KEY POINTS:
Blues captain Troy Flavell has been cleared to start the Super 14 against the Chiefs.
A foot injury removed Flavell from his side's final trial games and there were worries the lock would also miss the first month of the tournament, including the side's trip to South Africa.
The Blues are without two All Black locks from last year - Ali Williams and Greg Rawlinson - so Flavell's recovery was a significant boost for the season-opening combat at Eden Park on Saturday.
"They have got me up running again, there is no pain or swelling either so everything feels fine. I was a bit worried there for a while because there was talk it was a lot worse and I could be out for a month," he said.
The 31-year-old was a late withdrawal with a groin strain from the Blues victory last season against the Chiefs and watched as Daniel Braid led the side to an 18-11 win. Looseforward Braid will be absent this weekend and his place in the squad travelling to South Africa is also in doubt as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Coach David Nucifora is expected to announce his side today, with most interest in his backline decisions.
Seasoned campaigner Danny Lee and rookie Taniela Moa are in a scrap to be the starting halfback while Benson Stanley, Isaia Toeava, Anthyony Tuitavake and Ben Atiga have all been tried in midfield trial combinations.
Meanwhile Chiefs coach Ian Foster opted for a reduced workload immediately before the start of the series to avoid injuries and freshen his squad before the start of the three-month competition.
"I think we're in a good place going into week one, feeling pretty confident with our preparation and now we can just focus on getting into the start of this campaign," he said.
