Waikato lose grunt up front at the worst possible time

Just when he needs all hands available, Waikato coach Warren Gatland must do without two of his key figures for the most crucial part of the season.

Inspirational forward Jono Gibbes is gone for the season and will have an operation on the foot injury that has troubled him for so long.

Powerful flanker Sione Lauaki is out for a fortnight for a dangerous tackle on Canterbury's Cameron McIntyre last week.

Waikato must win their last three matches to be in the semifinal frame, starting with a tough one against North Harbour at Albany on Sunday.

Gatland is philosophical on Gibbes and grumpy at losing Lauaki.

"It's one of those things. You wait and hope it will come right. Sometimes they do but this one hasn't," Gatland said of Gibbes last night.

Lauaki will miss the North Harbour game and next weekend's home match against Bay of Plenty.

"I'm really disappointed about Sione. If the referee had seen it, it would have been a penalty and maybe a warning. By giving him two weeks they are saying if the ref had seen it, he would have sent him off."

Waikato won't settle their starting lineup until today, but Liam Messam and Toby Lynn are likely to replace Lauaki and Gibbes.

North Harbour's lineup will be confirmed today but is unlikely to vary much from the XV who have been coach Allan Pollock's preferred team for most of the season.

* All Black tighthead prop Carl Hayman is back for Otago for one last runaround with his loosehead buddy, Carl Hoeft, against Taranaki tomorrow. Hoeft is off to Castres in France. Anton Oliver is on the bench as his return to rugby from a lengthy injury layoff continues.

* Bay of Plenty have one enforced change for their trip to Southland tomorrow night, with Mike Delany coming in at first five-eighths for the injured Murray Williams.

* Rugged flanker Kristian Ormsby is returning to Counties Manukau for next year's NPC 14-team premier division. Ormsby, 25, left Counties for Wellington in 2003.