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23 Mar 2025 4:18
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  •   Home > News > Sports > Rugby

    A major boost for the Blues as they look to ignite their Super Rugby title defence against the Highlanders in Dunedin

    A major boost for the Blues as they look to ignite their Super Rugby title defence against the Highlanders in Dunedin


    Last year's NZR award winner for Super Rugby player of the year, Hoskins Sotutu, has been named to start at number eight on Saturday night - for his first game since suffering a knee injury in October.

    Former Crusaders training group hooker James Mullan will debut off the bench.

    The Highlanders have moved Folau Fakatava back to start at halfback with Nathan Hastie dropping to the bench in one of three changes from their loss to the Waratahs.



    Past or present All Blacks Anton Lienert-Brown, Tupou Vaa'i, Aidan Ross and Emoni Narawa are all elevated off the bench to start for the Chiefs on Friday night against the Crusaders in Hamilton.

    Crusaders coach Rob Penney says the Chiefs bench were incredible against the Blues...



    Penney has made just the one change with Kyle Preston getting his first start after a hat-trick off the bench last week after Noah Hotham was injured.



    Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw has kept faith with the side that lost to the Crusaders in round one - with just one change seeing Hugo Plummer replace Isaia Walker-Leawere at lock after the latter suffered a head knock.



    Moana Pasifika are unchanged for their game against the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium Friday night.

    SUPER RUGBY COVERAGE WITH HABIT HEALTH. TACKLING ALL YOUR ACHES AND PAINS FROM SPORT AND WORK

    © 2025 Newstalk ZB, NZCity

     Other Rugby News
     22 Mar: Crusaders first five Taha Kemara's relishing the chance to make amends off the tee in tonight's Super Rugby Pacific derby against the Blues at Eden Park
     22 Mar: No hard feelings between two former All Blacks teammates ahead of a likely change at the top of the Super Rugby Pacific try-scoring charts
     22 Mar: The Chiefs are looking forward to the upcoming bye after opening an eight-point gap atop the Super Rugby Pacific ladder
     22 Mar: History for snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott in the slopestyle event at the world championships
     21 Mar: The record-breaking New Zealand contingent at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China has been inspired by a history-making performance back home
     20 Mar: Ian Foster's keen on a bit of utu on the British and Irish Lions after being named to coach an Australia-New Zealand combined side against them in July
     20 Mar: Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan confirms lock Tupou Vaa'i is fit for tomorrow's Super Rugby match against Moana Pasifika in Pukekohe after he played through a knee-knock against the Blues
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     Today's News

    Soccer:
    A possibly crucial loss for the Wellington Phoenix women in the A-League 21:57

    Motoring:
    Oscar Piastri snares first Formula 1 pole position for Chinese Grand Prix and Lewis Hamilton wins sprint race 21:37

    Accident and Emergency:
    A rahui is in place on the Tongariro Crossing following the death of a man today 21:17

    Law and Order:
    Police are investigating reports of shots being fired at a house in Gisborne 18:57

    Law and Order:
    A Wellington man's been sentenced to home detention after Customs raided his home and found more than 20,000 child abuse images 18:37

    Law and Order:
    A person has died near the Carterton's New World after a shooting just after 4pm 18:27

    Rugby:
    Crusaders first five Taha Kemara's relishing the chance to make amends off the tee in tonight's Super Rugby Pacific derby against the Blues at Eden Park 18:17

    Motorsports:
    Kiwi driver Liam Lawson's determined to build on some positive moves in the sprint race at the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix 18:07

    International:
    Sudanese army seizes Republican Palace after two years of civil war 17:27

    Athletics:
    New Zealand sprinter Zoe Hobbs has won her 60 metre heat at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in China 17:27


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