Super Rugby: Abbott makes debut for Hurricanes

Bay players Mark Abbott, left, and Brendon Edmonds. Photo / Darren Taumata

Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby lock Mark Abbott will make his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in Sunday morning's match against the Sharks in Durban.

The Napier Old Boys Marist club player is one of four players who will make their debut starts for the Canes.

Fellow new recruits Marty Banks and Hadleigh Parkes will start at fullback and second five-eighth respectively while No.8 Blade Thomson, who already has one Super Rugby cap, will be given his first start.

Should prop Chris Eves and loosie Adam Hill receive game time off the bench, it will be their Super Rugby debuts also. Abbott, the Magpies' 2013 Rookie of the Year, will join Magpies and All Black prop Ben Franks in the visitors starting XV.

The Magpies 2013 Best Forward Brendon Edmonds, one of five props in South Africa with the Canes, missed out on a berth in the playing 23. Magpie Ash Dixon, the Canes third string hooker, didn't make the tour squad.

Captained by All Black centre Conrad Smith, the Hurricanes starting line-up, features nine All Blacks and two Samoan internationals. Crusaders fullback Israel Dagg and the Highlanders pair of flanker Gareth Evans and winger Richard Buckman are the other Magpies who will start for a New Zealand Super teams this weekend.

Dagg's Crusaders side will take on defending champions, the Chiefs, in Christchurch tonight.

Magpies midfield back Andrew Horrell is likely to get game time off the bench for the Chiefs as is Magpies flanker Brendon O'Connor for the Blues against the Highlanders in Dunedin tomorrow night.

Magpies hooker Ged Robinson is on the Highlanders subs bench and it will be a surprise if he doesn't get game time in the Forsyth Barr Stadium.