Nonu back to face Bulls

Ma'a Nonu will play his first game for the Hurricanes in four years when they take on the Bulls in a Super Rugby Round Two match in Pretoria on Friday.

Nonu, who missed last week's season opening 22-8 win over the Lions in Johannesburg after arriving late in South Africa, was on paternity leave.

He will join up with long-time All Black partner Conrad Smith in a very powerful midfield.

It is a largely unchanged side that will face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, as the Hurricanes look to make it two from two in 2015.

Nonu, for what will be his 145th Super Rugby appearance, will play for the Hurricanes for the first time since 2011.

He subsequently played 25 games for the Blues, in 2012 and 2014, while he also made nine appearances for the Highlanders in 2013.

The match will also be a significant occasion for Manawatu flanker Callum Gibbins, who is set to get his first start for the Hurricanes.

The match will also see Pretoria-schooled Reggie Goodes start at loosehead prop, with the former Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) pupil having spent his childhood in his native South Africa - before immigrating with his family to Wellington in 2006.

The mobile  prop arrived made his debut for the Hurricanes in 2012, after two impressive seasons playing for the Wellington Lions in the NPC.

Goodes made eight appearances in his rookie year, including four starts.

His Hurricanes debut was delayed until the second half of the competition, after he sustained a shoulder injury in their final pre-season match against the Chiefs.

However, once fit, he turned in several wholly committed performances.

Goodes played another 12 times in his second season in 2013 and another 10 in 2014, after missing the first part of the year through injury.

Head-to-head, this will be the 19th time the Hurricanes and the Bulls have met on the Super Rugby stage, both winning nine matches each.

The Hurricanes' last visit to Pretoria was in 2013, when the Bulls won 48-14.

Hurricanes: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Callum Gibbins, 6 Brad Shields, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Mark Abbott, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Reggie Goodes.

Replacements: 16 Brayden Mitchell, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Chris Eves, 19 Ardie Savea, 20 Victor Vito, 21 Chris Smylie, 22 James Marshall, 23 Matt Proctor.

Date: Friday, February 20

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kick-off: 19.19 (17.10 GMT; 06.10, Saturday, February 21 NZ time)

Referee: Andrew Lees (Australia)

Assistant referees: Rohan Hoffmann (Australia), Jaco van Heerden (South Africa)

TMO: Johan Greeff (South Africa)

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