A shoulder injury has forced Napier Technical prop Mark Braidwood out of the Hawke's Bay Saracens team to take on the Manawatu Evergreens in Waipukurau tonight.
Braidwood, the form tighthead in club play and tipped by many to be a bolter in the Magpies ITM Cup squad to be announced in August, will be sidelined for three weeks.
Napier Old Boys Marist frontrower Jarvy Aoake will replace Braidwood. The only other change to the starting XV announced last week sees Napier Old Boys Marist's Joseph Penitito replace Taradale's Kaleb Sweet at No8 after Sweet showed signs of concussion at the weekend.
This is the final trial before the Magpies team is announced for the Ranfurly Shield defence against Wairarapa Bush on July 9.
Havelock North first five-eighth J'ndre Liebenberg may miss the match with a back injury collected at work on Monday. If he is ruled out, Clive pivot Tianua Poto will start and Taradale's Chris Eaton will replace him on the pine.
Former Magpies lock Tom Parsons is in the Evergreens squad and he may mark his brother, Hastings Rugby and Sports lock Ben Parsons, should they both be fielded. Taradale age group products, former Baby Black Tim Cadwallader and Wiremu Cottrell, will share the tighthead prop role for the visitors.
Teams for the 7pm match:
Saracens:
Nick Biss, Mason Emerson, Jonah Lowe, Billy Ropiha, Penikolo Latu, J'ndre Liebenberg, Ellery Wilson, Joseph Penitito, Tom Stanley, Tony Lamborn (captain), Sanaila Waqa, Trent Boswell-Wakefield, Jarvy Aoake, Jorian Tangaere, Jason Long. Substitutes, forwards: Mason Kean, Tolu Fahamokioa, Sean Morrison, Ben Parsons, Everard Reid, Ben Hamelink, Fergus McCool. Backs: Jonathan Ruru, Tianua Poto, Ted Walters, Shannan Chase, Trinity Spooner-Neera.
Evergreens (squad from which teams for each half will be named):
Hamiora Thomas, Luther Hirini, Newton Tudreu, Semisi Masirewa, Maleli Sau, Logan Broughton, Jaxon Tagavaitau, Jamie Perigo, Liam Berry, Ben Wyness, Ben Edwards, Toby Morland, Brice Henderson, Antonio Kiri Kiri, Cormac Chalmers, Sam Gammie, Doug Juszczyk, Tom Hughes, Tom Parsons, Fraser Stone, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Cadwallader, Wiremu Cottrell, Rob Foreman, Nick Grogan, Hakarangi Tichborne, Sean Rankin.