Malmanche out with back injury

Waikato coach Warren Gatland had to make a late change when loosehead prop Aled de Malmanche strained his back yesterday and will miss tomorrow's visit from Otago.

Philemon Toleafoa takes his place, and Deacon Manu, who was dropped from the 22, returns to the bench.

Gatland made a series of changes, including two in his tight five. Mark Burman replaces Toby Lynn at lock and Nathan White gets a start at tighthead.

Loose forward Sione Lauaki returns from his two-game suspension, relegating Liam Messam to the bench, and David Hill goes to the reserves with Dwayne Sweeney getting a chance at second five-eighths. Mark Ranby returns at centre.

It doesn't bear thinking about in the Waikato, but if Taranaki beat Wellington tonight and the Bay clip Northland tomorrow, Waikato must beat Otago to avoid finishing ninth.

In perhaps the easiest job of selecting he's had to do in a while, Otago coach Wayne Graham is sticking with the XV who beat Canterbury last weekend.

The game should be a good workout ahead of their semifinal, in which the odds are that Otago, who have won their last four games, will be playing in Auckland or Christchurch next Friday night.