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KEY POINTS:
While the Blues battle with fatherhood commitments, the Chiefs problems are more familiar.
Injuries are a bugbear Chiefs coach Ian Foster has been well acquainted with during his tenure, though even he was surprised by the circumstances surrounding All Black fullback Mils Muliaina's withdrawal from tonight's clash with the Waratahs in Sydney.
Muliaina was all set to lead the side in what already amounts to a must-win encounter for the notoriously slow starters, then he bent to pick up a piece of paper during the Chiefs' video session and put his back out.
The Chiefs' quest to quell a buoyant Waratahs side has also been compromised by more conventional means - Sione Lauaki's tweaked hamstring preventing the marauding ball runner from lining up against New South Wales equivalent Wycliff Palu at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Foster still has the luxury of fielding seven All Blacks, including an impressively rehabilitated Brendon Leonard at the scrumbase and No 10 Stephen Donald.
TEAMS
Waratahs:
15 Sam Norton-Knight, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Timana Tahu, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Ben Mowen, 5 Will Caldwell, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Reserves:
Adam Freier, Dan Palmer, Chris Thomson, Scott Fava, Brett Sheehan, Daniel Halangahu, Tom Carter.
Chiefs:
15 Mike Delany, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Colin Bourke, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam (c), 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Ben May, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Reserves:
Aled de Malmanche, James McGougan, Craig Clarke, Serge Lilo, Toby Morland, Dwayne Sweeney, James Wilson.
- NZPA
