Blues head coach Tana Umaga has made just two changes to his Super Rugby team to play the Sharks at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
In the Blues last outing they narrowly lost to the Chiefs so have kept the team selections as constant as possible.
Lolagi Visinia returns from injury to regain his place at fullback, with his kicking game considered important for this match, despite his replacement Melani Nanai starring with a superb solo try.
The major loss is last year’s New Zealand Under-20 star Blake Gibson, who will be sidelined for much of the rest of the Super Rugby season after injuring his thumb in training this week.
Scans revealed a fracture that may require surgery and will rule the stand-out flanker out of action until after the June international window.
His replacement will be a first for the Blues with Super Rugby centurion Tanerau Latimer bracketed at loose forward with Northland’s Kara Pryor.
If selected, Latimer will make his debut for the Blues after being sidelined with a long-term calf injury while it would be a first start for Pryor, who has four Blues caps this year off the bench.
The Blues will make a final decision tomorrow after checking how Latimer comes through today’s sessions, after training fully with the team since last week.
Counties Manukau back Piers Francis will again start outside Ihaia West in the midfield, with scans clearing him of any neck and spinal injury concerns after he was stretchered off early in the game against the Chiefs as a precautionary measure.
Blues
Lolagi Visinia, Rieko Ioane, Rene Ranger, Piers Francis, Tevita Li, Ihaia West, Bryn Hall; Steven Luatua, Tanerau Latimer or Kara Pryor, Jerome Kaino, Josh Bekhuis, Hoani Matenga, Charlie Faumuina, James Parsons ©, Sam Prattley.
Reserves: Quentin MacDonald, Namatahi Waa, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Kara Pryor or Joe Edwards, Akira Ioane, Billy Guyton, Matt McGahan, George Moala.
