KEY POINTS:
Bottom of the national championship after two rounds, Waikato take on Manawatu in Palmerston North tonight desperate to get their season up and running.
The offensively challenged Mooloo men have scored just two tries in deeply unimpressive defeats to Northland and Tasman. Another stumble tonight and they'll be
looking like genuine wooden spoon contenders.
If ever a team needed an agent of change, then, it is woeful Waikato. Enter Henry Speight, the 20-year-old nephew of unsuccessful 2000 Fiji coup leader George, who tonight makes his debut on the wing for the province.
Waikato coach Tony Hanks has also rejigged his midfield, pairing Jackson Willison with Dwayne Sweeney. Roimata Hansell-Pune has been dropped to the bench and Soseni Anesi switched to fullback.
Hikairo Forbes will start at loosehead prop, with Craig West, who last week returned from a long injury lay off, named on the reserves bench.
Hanks, in his first year in the job after succeeding Warren Gatland, has opted largely for stability. But there are signs his patience is beginning to wear thin.
"We've resisted the chance to make wholesale changes this week," he said. "We're giving a number of players a chance to redeem themselves."
Manawatu have made two changes to the team that fell flat in last Friday's home opener against Southland.
Coach Dave Rennie has named lock Paul Rodgers and hooker Sean O'Connor in his starting line-up.
They replace James Goode and Rob Foreman from the side that went down 5-18 to the Stags a week after shocking Canterbury 25-24 in Christchurch.
The match is sure to be a bit of a celebration for the Turbos, who on Monday learned they had avoided the chop when next season's tournament is reduced from 14 to 12 teams.
Palmerston North, tonight 7.05
MANAWATU
Francisco Bosch
Aaron James
Johnny Leota
Francis Bryant
Andre Taylor
Matty James
Aaron Good
Nick Crosswell
Doug Tietjens
Hamish Gosling
Paul Rodgers
Hayden Triggs (c)
Talau Hala
Sean O'Connor
Grant Polson
WAIKATO
Sosene Anesi
Henry Speight
Dwayne Sweeney
Jackson Willison
Tim Mikkelson
Callum Bruce
David Bason
Liam Messam (c)
Tom Harding
Faifili Levave
Kevin O'Neill
Toby Lynn
A. de Malmanche
Oli Avei
Hikairo Forbes Manawatu: Rob Foreman, David Te Moana, Ross Adaam, James Goode, Aaron Smith, Aaron Cruden, Lote Raikabula.
Waikato: Craig West, Josh Hohneck, Kent Fife, Matt Blain, Josh Sutherland, Trent Renata, Roimata Hansell-Pune.