Blues playmaker Beauden Barrett will miss the crunch Super Rugby Pacific match against the Hurricanes at Eden Park due to an All Blacks rest week.
Harry Plummer replaces Barrett in the No.10 jersey as the fourth-placed Blues attempt to beat the fifth-placed Hurricanes who have named a full-strength line-up after controversially resting three of their stars for their narrow defeat to the Chiefs in Hamilton last weekend.
Barrett’s absence on Saturday night as the Blues chase a home quarter-final place with two matches left in the season may provoke more debate on the resting front, but Leon MacDonald has named an otherwise strong line-up, with backs Finlay Christie, Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane starting alongside returning All Black props Ofa Tuungafasi and Nepo Laulala.
Barrett also picked up a minor heel injury in his team's victory over the Reds in Brisbane in what was a good personal performance following a lacklustre previous few weeks.
For the Hurricanes, Tyrel Lomax, Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett return for a side that will be desperate for competition points to improve their position on the table.
Next weekend they host the Crusaders, while the Blues, on 38 points to the Hurricanes’ 37, host the struggling Highlanders.
The Waratahs, meanwhile, will rest Wallabies star openside flanker and former captain Michael Hooper for their match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon.
The polarising practice of resting players for their national teams has also become a hot topic in Australia after the Brumbies rested a host of stars for their trip to Perth to play the Force and were promptly thrashed by the underdogs.
The Chiefs have named a strong side to play the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night for the clash between the No.1 and No.3 ranked teams. The Brumbies’ loss to the Force and Crusaders’ win over Moana Pasifika allowed the Crusaders to overtake the Brumbies into the No.2 spot.
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