12 Aug 2008

Winless Waikato resist wholesale changes

2:05 pm on 12 August 2008

Waikato will field a new midfield combination against Manawatu in Palmerston North when round three of the provincial rugby championship starts on Thursday night.

Coach Tony Hanks has opted for Dwayne Sweeney at centre and Jackson Willison at second five-eighth with Roimata Hansell-Pune moving to the bench.

Hanks is also starting a new wing, 20-year-old Henry Speight, who's originally from Fiji.

But he says he's resisted the chance to make wholesale changes so as to give a number of players a chance to redeem themselves after losses to Northland and Tasman.

Hanks says his players are highly motivated to get a win in Palmerston North, where Manawatu lost to Southland after upsetting Canterbury in Christchurch.