• Scott Scrafton and Jordan Trainor return from injury to take their place in the starting side
• Victory on Sunday for Auckland will see them up to second, while a loss could see them slip out of a semi-final spot

Auckland return home on Sunday afternoon against a Wellington side who are on a hot streak, winning their last four outings on the trot. The home side did well to secure a bonus-point win late on against Counties Manukau last weekend on the back of a superb defensive effort whereby they were made to play with only 14-men for half an hour of the contest.

For Auckland, it’s the returns of Blues players, Scott Scrafton and Jordan Trainor, that are of most interest. Both have endured frustrating injury spells, but have put that behind them for now to don the blue and white for the first time in 2019.

Other changes to the side see Adrian Choat start on the blindside flank in a likely tandem pairing with co-captain Blake Gibson. Alex Hodgman returns to start at loosehead, while Scrafton starts from the beginning at lock in place of Peter-Chanel Tagaloa.

Out wider, Jonathan Ruru returns to the starting berth at halfback with Danny Tusitala starting on the pine, and Jordan Trainor replaces Kurt Heatherley at fullback.

Coach Alama Ieremia saw plenty of things to like against Counties Manukau, especially the resolve of his team when under pressure and having to play with reduced numbers.

“I was very proud of the boys in how they clawed themselves back into the contest, and their defensive effort. It was pretty good to hold them out, especially after three disappointing yellow cards that we’ve addressed this week in terms of our discipline moving forward.”

Looking ahead to this weekend, Ieremia acknowledged the different sort of challenge Wellington will likely present with explosive athletes littered throughout the side.

“I think they (Wellington) are a mobile and active team in terms of asking questions of our defence right across the park, so we’ve got to be on our game there. To get through them, we might have to be quite creative in how we do that, and we’ve done a bit of work on that this week.”

Match Day Programme

Auckland team to play Wellington:

1. Alex Hodgman (Suburbs, 6 caps)
2. Leni Apisai (Loaned, 6)
3. Marcel Renata (University, 38)
4. Scott Scrafton (Grammar TEC, 25)
5. Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC, 33)
6. Adrian Choat (Waitemata, 7)
7. Blake Gibson – Co-C (Ponsonby, 30)
8. Akira Ioane (Ponsonby, 42)
9. Jonathan Ruru (University, 17)
10. Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC, 18)
11. Salesi Rayasi (Marist, 17)
12. TJ Faiane – Co-C (Pakuranga, 34)
13. Tumua Manu (College Rifles, 18)
14. Caleb Clarke (Suburbs, 16)
15. Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby, 19)
16. Mike Sosene-Feagai (Marist, 13)
17. Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Suburbs, 7)
18. Marco Fepulea’i (Ponsonby, 13)
19. Jamie Lane (Ponsonby, 11)
20. Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby, 7)
21. Danny Tusitala (Ponsonby, 6)
22. D’Angelo Leuila (Papatoetoe, 4)
23. Tanielu Tele’a (Marist, 10)

Unavailable due to injury: Hoskins Sotutu (ankle), Dalton Papalii (ankle), Lyndon Dunshea (knee), Cameron Suafoa (shoulder)