Barrett brothers to play first game together

Two Barretts are suiting up, but not Dane Coles just yet.

Brothers Beauden and Jordie Barrett play together for the first time this afternoon at the Border Rugby Club in Waverley in the HurricanesCrusaders pre-season clash.

Beauden, World and New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year, will have 40 minutes running the cutter in the No 10 jersey, while Jordie will start at fullback, where coach Chris Boyd sees his immediate Super Rugby future. Captain Coles will have another week off game time as he prepares for a big 2017 season.

Boyd has selected four of his five 2016 All Blacks, with Ardie Savea to start at openside flanker, and TJ Perenara and Julian Savea on at halfback and left wing respectively in the second half.

The Hurricanes’ starting side will also provide an opportunity to see new recruit Ben Lam in action, with the former New Zealand sevens and Auckland representative starting on the right wing.

Beauden Barrett will team up with halfback Chris Smylie, who has rejoined the Hurricanes as injury cover, while Perenara and Maori All Black Otere Black will form the second half halves pairing. Jordie Barrett will make way for Nehe Milner-Skudder at the break, while Lam will sub off for Cory Jane and Ardie Savea for Callum Gibbins.

In all, there will be 18 All Blacks on display, including seven from the Hurricanes, with newly re-signed Israel Dagg getting a run at fullback for the visitors.

Matt Todd and Ryan Crotty are the 2017 vice-captains.

Former New Zealand Universities and New Zealand Schools halfbackfirst five-eighth Ere Enari, out of St Kentigern College, is named in the No 9 jersey for the Crusaders.

The Crusaders reached the Brisbane Tens final last weekend by beating the semifinals.

The likes of Mitch Hunt and new recruit Seta Tamanivalu, who will start on the right wing, looked full of running in Brisbane.

The match, which kicks off at 5pm, has sold out, with 4500 fans from the Whanganui and south Taranaki regions showing their support.

The Hurricanes held an open training run at Cooks Gardens, home of the Wanganui Rugby Union, yesterday afternoon.

The Border club, from where the likes of Guy Lennox hails, is technically part of the Wanganui union but is geographically in south Taranaki. Hurricanes in the