Hurricanes named to face Crusaders in Final-Round Robin at Sky Stadium
Dane Coles will return to start at hooker on Saturday night while Ruben Love makes a long-awaited return from injury.
Hurricanes Head Coach Jason Holland has named his side for Saturday’s final round-robin clash of the 2023 DHL Super Rugby Pacific competition against the Crusaders at Sky Stadium.
The match is part of a doubleheader, with the New Zealand Under-20s taking on the Junior Wallabies in an exciting fixture at 4.30PM.
Dane Coles returns to the starting XV at hooker, flanked by the powerful propping combination of Tevita Mafileo and Tyrel Lomax.
“We’re excited to have Colesy back this weekend. We’ve been really careful with him to make sure he’s 100% when he comes back, and he’s got himself into a really good spot,” said Holland.
James Blackwell starts at lock, alongside Wellington’s Caleb Delany, and Justin Sangster will provide impact off the bench. Flankers Devan Flanders and Du'Plessis Kirifi join Hurricanes captain, Ardie Savea, in a strong loose forward combination
There are two changes to the backline from last week's game, with Brett Cameron set to start at first-five and Daniel Sinkinson to partner Kini Naholo on the wing.
Off the bench Ruben Love makes a long-awaited return from injury, which will be his first run of the season. Bailyn Sullivan is also returning from injury.
“It's been a long road for Ruben, hasn’t it. He’s worked his way back and got confidence in that groin. He’s stepping around and looking fast and strong, so he’ll have some time off the bench this weekend. It’s been good to have him back in training and getting a feel for all our systems again,” said Holland.
The New Zealand Under-20s take on the Junior Wallabies at Sky Stadium this Saturday, 3 June at 4.30PM, followed by the Hurricanes versus the Crusaders at 7:05PM. Gates open at 4pm with 20% off all food on the concourse from 4PM until 5PM. Tickets are available at https://hurricanes.flicket.co.nz/
All tickets include public transport to the match with Metlink. Simply present your match ticket or Hurricanes membership card to the bus driver or on-board train staff.
Please note, due to the long weekend for King’s Birthday, KiwiRail has planned works across all train lines, meaning bus replacements will be in operation. We encourage planning your travel ahead of time. Please utilise the carparks nearby the stadium where possible as these bus replacements are limited. For more information about these planned works visit the KiwiRail website.
Guest performer, Israel Starr, will perform at halftime, and a DJ lines up in the student zone. Enjoy the Native bar at aisle 32, and The Edge 360 Photo Booth at aisle 33.
Both matches will be aired live on Sky Sport.
Hurricanes to take on the Crusaders:
1. Tevita Mafileo
2. Dane Coles
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. James Blackwell
5. Caleb Delany
6. Devan Flanders
7. Du’Plessis Kirifi
8. Ardie Savea ©
9. Cam Roigard
10. Brett Cameron
11. Kini Naholo
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Billy Proctor
14. Daniel Sinkinson
15. Josh Moorby
Replacements:
16. Jacob Devery
17. Pouri Rakete-Stones
18. Owen Franks
19. Justin Sangster
20. Brayden Iose
21. Jamie Booth
22. Ruben Love
23. Bailyn Sullivan
Unavailable for selection: Tyler Laubscher, Reed Prinsep, TJ Perenara, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Salesi Rayasi, Julian Savea
Unavailable due to New Zealand under-20s commitments: Siale Lauaki, Peter Lakai, Cooper Flanders, Jordi Viljoen, Hunter Morrison, Harry Godfrey