New Zealand Rugby
Kieran Read
Crusaders captain Kieran Read has said, despite his teams emphatic victory over the Sharks in Durban, some of his players need lessons in fair play.
The Crusaders were shown 3 Yellow Cards, that all overlapped, in the 1st half, but little damage was done as the Sharks squandered any advantage by receiving a Red Card of their own.
Although there was no damage done to the scoreboard while the Crusaders were down to 12 men, in fact, points were picked up, Read is still not happy with the those individual’s actions.
It was not ideal,” Read said after the match.
“We have to learn a few lessons, those individuals especially,”
However, the captain was happy to see that those loss of personnel allowed the team to galvanize rather than fall apart.
Mils Muliaina
All Black Mils Muliaina is “distressed” and in shock over a sexual assault allegation levelled against him in Wales, his agent says.
The 34-year-old spent about 20 hours at Cardiff Bay Police station after being taken away by officers following a rugby game at Kingsholm Stadium. Police had 24 hours to charge him.
His agent, Simon Porter, says the arrest came as a “complete shock”.
Muliaina thought he was being taken in for random drug testing, Porter says.
“He had a night in the police cells, he’s pretty distressed, trying to deal with it, and it came as an absolute shock to him.”
Porter says Muliani will fight to clear his name.
Francis Saili
Munster confirmed today the signing of Blues centre Francis Saili on a 2-year contract.
The 24 year-old has made 33 Super Rugby appearances for the Blues, scoring 5 tries, and represented Auckland in the NPC on 31 occasions.
Saili made his debut for the All Blacks against Argentina in September 2013 at Hamilton, and was part of the New Zealand Under 20 team that won the Junior World Championship in Italy in 2011.
Last November the Auckland native also featured for the Barbarians, scoring a try against Australia in Twickenham.
Mils Muliaina
Former All Black fullback and Rugby World Cup winner Mils Muliaina’s future hangs in the balance after he was arrested by the South Wales Police on suspicion of sexual assault.
Muliaina’s Irish club Connacht confirmed that the former All Black was assisting the Police with enquiries relating to an alleged incident in Cardiff in March of this year.
He was pictured on television being led away by police officers following his Irish club’s 14 / 7 loss at Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
Sharks (3) 10 / 52 (28) Crusaders (Final Score)
The Cell C Sharks and Crusaders did battle in Super Rugby at
Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban at 15:00 SA Time (13:00 GMT, Sunday 02:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Chiefs (10) 23 / 16 (3) Blues (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at
waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:36 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Mils Muliaina
Italian Rugby club Zebre have signed New Zealand All Blacks Rugby World Cup winner Mils Muliaina for the 2015 / 2016 season from Irish province Connacht.
The 2015 / 2016 Rugby season will be the Italian Northwest franchise’s 4th season in the PRO12 League and the European Cups.
100-Cap All Black Muliaina joined Connacht from Super Rugby side the Chiefs in 2014 having retired from playing international rugby at the end of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Zebre have announced that they will be led by a new coaching team that will be announced later in the year.
SANZAR has amended the kick-off times of 2 matches in Round 11 of this year’s Super Rugby competition.
This was done to accommodate extended pre-game Anzac Centenary remembrance ceremonies.
The Brumbies vs Highlanders and Waratahs vs Melbourne Rebels clashes on 24 and 25 April respectively will now each kick off at 11:55 SA Time – 15 minutes later than the originally scheduled time.
It is Round 8 of Super Rugby 2015 this weekend.
There are 2 games on Friday 3 April and 4 games on Saturday 4 April.
The Western Force, Highlanders & Waratahs have a BYE weekend.
There is 1 South African derby on the weekend, between the Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls, with 2 SA sides currently on tour and the Cell C Sharks also play inside South Africa on the weekend.
Only 1 undefeated team still remains prior to the start of the weekend, the Hurricanes, and they will be up against the touring DHL Stormers, at home, in the 1st game of the weekend (08:35 SA Time on Friday 3 April).
The struggling Melbourne Rebels host the struggling Reds in Melbourne, at 10:40 SA Time on Friday.
On Saturday morning the Chiefs host the struggling Blues at 08:35 SA Time, whereafter the Brumbies host the Toyota Cheetahs in their 3rd game on tour, in Canberra, at 10:40 SA Time.
Next up, at 15:00 SA Time, the Cell C Sharks host the Crusaders in their 2nd and last game on South African soil, in Durban. The Sharks have their rested Springboks back, bar Francois Steyn who is suspended from taking part for 5 weeks, after a sucessful SANZAR appeal.
The Emirates Lions, back from a very successful tour of 3 wins out of 4 games, host the Vodacom Bulls at 17:05 SA Time, in Johannesburg in the last game of the Round.
The Hurricanes should encounter strong opposition from the Stormers in the first Friday game and the second Friday game between the Melbourne Rebels and Reds is also a difficult one to pick a winner.
The Chiefs should easily dispense with the Blues early on Saturday, and the Brumbies should have too much to offer against the Toyota Cheetahs.
The Durban game between the Cell C Sharks and Crusaders should be a cracker and the local derby between the Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls could easily be the game of the weekend.
With 7 Rounds of this years Super Rugby competition completed and much discussion in the various media regarding disciplinary hearings, we thought it would be interesting to look at the players’ records so far in conceding penalties.
The scrums have become an absolute lottery and so it is no surprise that front rowers will be giving away many penalties while loose forwards can also tend to ‘live life on the edge’. However, what is surprising, according to the stats, is that as many as 6 props names appear in the Top 10 list of serial transgressors thus far this season.
2 Players who have been discussed quite a lot lately, Bismarck du Plessis and Liam Messam also appear on the list, which is disappointing considering they are the captains of their teams. Perhaps it is no surprise then that the match between the Sharks and Chiefs turned out to be such a nasty affair. Interestingly though a 3rd player who has been discussed over and over again, Francois Steyn, is not in this Top 10.
Hurricanes (25) 25 / 20 (3) Stormers (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and DHL Stormers did battle in Super Rugby at
Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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There will be no hiding place at Emirates Airline Park when the high-flying Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls clash in a tough Vodacom Super Rugby derby on Saturday afternoon.
The Jukskei Derby is the final match of Round 8, featuring all 5 South African franchises.
The DHL Stormers have a massive task at hand when they take on the unbeaten Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday morning.
On Saturday morning, the Toyota Cheetahs face the Brumbies in their penultimate tour match in Canberra, a replay of their 2013 Qualifier in the Australian capital.
The Cell C Sharks and the 7-time champions from Canterbury, the Crusaders, cross swords in Durban on Saturday afternoon before the 2 sides from Gauteng, both of whom started the season slowly, take each other on.
The Emirates Lions had just returned from their most-successful Vodacom Super Rugby tour yet and the Vodacom Bulls are aiming for their 5th successive victory after losing their 1st 2 matches of the season.
Interestingly, 2 players who made their Springbok debuts together, Siya Kolisi and Piet van Zyl, will be earning their 50th Vodacom Super Rugby caps this weekend.
Both played off the bench in the Boks’ 30 / 17 victory over Scotland in Nelspruit in 2013. Kolisi has played all his rugby for the DHL Stormers, while Van Zyl made 32 appearances for the Toyota Cheetahs and 17 for the Vodacom Bulls.
Ma’a Nonu
Hurricanes midfielder Ma’a Nonu will join an elite club of 4 when he runs on against the DHL Stormers at Westpac Stadium this Friday.
The match will be his 150th Super Rugby game, with 114 of those being played as a member of the Hurricanes.
During his time with the ‘Canes from 2003 – 2011, and again this year, he has accumulated 215 points for the team, made up of 43 tries.
The 32-year-old joins Keven Mealamu, Corey Flynn, and Nathan Sharpe in the 150 club.
Francois Steyn
SANZAR, the controlling body for Southern Hemisphere rugby, moved swiftly to defuse the storm that erupted in the wake of Springbok Francois Steyn’s 5-week ban.
A SANZAR appeals committee – chaired by Terry Willis (Australia), who was assisted by Nigel Hampton (New Zealand) and Robert Stelzner (South Africa) – slapped the ban on the Sharks utility back after a hearing earlier this week.
Steyn, who was Red-Carded for his lifting tackle on Aaron Cruden in the Sharks’ 12 / 11 win over the Chiefs on 21 March, was cleared by South African judicial officer Jannie Lubbe at the original hearing on 23 Match. He also expunged Steyn’s Red Card.
However, SANZAR felt strongly about the message sent out by the result of the original hearing and appealed.
That hearing, which took place on Tuesday this week, found Steyn guilty and suspended him up to, and including 3 May.
In reaction to the fall-out to their appeal and subsequent ban of Steyn, SANZAR said they felt Lubbe made a ‘clear error of fact and law’.
Francois Steyn
The SANZAR Appeal against the Ruling of the Judicial Officer in the Francois Steyn case, was heard on Tuesday and the Appeals Committee, chaired by Terry Willis (Australia) and comprising Nigel Hampton QC (New Zealand) and Robert Stelzner SC (South Africa), has ruled in favour of SANZAR, setting aside the verdict of the judicial hearing which cleared Francois Steyn of a lifting tackle and which expunged the Red Card.
The Appeals Committee unanimously upheld the appeal brought by SANZAR and found that Steyn breached Law 10.4 (j) and that the referee was correct to Red Card the player during the match between the Cell C Sharks and the Chiefs played at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Saturday 21 March 2015.
The Committee determined that the relevant sanction was 4 matches. After taking into consideration the Sharks’ bye in Round 11, Steyn was suspended from all forms of the game up to and including 3 May 2015.
The Injury list as updated on 30 March 2015, accross all Super Rugby franchises looks like this… but it must be noted that some players are close or have just returned to playing again.
Return dates are best estimates and subject to change.
SANZAR has announced the names of the Match Officials appointed for Round 8 of the 2015 Super Rugby season.
The Western Force, Highlanders and Waratahs have BYE weekends.
There are 2 games on Friday and 4 games on Saturday.
The weekend starts off on Friday at 08:35 SA Time, with the clanger between the Hurricanes vs DHL Stormers in Wellington, where Rohan Hoffmann will officiate.
In the other Friday match the 2 lowly ranked Australian sides, the Melbourne Rebels and Reds do battle in Melbourne at 10:40 SA Time, with Matt O’Brian wielding the whistle.
On Saturday the action kicks off with the Chiefs hosting the lowly Blues in Hamilton at 08:35 SA Time, with Mike Fraser at the helm, followed by the Brumbies against the battling Toyota Cheetahs in Canberra at 10:40 SA Time, where Ben O’Keeffe will be in control.
Later on Saturday sees 2 South African games with the Cell C Sharks vs Crusaders in Durban at 15:00 SA Time, blown by Marius van der Westhuizen, followed by the Jukskei derby between the Emirated Lions vs Vodacom Bulls in Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time, officiated by Stuart Berry.
Dan Carter
Crusaders and All Black No 10 Dan Carter has returned home from South Africa on paternity leave to await the birth of his 2nd child.
This means Carter will miss the Crusaders’ Super Rugby clash against the Cell C Sharks in Durban this Saturday (15:00 SA Time kick-off).
Jerome Kaino
Inspirational loose forward Jerome Kaino has committed himself for the next 3 years to New Zealand Rugby, the Blues and Auckland Rugby.
Kaino today announced he has re-signed to play his rugby in New Zealand until 2018.
It’s a major announcement for New Zealand Rugby, with Kaino the 1st current All Black to commit through to 2018. The news is also a significant fillip for the Blues following the announcement earlier this year that fellow All Black Charlie Faumuina has re-signed through to the end of 2017.
Kaino, 31, has been a powerhouse loose forward on the international and Super Rugby stage for many years. He was New Zealand Rugby’s Player of the Year and nominee for World Rugby Player in 2011 and played in every game of the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup victory that year. Kaino played 2 seasons in Japan before returning to play for the Blues last year and regained his place in the All Blacks.
Schalk Burger receives a Highlanders No 7 jersey after his 100th Super Rugby game
DHL Stormers flank Schalk Burger received a special gift from the Highlanders after playing his 100th Super Rugby game.
Burger reached the milestone during the Stormers’ clash with the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last Saturday.
Despite the Stormers going down 39 / 21, Burger will have fond memories of the occasion.
Steve Tew
Creating time and space in attack, and clarity at the breakdown are at the top of the New Zealand Rugby Union’s(NZRU) early wish-list as it ponders how to improve the game for fans and players.
Current NZRU CEO Steve Tew said that “there is clearly a growing frustration on the over-emphasis on defence. We are looking at ways to create more time and space for the ball.”
World Rugby, rugby’s global governing body, is conducting a law review process which could see trials of new or revised rules in place as early as next year.
The NZRU has been gathering information from stakeholders about what is perceived to be right and wrong about the game and, more importantly, what could make it better.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie will sit on the World Rugby’s Laws Representation Group that will consider recommendations from around the globe in the middle of the year.
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said the NZRU was in the early stages of consultation, but that a recent workshop had indicated a desire to see the pendulum swing back toward the attacking side.
3 Consecutive wins and Top spot on the Vodacom Super Rugby South African Conference table should have left Cell C Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold beaming from ear to ear on Saturday night, but he wasn’t.
While he has been justifiably well satisfied with the character shown by his team in scoring an away win under huge pressure against the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, in edging out the Chiefs when at a disadvantage in numbers because of red cards, and in coming from behind against the Western Force, Gold argues that his team is making life more difficult for itself than it needs to be.
The Sharks won 15 / 9 against the Western Force at Growthpoint Kings Park this past weekend, but it was a close run thing and his team had to make use of several get out of jail cards in order to prevail in a game they should have been expected to win comfortably.
“We are making a habit of winning close games and some might see that as a positive in that it means we are creating a winning habit after being in a bit of a hole a few weeks ago, but the bottom line for me is that it should not have been so close and I am not happy about that,” said Gold.
The Hurricanes could not have asked for a better start to the Super Rugby season, managing 6 wins from as many outings. They are in pole position on the combined standings and are expecting to improve even more as their rested players return.
“The boys are enjoying themselves because winning is way better than losing,” Hurricanes assistant coach John Plumtree told the NZME.
“But every week there’s something to fix and every week’s not perfect and we are looking to improve the whole time.”
Their defence has been the cornerstone of their success, with only 82 points being scored against them so far, 2nd to the Brumbies who have conceded a mere 80.
Their next challenge comes in the form of the Stormers who were beaten 39 / 21 by the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday. However Plumtree acknowledges the physical threat posed by the Cape outfit, boosted by their very own return of some key players.
“They’ll be hurting after what happened last week,” Plumtree said. “So we’ll be expecting them to respond pretty positively in terms of intensity.”
The Stormers may welcome back a couple of players, namely Duane Vermeulen, and Plumtree said they would bring the physicality associated with any South African team.
“We’ll have to really step up in the pack.”
The Hurricanes rested a number of All Blacks – Beauden Barrett, Ben Franks and Julian Savea – for last week’s game with the Melbourne Rebels but they will likely return this week. Hooker Dane Coles (elbow) also missed the win over the Rebels but is fit again.
Nick Mallett
Former Springbok coach Nick Mallett has noted that Crusaders flank Richie McCaw is getting caught out more by referees.
McCaw was penalised a few times in his side’s 31 / 19 Super Rugby defeat to the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday night.
Mallett analysed the game in the SuperSport studio afterwards.
He said: “Richie McCaw was penalised 3 or 4 times. He’s just getting caught by referees now for doing the things that he’s been doing so effectively over the last 5 to 10 years.
The Vodacom Bulls delivered their top performance of the season as the Emirates Lions recorded their best Vodacom Super Rugby tour yet during an exciting weekend of Southern Hemisphere rugby.
The match in Pretoria was the undoubted highlight of the weekend from a quality point of view, with the Vodacom Bulls extending their winning run at home over the Crusaders after winning 31 / 19.
For sheer audacity, the Emirates Lions deserve a lot of plaudits for beating the Reds by 18 / 17 in Brisbane on Friday morning and thus ending their tour on 3 wins from 4 – their best Australasian return yet.
The Cell C Sharks meanwhile moved to the Top of the South African Conference and into the Top 3 on the log with a hard-fought 15 / 9 win over the Force in Durban on Saturday afternoon, scoring all their points in the 2nd half.
The Toyota Cheetahs and DHL Stormers found the going tough in New Zealand though as both went down – the side from Central South Africa by 37 / 27 to the Chiefs in Hamilton and the Capetonians by 39 / 21 to the Highlanders in Dunedin.
The Vodacom Bulls picked up their 4th victory of the Super Rugby season as they beat the Crusaders 31 / 19 in an entertaining game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Fans and viewers were treated to a wonderful game to round off the weekend as the Bulls got the better of their Kiwi opponents, thus moving above them up to 7th in the overall standings and 2nd in the South African Conference, only 1 point behind the Cell C Sharks but with a game in hand compared to them.
In a week where the Bulls lost their best workhorse in Lappies Labuschagne, and lost 2 Springboks in Jan Serfontein (hip) and Arno Botha (hamstring) before kick-off, it wouldn’t be untoward to expect them to be under an immense amount of pressure.
But the 2 players who came in at the 11th hour – midfielder Burger Odendaal and flank Hanro Liebenberg – stepped up to make an indelible impression that they not only belong at this level, but have a number of big games in their future with the way they played.
It was a thrilling 1st half in Pretoria as the Bulls showed their intent to keep the ball in hand, which paid off after 3 minutes when wing Francois Hougaard finished off in the corner. Handré Pollard could not add the extras but it was a hugely positive, fast-paced opening.
Sir John Kirwan
Blues coach John Kirwan knows his team must beat the Chiefs if they are to have any hope of contending for a play-off spot this season.
The Auckland side have made a horror start to the season, losing all 6 of their matches, and Kirwan knows that they must beat the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday to keep their feint play-off hope alive.
“We knew going in we had to win 1 of these 2 games away to stay in the hunt. We were hoping that was going to come tonight, so that doubles the pressure on next week,” the Blues coach said after the loss to the defending champion Waratahs on Saturday.
Bulls (18) 31 / 19 (16) Crusaders (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Crusaders did battle in Super Rugby at
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT, Sunday 06:10 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Waratahs (7) 23 / 11 (6) Blues (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Blues did battle in Super Rugby at
Allianz Stadium, Sydney at 10:40 SA Time (19:40 AEDT, 21:40 NZ Time, 08:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Highlanders (24) 39 / 21 (7) Stormers (Final Score)
The Highlanders and DHL Stormers did battle in Super Rugby at
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 06:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Chiefs (14) 37 / 27 (13) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at
Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 05:30 SA Time (16:30 NZ Time, 03:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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It is Round 7 of Super Rugby 2015 this weekend.
There are 2 games on Friday 27 March and 5 games on Saturday 28 March.
The Brumbies a BYE weekend.
There are no South African derbies on the weekend again, with 3 SA sides currently on tour and both the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks envolved in games on South African soil against Anzac counterparts.
Only 1 undefeated team remains prior to the start of the weekend, the Hurricanes, and they will be up against the struggling Melbourne Rebels, at home, in the 1st game of the weekend (08:35 SA Time on Friday 27 March).
The Struggling Reds, who boast a return of a number of Wallabies take on the Emirates Lions at 11:00 SA Time on Friday.
On Saturday morning, early (05:30 SA Time) the Chiefs host the Toyota Cheetahs, whereafter the Highlanders host the DHL Stormers in their first game on tour, at 08:35 SA Time.
Next up, at 10:40 SA Time, the Waratahs host the battling Blues in Sydney.
The Cell C Sharks, resting a number of Springboks host the Western Force in Durban at 17:05 SA Time.
The Vodacom Bulls take on a resurgent Crusaders side at 19:10 SA Time in Pretoria in the last game of the Round.
The Hurricanes should coast to victory in the first Friday game but the second Friday game between the Reds and Emirates Lions is difficult to call.
The Chiefs should dispense with the Toyota Cheetahs early on Saturday, but the game between the Highlanders and the DHL Stormers is once again a difficult one to call. The Waratahs should put the Blues to the sword in Sydney.
One cannot help but feel that the Crusaders should beat the Vodacom Bulls…. even in Pretoria, whereas the Cell C Sharks should beat the Western Force in Durban.
Hurricanes (10) 36 / 12 (12) Rebels (Final Score)
The Hurricanes and Melbourne Rebels did battle in Super Rugby at
Westpac Stadium, Wellington at 08:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 17:35 AEDT, 06:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder wasted no time in bringing back All Black captain Richie McCaw for his team’s Super Rugby Round 7 encounter with the Vodacom Bulls.
The 7-time champion Crusaders start their South African tour against the 3-time champion Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday.
McCaw, who was rested last week as the Crusaders demolished the Cheetahs 57 / 14, replaces Matt Todd at openside flank – with the latter dropping down to the replacement bench.
In all Blackadder made 5 changes to his starting line-up for the trip to Loftus Versfeld.
Blackadder has made 2 rotations in the front row, with prop Joe Moody and hooker Ben Funnell coming in for All Black Wyatt Crockett and Codie Taylor respectively. Crockett and Taylor both drop to the bench.
Dan Carter, who last week started at inside centre, returns to his more customary role in the No 10 jersey.
Tom Taylor moves out one position to No 12 and Colin Slade will play off the bench.
The Chiefs have made several changes to their starting line-up for Saturday’s clash with the Cheetahs in Hamilton.
Amongst the backs, All Blacks midfielder Sonny Bill Williams returns to the run-on side after missing last weekend’s narrow loss to the Sharks due to concussion, and Charlie Ngatai is bracketed with Seta Tamanivalu at outside centre.
Tom Marshall comes on to the left wing.
Andrew Horrell moves to the reserves and is joined by prop Siate Tokolahi and Marty McKenzie.
In the pack, there’s a brand new front row.
Pauliasi Manu returns from injury and is joined by Quentin MacDonald and Ben Tameifuna.