All Blacks pivot Aaron Cruden will this week play his first match since picking up a knee injury in last year's Rugby World Cup final.
Cruden has been named in the Chiefs squad to face the Melbourne Rebels in a Super Rugby pre-season match in Geelong tomorrow night, more than three months after the Rugby World Cup decider against France at Eden Park.
He was forced from the field in that match, allowing unlikely hero Stephen Donald to write himself into the history books by slotting the match-winning penalty in New Zealand's 8-7 win.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie will look to give the entire travelling squad a run and use the game time to play different combinations.
The travelling squad includes some of the Chiefs wider training squad who Rennie expects will be called upon during the season.
Chiefs squad to play the Rebels: Alex Bradley, Phillip Burleigh, Shane Cleaver, Aaron Cruden, Marcel Cumming-Toone, Hika Elliot, Mike Fitzgerald, Josh Hohneck, Andrew Horrell, Richard Kahui, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Tanerau Latimer, Fritz Lee, Brendon Leonard, Lelia Masaga, Liam Messam, Tim Nanai-Williams, Martino Nemani, Augustine Pulu, Ronald Raaymakers, Brodie Retallick, Robbie Robinson, Toby Smith, Ben Tameifuna, Sona Taumalolo, Kane Thompson, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Scott Waldrom, Jackson Willison.
