All Blacks flanker Sam Cane is set to make his return to Super Rugby, named on the bench for the Chiefs in their upcoming match against the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
Cane has been side-lined for seven months after fracturing a vertebra in the lower part of his neck when playing for the All Blacks against the Springboks last October.
Brad Weber will hold onto captaincy duties, named to start at halfback.
Angus Ta'avao will be playing his 100th Super Rugby match, given the nod to start at tighthead prop.
The Chiefs have named an unchanged backline that beat the Sharks last Saturday 29-23 at FMG Stadium in Hamilton.
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper says he expects a fired up Blues pack.
"It is always a great rivalry between us and the Blues. We expect another brutal encounter again this weekend," said Cooper.
"They have some great attacking ability among their team. We will need to continue to build on our performance against the Sharks."
Chiefs: 15 Solomon Alaimalo, 14 Sean Wainui, 13 Tumua Manu, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Marty McKenzie, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Tyler Ardron, 7 Mitchell Karpik, 6 Pita Gus Sowakula, 5 Mitchell Brown, 4 Jesse Parete, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Nathan Harris, 1 Atu Moli.
Reserves: 16 Liam Polwart, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Mitchell Jacobson, 20 Sam Cane, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Shaun Stevenson, 23 Alex Nankivell.
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