Rugby: Hurricanes hold key players for derbies

James Marshall comes in for Beauden Barrett tomorrow. Photo / Getty Images

Coach treating NZ conference games as worth ‘double points’ as he rests All Blacks for Rebels clash.

The Hurricanes have made no secret of putting extra emphasis on derby matches this season, with coach Chris Boyd suggesting they are worth "double points".

Boyd made the comments after his decision to rest key players Beauden Barrett, Julian Savea and Ben Franks rather than play them against the Rebels in Wellington tomorrow night.

The All Blacks coaches have asked New Zealand Super Rugby coaches to rest their top players, many of whom have had late starts, through this season.

The leading teams in the three conferences are guaranteed to make the playoffs.

It represents a tough juggling act for coaches who will be judged on results, but at least Boyd has the luxury of starting with five victories from five matches.

"We've taken the approach that the New Zealand conference games represent double points so it's highly likely that we won't rest any of our All Blacks in the fixtures against other New Zealand teams," he said.

"They're all tough games but we've got a tough finish to the season - we play the Crusaders twice, the Chiefs twice, the Highlanders and the Blues again - all New Zealand games - so we'd like to be finished with our rotation then."

James Marshall replaces Barrett, with Boyd saying he has absolute faith in the 26-year-old. Matt Proctor comes in for left wing Savea, with Ben May replacing prop Franks.

Boyd will hope the fact that the Hurricanes are playing at the Cake Tin for the first time this season will help them avoid a banana skin.

Hurricanes v Rebels
Westpac Stadium, 7.35 tomorrow

Jason Woodward, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith (c), Ma'a Nonu, Matt Proctor, James Marshall, TJ Perenara, Victor Vito, Callum Gibbins, Brad Shields, James Broadhurst, Jeremy Thrush, Ben May, Motu Matu'u, Reggie Goodes. Reserves: Brayden Mitchell, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Chris Eves, Mark Abbott, Adam Hill, Chris Smylie, Otere Black, Nehe Milner-Skudder.