All Blacks star makes timely return for crucial Super Rugby Pacific clash with Waratahs
Blues and All Blacks flyer Mark Tele'a.
The Blues have been bolstered by the return of All Blacks speedster Mark Tele’a for their crucial Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Waratahs at Eden Park on Saturday.
The Auckland outfit’s head coach Vern Cotter has named Tele’a on the right wing in a strong starting line-up in a must-win match for the defending champions.
The 28-year-old has been kicking his heels on the sidelines after missing the Blues‘ last three matches – against the Western Force, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika – due to suspension following a dangerous tackle on Reds wing Tim Ryan in Brisbane last month.
Tele’a is joined in the Blues’ back three by Corey Evans and Caleb Clarke, who will line up at full-back and left wing respectively while AJ Lam and Rieko Ioane will form the centre combination.
All Blacks half-back pairing
The backline is completed by All Blacks duo Beauden Barrett and Finlay Christie, who are the starting half-backs.
In the forwards, Hoskins Sotutu will start at number eight alongside Dalton Papali’i and Anton Segner, who are the starting flankers, in the back-row, while captain Patrick Tuipulotu and Laghlan McWhannell form a formidable combination in the second-row.
In the front-row, Ricky Riccitelli gets the nod at hooker and he will pack down alongside Marcel Renata and Joshua Fusitu’a, who are the starting props.
Cotter has opted for a traditional 5-3 split on his bench with Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay, Angus Ta’avao, Josh Beehre and Adrian Choat the forward replacements while Sam Nock, Harry Plummer and Cole Forbes will offer backline cover.
Saturday’s clash will be a significant one for the Blues and Waratahs as both teams are still in the race for the play-offs ahead of the final round of matches of the league phase of Super Rugby Pacific.
The Blues occupy seventh position in the standings on 28 points and are level with Moana Pasifika, who are in sixth place by virtue of winning more matches than the champions.
Meanwhile, the Waratahs are in eighth spot on 26 points. The Blues will be determined to beat the Sydneysiders to qualify for the play-offs and hope the Hurricanes, who are fourth in the table, do them a favour by beating Moana later on Saturday.
The clash against the Waratahs will be a momentous one for the Blues’ departing quartet of Tele’a, Riccitelli, Plummer and Choat as it will be their last home match for the Auckland-based outfit.
Blues team to face the Waratahs
Blues: 15 Corey Evans, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 AJ Lam, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 6 Anton Segner, 5 Laghlan McWhannell, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Joshua Fusitu’a
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Jordan Lay, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Adrian Choat, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Cole Forbes
Date: Saturday, May 31
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 16:35 local (05:35 BST, 04:35 GMT)
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand), George Myers (Australia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
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