Pulu Returns to Lead The Blues
- 2140
Jerome Kaino will become the second most capped Blues player when he starts in Saturday’s Super Rugby clash against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Kaino, who heads to France after the season, will play his 138th game for the Blues on Saturday, to go past Tony Woodcock, and sit second on the all-time Blues list behind Keven Mealamu.
The Blues welcome back their two leaders, captain Augustine Pulu, who will start, and stand-in captain James Parsons, who will come off the bench.
Pulu is the only change to the starting line-up from the team that beat the Reds handsomely at Eden Park last week, while Akira Ioane, who this week re-committed to the club, is the only Blues player to have started in every game to date in 2018.
The Blues team is:
Not considered because of injury: Otere Black (knee - season), George Moala (chest – season), Matt Johnson (surgery - season), Tamati Tua (hand), Jimmy Tupou (knee - season), Josh Goodhue (concussion), Patrick Tuipulotu (shoulder - season), Glenn Preston (groin, season), Scott Scrafton (knee - season), Sonny Bill Williams (shoulder), Dalton Papalii (hamstring), Terrence Hepetema (back strain), Mike Tamoaieta (knee), Leni Apisai (hamstring), Jordan Trainor (hand), Lyndon Dunshea (shoulder).