KEY POINTS:
The Highlanders have lost their skipper, Josh Blackie, for the crucial clash with the Chiefs in Queenstown on Saturday.
Blackie has damaged a shoulder and is out of the squad. That's forced a loose forward rejig, with Ezra Taylor in at No 8, Craig Newby taking over the
captaincy at blindside flanker and Alando Soakai at No 7.
Fullback Glen Horton is out with a lower leg injury, his place going to James Wilson; Aaron Bancroft is in at second five-eighths for Callum Bruce; and lock Hoani Macdonald comes in for Kane Thompson.
The Chiefs, lying 11th, three places and three points behind their hosts, won't name their side until today. But one matchup which promises to be highly entertaining will be between All Black halfback Byron Kelleher and Jimmy Cowan, who has been in good form in his bid regain the black jersey he lost on last year's end-of-season tour to the Northern Hemisphere.
It's becoming a tight field, between Kelleher, Piri Weepu, Andrew Ellis and Cowan with three No 9s likely to get the nod for the World Cup campaign.
"His decision-making, his kicking over the top ... he's got a very good allround game at the moment, and the challenge for him is to maintain that consistency," Highlanders coach Greg Cooper said.
"People know how well he's playing at the moment.
"The public, the media and the selectors will be waiting to see whether he can continue that form."
The Reds and the Stormers return from having the bye last weekend.
For the bottom-placed Reds, they have five first-choice players back from injury.
Fullback Clinton Schifcofske, lock Hugh McMeniman, centre Andrew Brown, first five-eighths Berrick Barnes and hooker Sean Hardman are all available to coach Eddie Jones.
Of the five, McMeniman, Schifcofske and Barnes or Brown are tipped to return for their home game against the Sharks on Saturday night.
The Sharks will be desperate, having undone their fine start with back-to-back losses.
The Stormers return by hosting the Lions in Cape Town and have recalled Springbok Conrad Jantjes to fullback in place of Gio Aplon, and Corne Uys returns to the wing instead of Dylan des Fountain.
The Stormers' first-choice lock pairing of Andries Bekker and Gerrie Britz also return in place of Ross Skeate and Francois van der Merwe.