Blues Development player Daniel Pryor has been called into the Toll Northland side as cover for injured openside flanker Joel McKenty.
Medial ligament damage has sidelined McKenty ahead of Northland's opening match of the ITM Cup tonight against Taranaki, in New Plymouth.
With McKenty out, Sam Barker was set to make his
debut at openside for Northland but has injured his back - so Pryor has been given his chance to make his mark, with Cameron Goodhue named on the bench.
"We have an agreement with Daniel, who is from Auckland but has strong Northland links - his mother Colleen Kerr is the daughter of John Kerr, one of the founders of Kerr Construction," Northland coach Bryce Woodward said.
Pryor played for Auckland Club Rugby's Gallagher Shield runner-ups Grammar Carlton this season, along with making the Blues Development Squad in 2010.
The other change to Northland's line-up is forward Ross Wright coming into the mix, replacing Paea Fa'anunu, who bruised his sternum at Northland's preseason match against Auckland at Dargaville last week, on the bench.
The Northland 22 arrived in New Plymouth yesterday to finish preparing for the match against a toughened Taranaki unit, who are under the direction of new coach Colin Cooper this season.
Woodward said his side had been travelling nicely this week and were prepared for their first ITM Cup match, after two preseason matches in which they claimed a win over North Harbour in Kaitaia, and suffered a 27-3 loss to Auckland.
Tonight's game between Taranaki and Northland kicks off at 7.35pm, at New Plymouth.
Northland:
1 Matt Wallis, 2 Mikaele Tuu'u, 3 Bronson Murray, 4 Pat O'Connor, 5 Mark Burman, 6 Dean Budd, 7 Daniel Pryor, 8 Cameron Eyre, 9 Luke Hamilton, 10 David Holwell, 11 Lachie Munro, 12 Aaron Bancroft, 13 Rene Ranger, 14 Simon Munro, 15 Jared Payne (captain). Reserves: 16 Tim Dow, 17 Ross Wright, 18 Roy Griffin, 19 Cameron Goodhue, 20 Rhyan Caine, 21 Iwi Hauraki, 22 Bryce Heem.
