Highlanders co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai is back in the midfield as his team prepares to host Moana Pasifika on Sunday afternoon in Dunedin.
The Highlanders have been hit with the loss of two wingers, their prop, and captain Hugh Renton as they prepare to host the Crusaders in Dunedin.
The Blues continued their salvage mission against Moana Pasifika while the Australian sides took four of the top six spots on the ladder after the Chiefs were knocked off in Sydney.
On the bench, All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot will provide impact while TK Howden has the chance to make his Highlanders debut.
A small but good crowd showed up on a sunny Friday afternoon and was treated to some running rugby from the two teams, trying to iron out the cobwebs ahead of the new campaign in two weeks.
Moana Pasifika have not so yet proven to be the success story everyone hoped - but it's not all their own doing.
Here's how the Blues rated following their second successive win over Moana Pasifika within the space of a week on Saturday.
A trio of tyros have earned selection alongside proven regulars in the Blues side who return home to Eden Park to host Moana Pasifika on Saturday.
The Tuesday night fixture became a battle of the packs as the Blues found immediate dominance at scrum time with their experienced All Blacks but Moana Pasifika came back strong at the lineout time with a couple of driving maul tries.
Only one players has been retained in the Blues starting lineup to face Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on Tuesday.