Three Hawke's Bay Magpies will start for the Hurricanes in their pre-season rugby clash against the Blues in Whangarei this afternoon.
Second-season Cane Chris Eaton will start at halfback, third-season Cane Daniel Kirkpatrick at first five-eighth and utility back Richard Buckman, who is in his first season as a fullycontracted Super Rugby player, will start on the right wing. The Magpies' other Cane, openside flanker Karl Lowe, has had a minor operation and is four to six weeks away from taking the field.
Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett intends to use 29 players in the match.
All seven of the 2011 Hawke's Bay Magpies who gained Chiefs contracts for this year were expected to get game time in the Chiefs' first pre-season game against the Melbourne Rebels in Geelong last night. They were hooker Hika Elliot, inside back Andrew Horrell, winger Tino Nemani, locks Brodie Retallick and Kane Thompson and props Ben Tameifuna and Sona Taumalolo.
The game was still in progress when Hawke's Bay Today went to press last night.
