Blues

Having used a talent-stacked bench without fruition against the Chiefs last week after being reduced to 14 men for more than half the game, Coach Tana Umaga has given his stars a chance from the opening whistle in this key Kiwi derby.

Co-captains James Parsons and Jerome Kaino are named in the pack that also sees prop Charlie Faumuina and lock Patrick Tuipulotu in the starting eight.

There's a further change in the forwards with North Harbour newcomer Murphy Taramai to make his first Super Rugby start at No 8, meaning Akira Ioane drops to the bench.

Luatua hit Nanai-Williams with a late, swinging arm off the ball that earned him a red card just before halftime in the Super Rugby clash in Hamilton on Friday night.

A Sanzaar foul play review committee suspended him from all forms of the game up to and including Saturday, April 1.

Luatua had pleaded guilty to dangerous tackling of an opponent.

The committee, headed by Christchurch QC Nigel Hampton, said they had looked at all the available evidence , including all camera angles, and had heard evidence from Luatua and his lawyer before upholding the charge.

Loose forward Luatua was sent off for a high tackle on Chiefs' winger Tim Nanai-Williams, whose side then used the resulting penalty to set up an attacking lineout that allowed hooker Hika Elliot to crash over from a rolling maul.

Elliot's try extended the score to 22-9 at the break, though until that point the game had been in the balance with first-five Ihaia West slotting three penalties and missing two.

The Blues were their own worst enemies as the Chiefs beat them again with a resounding six-try victory in Hamilton.

Steven Luatua has nobody to blame but himself and he knows it, after his red card just before half-time reduced the Blues to 14 men in Friday night's Battle of the Bombays clash, which the Chiefs won 41-26.

They've done so again for Friday night's highly anticipated Battle of the Bombays encounter against the Blues in Hamilton, with Michael Leitch back in the fold.

The back row has re-shuffled from the round one win over the Highlanders, with Leitch starting at No 8 and shifting Liam Messam to blindside flanker in place of Taleni Seu.

Sam Cane's continued absence (ankle) sees Lachlan Boshier take the No 7 jersey from Mitch Karpik, who drops out of the squad with Mitchell Brown, while Tom Sanders is promoted to the bench.

Blues coach Tana Umaga named an unchanged starting XV after their impressive opening round demolition of the Melbourne Rebels last Thursday.

But he's been quick to add some star power to his impact options for the juicy second round clash with the Chiefs.

Umaga has six All Blacks, a Maori All Black and a New Zealand under-20s player on his bench.

This derby is usually a high-octane affair that often goes right down to the wire. Substitutions are sure to be hugely influential.

Keeping a lid on hype might be Tana Umaga's biggest challenge after his Blues team opened the Super Rugby season with a performance befitting the competition's "boom, boom" slogan. The Melbourne Rebels were certainly left stunned by the 56-18 pounding.

The Blues have long struggled away from home but, in Melbourne on Thursday night, they took apart the battling Rebels to record their first victory at AAMI Park. Cracking the half century wasn't a bad way to celebrate.

Every year the focus falls on the Blues No 10 jersey but the bloke inside him could prove more influential this season.

All the hype and expectation surrounding the Blues this year predominately emerged from the recruitment of Sonny Bill Williams. Now we know he won't feature for at least the first five weeks due to his recovery from an Achilles injury, Augustine Pulu could well prove a better piece of business.

The Blues announced yesterday they will host the Reds in Apia in June.

It will be the first Super match played in Samoa and coincides with Samoa's 55th Independence Celebrations.

Fifteen players the Blues squad have Samoan heritage, along with head Coach Tana Umaga.

Jerome Kaino, who was born in American Samoa, said the team was already looking forward to the game.

"We're really proud of that fact that we're pioneers to be able to take that game to Samoa - you know being the first franchise to take it there. And it's only fitting that we get to do that.

But the statistics suggest they're facing an uphill battle, with the Blues having never won a game in Sydney after trailing the series 2-0.

During their recent period of dominance Queensland have not only won 10 of the past 11 State of Origin series, they have also won every Game Three since 2009. 

Only Michael Jennings remains from the NSW 17 that won Game Three six year ago, with Gallen the only other Blues player to have won the final game of a series (in 2007).