KEY POINTS:
The Chiefs today made three changes to their starting 15 to face fellow top-four Super 14 rugby side the Sharks in Hamilton on Saturday.
Two of the changes are in the forwards, with openside flanker Marty Holah returning after being rested in the big win over the Western Force last weekend.
Holah's replacement, Tanerau Latimer, was not considered for selection against the Sharks because of a sore shoulder.
At loosehead prop, Simms Davison and Aled de Malmanche again rotate places, with Davison starting and de Malmanche in the reserves.
At halfback, Brendon Leonard, scorer of a hat-trick of tries in the 64-36 victory over the Force after coming off the bench for the injured Byron Kelleher, will wear the No 9 jersey.
His understudy will be David Bason, from the Chiefs' wider training group.
Kelleher had an operation on Tuesday to straighten his broken nose and is expected to be out for two to three weeks.
The Chiefs will play a team above them for the third week in a row.
They got maximum points in the previous two encounters, the first against the Highlanders, and have been catapulted from 11th to fourth in quick time.
With their last two fixtures against the Waratahs and Crusaders away from home, coach Ian Foster said the Chiefs wanted to put on a good showing for their fans at Waikato Stadium.
"We are conscious it is our last home game in the round robin," he said.
"We would like nothing more than to put together a great performance on the park for our supporters."
Chiefs: Sitiveni Sivivatu, Lelia Masaga, Dwayne Sweeney, Tasesa Lavea, Roy Kinikinilau, Stephen Donald, Brendon Leonard, Sione Lauaki, Marty Holah, Liam Messam, Keith Robinson, Jono Gibbes (captain), Nathan White, Tom Willis, Simms Davison.
Reserves: Aled de Malmanche, Craig West, Kristian Ormsby, Steven Bates, David Bason, Tane Tu'ipulotu, Jared Payne.
- NZPA
