Akira Ioane of the Blues. Photo / Getty
All the action between the Blues and Highlanders.
Highlanders flanker James Lentjes will make his first starting appearance in a year and should not be hard to miss.
Lentjes came off the bench in the final pre-season game for the Highlanders against the Hurricanes in Alexandra but has not been needed in the opening two games of the competition.
Highlanders coach Tony Brown though has brought Lentjes into the starting team to mix it with the big Blues forward pack.
''It has been over a year for him [Lentjes] to have a game at this level so he is really keen.
''He has trained really well and is a bit bigger than last year and we are looking for quite a bit of physicality early on,'' Brown said.
''He had a year to rehab so in a year of training he put on a bit of extra muscle on to just prepare his body as best he could.''
Brown said Lentjes looked to be weighing in above 110kg, which was well above last year.
The flanker suffered a sickening injury in February last year, breaking his ankle against the Rebels and took a year to recover.
But once he gets out on the field tomorrow there will be no mercy shown by the big Blues pack.
The Blues play a power game and will attempt to squeeze the Highlanders and play the game at a snail's pace.
''They are a physical side. They like the game slow with lots of set pieces, lots of kicking game.
''We need to speed the game up and take them on that way.''
Brown was fully confident referee Mike Fraser would be able to jump on top of any time wasting.
Young Southland prop Ethan de Groot will get a start but Brown said that was more about getting Josh Hohneck to come off the bench
In the backs, Connor Garden-Bachop gets a chance at fullback, with Michael Collins making his first appearance of the season, starting at centre.
His physicality would be an asset with Ngatugnane Punivai moved to the right wing.
Mitch Hunt will come off the bench.
Brown said he had had a big workload over the past month.
Liam Squire does not make the match-day squad but Brown said that was about managing Squire's workload. Hugh Renton after coming into the squad as injury cover gets to start at No 8.
Renton has been in and around teams over the past few years, having spells in Hawke's Bay and Canterbury but injury has always got in his way.
However, he has enjoyed getting on the paddock, firstly for Tasman in the Mitre 10 Cup last year, and is now making some strides for the Highlanders.
The Blues give a starting debut to Sam Darry, the young Canterbury lock, who is the son of former Dunedin and North Otago lock Hunter Darry.
The Blues are looking to turn Eden Park into a fortress, with the side's last defeat at home more than a year ago.
They will start Otere Black at first five-eighth in his 50th game at Super Rugby level.
The Gordon Hunter Trophy is up for grabs.
The Blues won it off the Highlanders in Dunedin last year.
- Otago Daily Times
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