Injuries once again cut through Turbos ranks

It's an ominous sign when Turbos doctor Ra Durie rocks up to the Turbos training at Massey University.

The injury-plagued Manawatu squad, the hardest hit of the 14 teams by a mile, yesterday provided him no shortage of clients.

Latest to go down was another of the key men, lock Reece Robinson, out with a hamstring strain.

That leaves the Turbos with two young locks, Michael FitzGerald and Fraser Stone, to face Hawke's Bay's tall trees, Bryn Evans and Ross Kennedy.

Also sidelined is wing Lote Raikabula who needs rest after incurring a side strain at the New Zealand sevens camp earlier in the week. With the wing stocks low, Junior Tomasi Cama shoots to the left wing while All Black Aaron Cruden will attract national attention at first-five.

A decision was being left until tomorrow on the fitness of No8 Mitchell Crosswell who strained a hamstring in the soft ground at Palmerston North Boys' High School on Wednesday.

Prop Karl Haitana's hamstring tightens up but he was also contending with a painful wisdom tooth yesterday.

Second five-eighth Frankie Bryant will make his first appearance, off the bench, since injuring a knee medial ligament in the opening ITM Cup game.

Neither team has won a match so far but it's more calamitous for Hawke's Bay who were semifinalists last year.

Flanker James Oliver is at least two weeks away and there's no telling when captain Nick Crosswell will be back. He has seen surgeon David Brougham about his knee injury.

Cruden will oppose former Wellington first-five Daniel Kirkpatrick who slotted only two goals from six in the home loss to Southland last Sunday.

Cruden yesterday shaved his hair when he visited a primary school as part of the Cancer Society's Daffodil Day. Half a dozen boys at the school had also shaved their heads.

Hawke's Bay have reconfigured their outside backs with the return of All Black Israel Dagg to fullback.

Captain Jason Shoemark shifts from centre to second-five, Richard Buckman comes from the reserves to centre and former Palmerston North Boys' High School fullback Gillies Kaka is on the right wing with All Black Zac Guildford on the left.

- © Fairfax NZ News