lock Norm Maxwell is now looking to next week's match against his former province, Northland, to make his comeback from a hamstring injury.

Canterbury have made nine changes to the XV who began the 35-30 win over Bay of Plenty last Sunday.

Southland's prospects of an upset have diminished considerably with the suspension of No 8 Paul Miller for stamping on a Wellington player last weekend.

- NZPA