There are six changes to the Canterbury team named today to play Auckland in an ITM Cup match at AMI Stadium on Saturday night.

Halfback Andy Ellis and No8 Nasi Manu start for the first time this season following respective toe and knee injuries. Ellis comes in for Takerei Norton and Manu for Ash Parker.

All Blacks hooker Corey Flynn starts after being unavailable last weekend due to the Tri Nations match against the Springboks in Soweto. Steve Fualau goes to the reserves bench to make way for Flynn.

Wing Tu Umaga-Marshall is back after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury and second-five Ryan Crotty makes his first appearance since the round one match against Hawke’s Bay, when he sprained a foot.

Umaga-Marshall starts on the right wing ahead of Sam Monaghan and Crotty comes in for Stephen Brett.

Prop Peter Borlase replaces Andrew Olorenshaw in the starting line-up.

Sonny Bill Williams has recovered from his hamstring injury and will play for Canterbury Metro against Canterbury Country in the curtain raiser at AMI Stadium which kicks off at 5.15pm.

Canterbury head coach Rob Penney said: “It’s great to have guys back from injury and in the mix for us, including Andy, Nasi, Tu and Ryan. They are all class players who will add a lot.”

Penney added: “We have decided to give Sonny a run with Metro purely because he hasn’t played a lot of rugby lately. It’s great to see him back to full fitness but it’s match fitness that he needs now and he’ll get that on Saturday.”

Brett and Parker, who are on the reserves bench, will celebrate milestones if they take the field. It will be Brett’s 50^th game for Canterbury and Parker’s blazer game (12^th).

The Canterbury team to play Auckland in an ITM Cup match at AMI Stadium on Saturday, August 28, kick-off 7.35pm, is:

1. Wyatt Crockett
2. Corey Flynn
3. Peter Borlase
4. Luke Romano
5. Isaac Ross
6. Matt Todd
7. George Whitelock (c)
8. Nasi Manu
9. Andy Ellis
10. Colin Slade
11. Telusa Veainu
12. Ryan Crotty
13. Robbie Fruean
14. Tu Umaga-Marshall
15. Sean Maitland

      Reserves:

16. Steve Fualau
17. Andrew Olorenshaw
18. Rob Verbakel
19. Ash Parker
20. Takerei Norton
21. Stephen Brett
22. Sam Monaghan

Unavailable due to injury: midfielder Adam Whitelock (concussion), halfback Willi Heinz (hand).

Unavailable due to All Blacks commitments/injury: Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Brad Thorn, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Sam Whitelock.