Injuries force changes to Chiefs' lineup

Centre Keith Lowen has come back a week earlier than planned to start for the Chiefs against the Crusaders in round two of rugby's Super 12 in Christchurch tomorrow night.

But Chiefs coach Ian Foster believes Lowen is ready for his return to top rugby despite a less than ideal buildup to the season.

Despite the poor losing performance against the Waratahs in the season opener a week ago, Foster admitted he may have left his starting 11 intact to put things right themselves if it had not been for injuries.

But Mark Ranby pulled a groin muscle at training on Tuesday and hooker Aleki Lutui was unable to train for most of the week with an ankle injury, prompting the selection of Lowen and Scott Linklater in their places.

Lowen missed most of January's training with a foot injury and last week it was felt he still needed more time to sharpen up. Foster then went for Grant McQuoid and Ranby as the midfield combination.

"Keith has had that extra time and he's fit and ready to go. He's a class footballer whose time was going to come anyway and it's probably come a week early because of (Ranby's) injury, but it's up to Keith now and he's in a good place," Foster said.

Lutui returned to training yesterday and looked fit but was placed on the bench for the Crusaders match with Linklater having done the bulk of the training during the time the team worked hard on fixing their lineout woes.

The good news was that the three players injured in the first match -- Lutui, wing Sosene Anesi and back-up first five-eighth Stephen Donald -- have all recovered and ran strongly at training yesterday, while Ranby's injury showed encouraging improvement.

After last week's loss to the Waratahs Foster said the players had regrouped well.

"We as a collective weren't happy with last week and I think collectively the same group need to fix it up.

"I've been saying all along we've got a pretty tough opening draw and last week's performance is not a reason for panic stations. It's a long season and we've got to start building our performance up. If we do that, points will come."

- NZPA