SBW sole Blues change for Hurricanes

Blues coach Tana Umaga has made just the one change for the Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes, bringing Sonny Bill Williams in to the starting XV.

Sonny Bill Williams returns to the starting XV in the only change to the Blues team for the Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Williams, who came off the bench in the 26-20 loss to the Highlanders for his Blues debut after an injury lay-off, has been named at second five-eighth with George Moala relegated to the bench.

Coach Tana Umaga says the news storm around Williams' taping over the BNZ logo on his playing jersey hadn't distracted the Blues from their build-up.

"As a team, we knew it would get sorted, and we haven't really dwelled on it that much," he said on Thursday.

"Obviously everybody else has, but it's sorted now. We're happy, Sonny's happy and we're moving forward and doing what we do."

Williams will replace the bank's logo on his Blues jersey with an advertisement for child welfare agency Plunket for the rest of the Super Rugby season.

While Umaga wouldn't answer further questions around the logo controversy, he was happy to talk about Williams' performance last weekend against the Highlanders.

It was the cross-code star's first game in eight months after rupturing his Achilles tendon playing for the All Blacks Sevens at the Rio Olympics last August.

"He tried to do a lot, as you would after eight months off - there was a lot of energy," Umaga said.

"We were happy, and he was happy with the way he came through and the body stood up to it."

Umaga said the Blues were under no illusion about the challenge they would face against the defending champions at Eden Park.

"We will need to be at our best for the whole 80 minutes," he said.

"We continued to make progress last week and for much of the game played well but could not quite get across the line.

"We need to continue that improvement in all aspects, especially our decision-making at critical moments."

The Blues are last in the New Zealand conference with three wins from seven while the Hurricanes have won five from six games to sit second.

Blues: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Melani Nanai, Piers Francis, Augustine Pulu, Steven Luatua, Blake Gibson, Jerome Kaino, Scott Scrafton, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Charlie Faumuina, James Parson, Pauliasi Manu. Reserves: Matt Moulds, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Sione Mafileo, Jimmy Tupou, Akira Ioane, Billy Guyton, Bryn Gatland, George Moala.


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Source: AAP



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SBW sole Blues change for Hurricanes | SBS News