Reds suffer setback with injury to Braid
The Reds have lost vice-captain Daniel Braid to injury for Friday’s pivotal Super 14 encounter with the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie was forced to call in Andrew Shaw at flanker for Braid among five changes to the starting team which fell 32-12 to the Brumbies at the weekend.
The former All Blacks number seven strained a knee ligament early in the Canberra loss but played out most of the match.
He was expected to be cleared to play along with returning lock Van Humphries (ankle) and winger Rod Davies (hamstring).
Humphries will pack down in a new-look second-row alongside fellow veteran and former Brumbies lock Radike Samo, who makes his first Super Rugby appearance in four years.
The fourth-placed Reds, who have skipper James Horwill sidelined for the season, lost locks Rob Simmons and Adam Byrnes to injury early against the Brumbies, forcing Fijian-born Samo’s reactivation.
McKenzie has also promoted former Wallabies prop Greg Holmes to tight-head for his first start of the year following ten appearances off the bench.
Jack Kennedy has been dropped from the 22 completely while fellow prop James Slipper comes on to the bench.
McKenzie has five forward reserves, including former Waratahs back-rower Lei Tomiki who is set for his Super 14 debut for the Reds.
“Having lost Braidy in addition to Simmons and Byrnes, we took the opportunity to change things around a bit more to give us different options in the starting side and off the bench,” McKenzie said.
“We’ll be looking to guys like Shaw and Tomiki to give us immediate impact and putting Holmes into the starting side gives us a bit more experience there and is a reward for what he’s delivered for us off the bench this year.”
Reds: 15 Peter Hynes, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Will Chambers, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (c), 8 Leroy Houston, 7 Andrew Shaw, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Van Humphries, 4 Radike Samo, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Ben Daley.
Replacements: 16 Sean Hardman, 17 James Slipper, 18 Ezra Taylor, 19 Jake Schatz, 20 Lei Tomiki, 21 Ben Lucas, 22 Brando Va’aulu.
Date: Friday, May 7
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 19:35 (07:35 GMT)
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
TMO: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
[Info from Planet Rugby]
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