A number of Hurricanes players will get the opportunity to push for selection for next week's Investec Super Rugby match against the Highlanders after being named in the club's development squad to face their Blues counterparts in Wellington on Saturday.
With the Hurricanes having the bye this weekend, the development side's match also provides the perfect opportunity for some players returning from injury to get back into game mode.
That includes All Blacks prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen who will start at tighthead after being sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring injury.
Another All Black, hooker Asafo Aumua, will also start after he made his debut for the Hurricanes in their 29-19 win over the Crusaders at Westpac Stadium last Saturday.
Several others who have had limited minutes so far in the Super Rugby season also get a chance to run out at Evans Bay Park.
Michael Fatialofa, who also came off the bench against the Crusaders, is one, along with Ihaia West and Jackson Garden-Bachop, with the latter starting in the No 12 jersey.
Hurricanes Development coach Darren Larsen said a number of players have been scheduled to play half the game while others would see out the 80 minutes.
Larsen said there was an expectation on a number of players to perform to an expectant level and if they did that they would put themselves up for selection in front of Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd.
The Hurricanes Development squad to face the Blues is:
15 Chase Tiatia
14 Te Rangatira Waitokia
13 Billy Proctor
12 Jackson Garden-Bachop
11 Jonah Lowe
10 Ihaia West
9 Jamie Booth
8 Reed Prinsep
7 Du'Plessis Kirifi
6 Sam Henwood
5 Michael Fatialofa
4 Murray Douglas
3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
2 Asafo Aumua
1 Marcel Renata
Reserves
16 James O'Rielly
17 Pouri Rakete-Stones
18 Pasi Uluilakepa
19 Liam Mitchell
20 Will Mangos
21 Richard Judd
22 Ueta Tuguga
23 Cody Hemi
For more information please contact;
Glenn McLean
Media Manager
0274404439
[email protected]