All Blacks Chay Fihaki and George Bell will return to Canterbury’s line-up for the NPC final on Monday.
Fihaki, fresh off an All Blacks debut against the Wallabies on Saturday, starts on the wing as the red-and-blacks chase consecutive NPC titles. Bell will come off the bench behind skipper Brodie McAlister in the final against Northland at One New Zealand Stadium.
Wing Isaac Hutchinson moves to the bench, with Macklan Robertson out of the 23-man squad, while Bell replaces Manumaua Letiu on the pine.
All Blacks lock Jamie Hannah also returns to the starting team in a straight swap for Tahlor Cahill, who slides to the bench.
Hannah was a late inclusion in Canterbury’s 38-28 semi-final victory over Taranaki on Sunday after being unneeded for the Bledisloe test in Sydney the previous day.
Canterbury are chasing their 16th NPC title, which would put them one behind Auckland’s competition-record 17.
They will be up against a Northland team that has never won the competition since it started in 1976, but were among the leading teams this year and beat Otago 38-19 in last Friday’s semi-final.
Northland beat Canterbury 36-12 in Christchurch when the teams last met in round 4, claiming the Ranfurly Shield for the first time.
They will be hoping for another slice of history when the teams meet under the roof again.
- NPC final: Canterbury v Northland, One NZ Stadium, 2.10pm, Monday
Canterbury: Johnny McNicholl, Chay Fihaki, Dallas McLeod, Jone Rova, Kurtis MacDonald, Andrew Knewstubb, Louie Chapman, Dom Gardiner, Corey Kellow, Xaview Treacy, Sam Darry, Jamie Hannah, Brodie McAlister (c), Finlay Brewis. Reserves: George Bell, Lewis Ponini, Gus Brown, Tahlor Cahill, Torian Barnes, Tyson Belworthy, James Cameron, Isaac Hutchinson