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Canterbury talisman Richie Mo’unga will start in the No 10 jersey for the first time since his return to New Zealand when his side attempts to win back the Ranfurly Shield off Otago on Sunday.
He is one of two changes to the run-on side, replacing Andrew Knewstubb at first-five, while experienced fullback Johnny McNicholl returns in place of Kurtis MacDonald, with Chay Fihaki moving to the wing.
It will be Mo’unga’s first appearance in the Canterbury No 10 jersey since 2020, a 23-22 defeat to Taranaki in which the team coughed up the Ranfurly Shield.
McNicholl said he has not played alongside Mo’unga since 2016, when they started at 10 and 15 in Canterbury’s 43-27 defeat of Tasman to claim the NPC title.
"It feels like just yesterday we were playing together,” he said.
“When you're back out on the training pitch and still know each other's movements and communication skills, it's all good out there.”
This will also be McNicholl’s first shield challenge since 2016, when Canterbury won it off Waikato and backed up three days later to beat North Harbour to seal it for the summer.
Injury ruled him out of last year’s brief reign, which ended with a 38-36 defeat to Otago at Apollo Projects Stadium.
“When you see that shield challenge on the calendar, it definitely raises the hairs on the back of your neck and you get excited for that,” he said.
Lock Tahlor Cahill was the scorer of Canterbury’s first try at One New Zealand Stadium in last week’s 38-31 victory over Auckland, sealed by a late Mo’unga try off the bench.
"I was just as shocked as probably anyone else,” he said.
“I haven't scored for three years, I think, so to get it on such a great occasion's pretty cool. It was nice to be the final pair of hands to receive the ball.”
He said there was huge motivation to win the shield back off Otago, who have held it since that successful challenge in Christchurch last year.
"The shield is such a special thing in New Zealand rugby, and you never want to lose it.
"We're going to do everything we can to try and get it back.”
Canterbury are fifth in the NPC table after round one, while Otago occupy top spot after a 41-14 defeat of Southland in Invercargill.
The red-and-blacks defeated Otago 36-28 in last year’s final to lift the trophy for the first time since 2017.
Captain and hooker Brodie McAlister will play his 50th game for Canterbury on Sunday, just days after being overlooked to join the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa as an injury replacement for George Bell.
McAlister played two tests last year but Taranaki’s Bradley Slater was the preferred option to fly to South Africa.
The match for the Ranfurly Shield kicks off at 2.05pm at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Sunday.
- Otago v Canterbury, Forsyth Barr Stadium, 2.05pm, Sunday
Canterbury: Johnny McNicholl, Chay Fihaki, Dallas McLeod, Jone Rova, Ngani Punivai, Richie Mo’unga, Louie Chapman, Torian Barnes, Corey Kellow, Dominic Gardiner, Jamie Hannah, Tahlor Cahill, Jermaine Ainsley, Brodie McAlister (C), Finlay Brewis. Reserves: Manumaua Letiu, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Seb Calder, Liam Jack, Finn McLeod, Tyson Belworthy, Andrew Knewstubb, Toby Bell.