KEY POINTS:
Injuries and a key suspension are set to make an impact on the Super 14 as it enters its second round.
The Wellington Hurricanes will be without All Blacks No. 8 and captain Rodney So'oialo when they kick off the round against the Otago Highlanders on Friday, both teams recovering from defeats and physical batterings sustained in the first round.
So'oialo was banned for a week for carelessly trampling Wallabies flanker Phil Waugh in last week's match against New South Wales while a SANZAR judicial commissioner discharged Waratahs flanker Wycliff Palu without penalty for a similar charge.
So'oialo's absence will tax the Hurricanes, who appeared rudderless in their 26-22 loss to the Waratahs and who will be led into Friday's match by young center Tamati Ellison. In a bold move, Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper has left the All Blacks center pairing of Nonu and Conrad Smith on the bench and united Ellison with newcomer Jason Kawau in midfield.
Nonu pays the price for a poor first round performance and returns to a vital impact role.
"(Nonu's) got high standards. He's working hard to get to those standards and we are working together to get them, but he's not quite there yet, so we continue to work," Cooper said. "He's still got a big part to play in this match."
The Highlanders had a serious injury blow in the first round, losing their captain and vice-captain, All Blacks Jimmy Cowan and Jamie McIntosh, at least for Friday's match. Halfback Cowan injured his elbow and prop McIntosh strained his knee, leaving the Highlanders without two of their three starting internationals.
Center Jason Shoemark will lead the Highlanders in Cowan's absence while first-round tryscorer Fetu'u Vainikolo has been bracketed on the wing and is under investigation after an incident last Sunday at a Dunedin bar.
The Waikato Chiefs will be without All Blacks Mils Muliaina and Sione Lauaki for Friday's match against the New South Wales Waratahs at Sydney. The Chiefs are the last team to have beaten the Waratahs at the Sydney Football Stadium, winning 28-23 in the final game of the 2007 season.
Fullback Muliaina has a back injury and Lauaki a hamstring strain.
Palu has been named in the Waratahs' starting lineup after his brush with the judiciary and, for the second week in a row, the New South Wales match will be controlled by Sydney referee Stuart Dickinson.
The Western Force had several injuries to tend ahead of Friday's match against the Cheetahs and after a first-round loss at home to the Auckland Blues. Wallabies center Ryan Cross has been named in the Force's starting lineup despite concern about a shoulder injury while prop Ben Castle (neck) and halfback Josh Valentine (hamstring) have overcome injury problems. Former international Scott Staniforth returns from a knee injury to take a place on the bench.
The Cheetahs, who have the worst away record in the Super 14 and gave the Force their first competition win in 2006, have two injury-enforced changes with Piet van Zyl and Fabian Juries replacing Corne Uys and Bjorn Basson at center and wing.
Saturday's matches include three meetings between first-round winners, the ACT Brumbies against the Canterbury Crusaders, the Bulls against the Blues and the Sharks against the Lions, while first-round losers the Stormers and Queensland Reds clash in Cape Town.
Injuries will deprive the Crusaders of All Blacks Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn and Leon MacDonald for the second round.
Brumbies coach Andy Friend had the rare luxury of being able to name an unchanged side for the Canberra match after taking a four-try bonus point from last week's 33-31 away win over the Highlanders. Six teams picked up four try bonuses and 45 tries were scored in seven matches in the opening round.
The Blues lost center Benson Stanley to injury in Perth and All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu will be fitness tested before taking his place in the starting lineup. Halfback Taniela Moa, winger Joe Rokocoko and flanker Jerome Kaino are all on paternity leave.
The Sharks, first-round winners over the Stormers, hope to have Springbok loosehead Tendai Mtawarira fit for their home match against the Lions, who beat the Cheetahs in the opening round.
"They are a team that has hurt us before and they will believe they can do it again," Sharks coach John Plumtree said.
"They will be cultivating the mindset that they are coming here very much as the underdogs. It suits them to be written off and to be able to come here with a nothing-to-lose attitude so our attitude has to be right."
-AP
