Coach Leon MacDonald has completely refreshed his starting line-up for the Blues’ quarter-final derby with the Highlanders this weekend.
Not one of the 15 players who started in last weekend’s last-minute victory over the Waratahs in Sydney has been selected in the run-on side for the quarter-final, meaning the Blues will go into the match at Eden Park with fresh legs and fire in their bellies.
Importantly, the likes of Tom Robinson, Akira Ioane and Rieko Ioane will all make returns for the Blues this weekend after also sitting out the team’s prior last-second win over the Brumbies.
In the front row, the experienced trio of Alex Hodgman, Kurt Eklund and Ofa Tuungafasi will earn their sixth start of the campaign as a unit, with last week’s No 3 Nepo Laulala dropping to the bench alongside Soane Vikena and Karl Tu’inukuafe.
Despite a man-of-the-match performance from stand-in captain Luke Romano against the Waratahs, the former All Black will start from the bench this week with James Tucker and Robinson preferred in the second row.
Akira Ioane will join Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu in a formidable loose forward trio with Adrian Choat covering via the reserves.
The first-choice halves combination of Finlay Christie and Beauden Barrett has unsurprisingly been restored for this weekend’s quarter-final with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Rieko Ioane combining in the midfield.
