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Plummer relegated for fellow All Black, Sotutu returns for Blues
By Ned Lester
Rivals collide in Auckland this weekend as the Blues host the Crusaders in a bid to turn their season around.
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The old foes occupy opposite ends of the leaderboard this season and are the two most recent champions of the competition.
Boosting the hosts’ confidence will be the narrowest of losses to early competition favourites, the Chiefs, as well as the return of reigning Super Rugby MVP Hoskins Sotutu from a two-game suspension. A coaching intervention course has reduced his three-week suspension to two.
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The No. 8 will bring much-needed physicality and X-factor to the forward pack and team at large, having led the competition in tries scored in 2024.
Fellow All Black Stephen Perofeta will make his first start of the season, coming in at No. 10 and pushing Harry Plummer back to the bench.
Elsewhere, impressive rookies Cameron Christie and Xavi Taele will start once more while fellow 2024 New Zealand U20 product Tristyn Cook has been named again on the bench.
“The Crusaders are our historic foes in this competition, and of course in provincial rugby for decades,” said Blues coach Vern Cotter.
“We know there is no respite in this competition, but after a sluggish start, we are improving across the squad as a team and as individuals every day and every week.
“We need to continue to dig deep, continue to improve in every facet of our game, every day in every training session and then bring that together at Eden Park. If we do that, trust in ourselves and in each other to play what is in front of us, then we can prosper.
“Last week was a game of the highest standard, and I am confident we can continue to improve and provide a major threat to the Crusaders and in this competition.”
Blues team to play Crusaders
- Joshua Fusitu’a (26)
- Kurt Eklund (65)
- Angus Ta’avao (71)
- Patrick Tuipulotu © (114)
- Josh Beehre (16)
- Cameron Christie (3)
- Dalton Papali’i (87)
- Hoskins Sotutu (68)
- Sam Nock (76)
- Stephen Perofeta (69)
- Caleb Clarke (68)
- Xavi Taele (1)
- Rieko Ioane (117)
- Mark Tele’a (72)
- Corey Evans (18).
Reserves:
16. James Mullan (2)
17. Jordan Lay (23)
18: Marcel Renata (58)
19. Laghlan McWhannell (14)
20. Tristyn Cook (1)
21. Finlay Christie (59)
22. Harry Plummer (80)
23. Cole Forbes (21)
Injury status
PJ Sheck (shoulder)
Zarn Sullivan (foot)
Ben Ake (shoulder)
Beauden Barrett (hand)
Adrian Choat (knee)
Taufa Funaki (shoulder)
Reon Paul (shoulder)
Ricky Riccitelli (chest)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (neck)
Anton Segner (concussion)
Sam Darry (shoulder, season)
AJ Lam (leg)
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Have been impressed with the two NZU20 rookies in the Blues - Cam Christie and Xavi Taele.
Xavi was one of the standout U20 backs together with halfback Dylan Pledger. Cam was very consistent at lock.
Keen to see how Perofeta and Taele combine as a starting pair.
He was anything but a standout at the WC. One of the most high profile/talked about players for sure though, so happy to see him doing some things well in these last two games.
There is a totally disproportionate. coverage of southern hemisphere rugby in what is supposed to be the northern edition.
Most of the regular journalists seem to be southern so they chuck a good few into the northern section to pad it out and make it look like they’re publishing all these articles each day, I also have mind set to northern and get the exact same issue
Thank you but I am permanently set on Northern edition
DM, use the link to change from Southern Edition to Northern Edition and you will see that it focuses on Northern Hemisphere. Simple.
Southern Edition is for Southern Hemisphere rugger, as it makes reference to.
Great Call to bring in Perofeta.
No really attacking intent with Plummer at 10. Barrett still a massive miss for the Blues.
Looking forward to seeing Sotutu back in action too. Are we going to get an AB performance?