Skip to main content

Fronting for the final time

Saturday night's Super Rugby finale will quietly take on an extra meaning for a few of the men in black and yellow.

For long-serving Hurricanes Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Jeremy Thrush, and fellow teammates Chris Smylie, Rey Lee-Lo and Ben Franks, it will be the last time they run onto Westpac Stadium as Hurricanes.

With 468 caps between them, the six players will leave a sizeable hole at Canes when they depart at the end of the season, but not before they do their best to help lift a Super Rugby trophy for their club.

Chris Boyd has named a similar line-up to help those six guys do the job, with the only change coming at reserve hooker where Motu Matu'u returns from a knee injury.

Ardie Savea's knee will continue to be monitored throughout the remainder of the week, with Callum Gibbins bracketed as cover should Savea not be deemed fit.

The Hurricanes team to face the Highlanders in the 2015 Investec Super Rugby final is:

1.Reggie Goodes
2.Dane Coles
3.Ben Franks
4.Jeremy Thrush
5.James Broadhurst
6.Brad Shields
7.Ardie Savea/Callum Gibbins
8.Victor Vito
9.TJ Perenara
10.Beauden Barrett
11.Julian Savea
12.Ma'a Nonu
13.Conrad Smith (c)
14.Nehe Milner-Skudder
15.James Marshall

Reserves
16.Motu Matu'u
17.Chris Eves
18.Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
19.Callum Gibbins/Mark Abbott
20.Blade Thomson
21.Chris Smylie
22.Rey Lee-Lo
23.Matt Proctor

Latest News