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Wellington - All Blacks wing Hosea Gear returns from injury in one of just two changes to the struggling Hurricanes for Saturday's crunch Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Bulls at McLean Park in Napier.
Kick-off is at 08:35 SA time.
According to the allblacks.com website, Coach Mark Hammett has kept largely with the same team that fell to an embarrassing 42-25 loss to the Rebels in Melbourne last Friday, with Gear's return to the left wing in place of Andre Taylor, and flank Serge Lilo's inclusion at the expense of Faifili Levave, the only two changes to the starting XV.
It will be Gear's first match since suffering a shoulder injury in the dying minutes of their season-opening 14-9 loss to the Highlanders in Wellington.
The Hurricanes have won only one of their five matches to date and are ninth on the overall standings with 12 points, five behind the seventh-placed Bulls, who have a three-win, two loss record.
Saturday's match will be the first Hurricanes fixture at Napier since 2003.
Teams:
Hurricanes:
15 Cory Jane, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 9 Chris Eaton, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Serge Lilo, 6 Jack Lam, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (captain), 1 John Schwalger
Substitutes: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Mark Reddish, 20 Tyson Keats, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Charlie Ngatai
Bulls:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Dean Greyling
Substittutes: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Francois Brummer, 21 Gerhard van den Heever, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen
Kick-off is at 08:35 SA time.
According to the allblacks.com website, Coach Mark Hammett has kept largely with the same team that fell to an embarrassing 42-25 loss to the Rebels in Melbourne last Friday, with Gear's return to the left wing in place of Andre Taylor, and flank Serge Lilo's inclusion at the expense of Faifili Levave, the only two changes to the starting XV.
It will be Gear's first match since suffering a shoulder injury in the dying minutes of their season-opening 14-9 loss to the Highlanders in Wellington.
The Hurricanes have won only one of their five matches to date and are ninth on the overall standings with 12 points, five behind the seventh-placed Bulls, who have a three-win, two loss record.
Saturday's match will be the first Hurricanes fixture at Napier since 2003.
Teams:
Hurricanes:
15 Cory Jane, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 9 Chris Eaton, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Serge Lilo, 6 Jack Lam, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (captain), 1 John Schwalger
Substitutes: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Mark Reddish, 20 Tyson Keats, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Charlie Ngatai
Bulls:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Dean Greyling
Substittutes: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Francois Brummer, 21 Gerhard van den Heever, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen
