The All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu has been dropped from the Blues side to take on the British and Irish Lions side tonight for disciplinary reasons.
Blues lock Patrick Tuipulotu. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Tuipulotu failed to notify the team he would be late for training earlier this week.
The 24-year-old had initially been named on the bench for tonight's clash at Eden Park, the second game for the Lions on their New Zealand tour. He has been replaced by Jimmy Tupou.
Sonny Bill Williams has also been cleared to play with TJ Faiane moving to the replacements bench. Faiane had been tagged by Blues coach Tana Umaga to start if the 31-year-old Williams had not recovered from a knee injury.
Melani Nanai drops out of the replacements to make way for Faiane.
The game kicks off at 7:35pm.
Blues: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, George Moala, Sonny Bill Williams, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu, Steve Luatua, Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane, Scott Scrafton, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Charlie Faumuina, James Parsons, Ofa Tu'ungafasi.
Reserves: Hame Faiva, Alex Hodgman, Sione Mafileo, Jimmy Tupou, Kara Pryor, Sam Nock, Ihaia West, TJ Faiane.
Lions: Leigh Halfpenny, Jack Nowell, Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Elliot Daly, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Jack McGrath, Ken Owens (Capt), Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, James Haskell, Justin Tipuric, CJ Stander.
Reserves: Rory Best, Joe Marler, Kyle Sinckler, Iain Henderson, Peter O'Mahony, Greig Laidlaw, Johnny Sexton, Liam Williams.
