Bismarck benched for Sharks

Durban - Hooker Craig Burden will get his first Super Rugby start for the Sharks when they face the Hurricanes in New Plymouth, New Zealand, on Friday.

Kick-off is at 09:35 SA time.

Burden replaces Bismarck du Plessis, who passed a late fitness test on a groin injury but nonetheless drops to the bench as a precautionary measure.

In the only other change to the side that defeated the Brumbies 29-26 in Canberra last week, Louis Ludik moves up from the bench as a replacement for wing Odwa Ndungane.

Ndungane was flown home earlier in the week after picking up a groin injury in training.

Ludik's place on the bench will be filled by either Marius Joubert or Paul Jordaan, who have been bracketed together.

Teams:

Hurricanes:
15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Faifili Levave, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Jack Lam, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 James Broadhurst, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben May

Substitutes: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Michael Bent, 18 Mark Reddish, 19 Jeremy Thrush, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Tusi Pisi, 22 Charlie Ngatai

Sharks:
15. Riaan Viljoen, 14. Louis Ludik, 13. JP Pietersen, 12. Tim Whitehead, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Frederic Michalak, 9. Charl McLeod, 8. Keegan Daniel (captain), 7. Willem Alberts, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Jandre Marais, 4. Steven Sykes, 3. Jannie du Plessis, 2. Craig Burden, 1. Dale Chadwick

Substitutes: 16. Bismarck du Plessis, 17. Wiehahn Herbst, 18. Anton Bresler, 19. Jean Deysel, 20. Jacques Botes, 21. Meyer Bosman, 22. Marius Joubert/Paul Jordaan