Waikato keep door open for injured trio

Waikato will give backs Mils Muliaina, Stephen Donald and Richard Kahui every chance to play the national championship semifinal against Otago in Hamilton tomorrow night.

The trio have been named in the starting XV, despite Muliaina having picked up a bicep tendon injury, Donald battling heavy bruising on a knee and, to add to Waikato's woes, in-form centre Kahui damaging a calf muscle at yesterday's training session.

Coach Warren Gatland said the medical prognosis was that Kahui would struggle to recover.

"Richard doesn't think it's as bad as that," he said. "We're just going to wait for 24 hours."

Utility Dwayne Sweeney is the likely replacement for Kahui, who has bagged six tries this season, equal top with teammates Sitiveni Sivivatu and Liam Messam, Wellington's Cory Jane and Tasman centre Peter Playford. Either Roger Randle or Loki Crichton is expected to go on the bench.

"Mils is pretty confident he'll be okay while Stephen was 50-50 and he's now 60-40," Gatland added.

He has recalled lock Jono Gibbes, loosehead prop Craig West, captain and blindside flanker Steven Bates and All Black halfback Byron Kelleher in changes from last weekend's quarter-final win over Southland.

Otago will be without pacy fullback Glen Horton, who failed a fitness test on a rib injury yesterday.

But wing Greg Zampach is back from a calf injury, as is blindside flanker Alando Soakai despite earlier fears his eye socket was broken.

Waikato are TAB favourites for the semifinal, at $1.30 to Otago's $3.30.