A 50th cap for loose forward James Lentjes headlines the Highlanders squad chosen to face the Rebels in Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Lentjes made his debut in 2015, going on to play in both the semi-final and final for the title-winning side. He was captain during the 2020 season and is known for his high work rate.
Elsewhere, Ethan De Groot and Josh Dickson return to the starting lineup, while Jeff Thwaites and Manaaki Selby-Rickit come onto the bench. Liam Coltman has been given a rare start, with Ash Dixon to make an impact off the bench.
The Highlanders had been scheduled to play the Rebels in Queenstown, but will now travel to Australia to play their round three match at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney.
The Melbourne-based Rebels had moved to Sydney on Wednesday in the hope of flying to New Zealand on Saturday, but due to the worsening outbreak in Victoria and the New Zealand Government’s extension of a travel pause, are stranded in Australia.
Highlanders CEO Roger Clark said the club were disappointed for the people of Queenstown, fans, and the wider region, but grateful that the match could still go ahead.
Highlanders team to face Rebels: 15 Josh Ioane, 14 Sio Tomkinson, 13 Michael Collins, 12 Scott Gregory, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Hugh Renton, 7 James Lentjes, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Josh Dickson, 4 Pari Pari Parkinson, 3 Siate Tokolahi, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Ethan De Groot.
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Ayden Johnstone, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20 Kazuki Himeno, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Ngatungane Punivai, 23 Billy Harmon.
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