Gibbes to make comeback - briefly

Jono Gibbes

Chiefs captain Jono Gibbes will return to rugby as a starting lock in Wagga Wagga, Australia, tomorrow night.

But it may only be for 20 minutes.

Chiefs coach Ian Foster last night in Melbourne named a starting 15 to play the first half against the Brumbies in the team's second Super 12 pre-season trial.

However, he said the one exception to that was Gibbes, who would be assessed at the end of the first quarter to see how his rehabilitated calf injury was holding up.

Gibbes tore his calf muscle in training at the start of the All Blacks' tour last November, ending his participation without playing.

He later added a groin injury, and was over both in the Chiefs pre-season training but then aggravated the calf injury.

"We're just really keen to give Jono 20 minutes and see how he is. If he feels all right he could go longer but I'm reluctant to push him longer than 40 minutes, and we'll replace him with Mark Sorenson as soon as we need to," Foster said.

Meanwhile Foster was still awaiting news on who was wanted by South coach Rod Macqueen for the tsunami benefit match at Twickenham next month, with either No 8 Steven Bates or Gibbes, the likely recruits.

Chiefs: Loki Crichton, Sailosi Tagicakibau, Mark Ranby, Grant McQuoid, Soene Anesi, David Hill, Kevin Senio, Steven Bates, Nili Latu, Bernie Upton, Jono Gibbes, Sione Lauaki, Ben Castle, Aleki Lutui, Simms Davison. Reserves: Michael Collins, Scott Linklater, Nathan White, Mark Sorenson, Sean Hohneck, Wayne Ormond, Marty Holah, Byron Kelleher, Stephen Donald, Derek Maisey, Keith Lowen, Adrian Cashmore.

- NZPA