Rugby: Hore steps up for Bulls scrap after months off

Andrew Hore. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand rugby's 2008 player of the year Andrew Hore will make his first start for nearly five months in tomorrow night's Super 14 rugby match against the Bulls in Wellington.

Hore is one of up to three starting changes for the match against the competition leaders from South Africa, who are the only unbeaten team through five rounds.

The Taranaki rake hasn't started a game since injuring his ankle minutes into the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia on November 1.

Hore came off the reserve bench during the Hurricane's last match, the 29-12 defeat of the Cheetahs in New Plymouth two weeks ago. They had a bye last week.

He had surgery and has had to look on while teammate Dane Coles has largely handled the hooking duties this season.

Hore will hope to discover quickly the form for the Hurricanes that largely accounted for his player-of-the-year title over star All Blacks teammates such as Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter.

Other changes this week are all in the tight five.

John Schwalger comes off the bench to start at loosehead prop, pushing All Black Neemia Tialata to the tighthead side and Tim Fairbrother out of the 22.

Lock Jason Eaton is in doubt and has been bracketed with Bryn Evans.

Wallabies centre Timana Tahu has been relegated to the reserve bench and test prop Al Baxter is set to break an appearance record for the New South Wales Waratahs in their match against the Crusaders on Saturday.

Tahu has been replaced at inside centre by Tom Carter, although Waratahs coach Chris Hickey suggested it was more a horses for courses situation than a question of form.

"We've tended to move between Timana and Tom depending on what we think suits the occasion and we think Tom might give us what we need early on against the Crusaders."

In the only change to the starting side, Baxter returns from a calf-muscle injury, with Dan Palmer dropping back to the bench.

Baxter will become the first front-rower to tally 100 caps for New South Wales and will also surpass contemporary Matt Dunning as the most capped Waratahs prop.

"If last week was a final we probably would've played Al, but there is still a long way to go in the competition so we decided to give him the extra week to recover," Hickey said.

The only other change to the squad which lost to the Brumbies in Canberra sees 2007 Australian Schools captain Damien Fitzpatrick named on the bench for a possible NSW debut.

Fitzpatrick replaces Wallabies rake Adam Freier, who underwent surgery on Tuesday on a season-ending torn bicep.

NSW, who suffered their first loss last week to the Brumbies, are currently in second place while reigning champions the Crusaders are down in 11th spot, having won just once.

- NZPA, AAP