Cooper overhauls Hurricanes lineup for Bulls match

Three All Blacks were dumped by Wellington Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper as starters against the unbeaten Bulls on Friday in hope of halting his Super 14 rugby team's run of two straight losses in South Africa.

Cooper dropped 35-test All Blacks scrumhalf Piri Weepu to the reserves among six changes on Thursday to his run-on side at Pretoria.

The Bulls-Hurricanes match is the second on Friday, following Auckland at home against the ACT Brumbies.

On Saturday, Canterbury welcome the Lions, Otago hosts the Sharks, the Western Force is at home against New South Wales, and the Cheetahs travel to Cape Town to play the second-place Stormers.

Eighth-place Wellington won its first three matches but plunged from the top of the table with losses in South Africa in the fourth and fifth rounds to the Cheetahs and Stormers.

The Bulls, who sit atop the standings with four wins and are averaging almost 50 points per game, are tougher than Wellington's recent opponents and Cooper has resorted to radical change to spark his team.

All Blacks lock Bryn Evans joins Weepu in the reserves while international flanker Scott Waldrom has been cut entirely from the match 22. A fourth All Black, fullback Cory Jane, was sidelined with a head injury and replaced by Andre Taylor. Winger David Smith, the leading tryscorer in the competition with five, has been dropped and replaced by rookie Alapati Leiua.

"We were unhappy (with our losses) and you have to send a message to the players," Cooper said. "Making changes puts everybody on edge. Hopefully we get the performance off the bench."

Captain Victor Matfield will win his 100th Super Rugby cap for the Bulls, who have made only one change to their lineup at Loftus Versfeld: Flanker Deon Stegmann was recalled in place of Derick Kuun, who returns to the bench.

"Of course, it is nice for me (to play 100 games) but the bigger picture is what the Bulls must do to stay undefeated," Matfield said. "All the teams are improving week by week, so we need to improve as well. We don't play for caps, we play to win trophies."

All Blacks utility back Isaia Toeava returns from a hip injury to fullback for the Auckland Blues against the Brumbies in the opening match of the sixth round.

Wallabies center Stirling Mortlock has been left out of the Brumbies to rest minor head and shoulder injuries. His place was taken by Tyrone Smith.

The New South Wales Waratahs, 3-2 and in seventh place, have named an unchanged lineup for their Australian derby clash with the winless Western Force. The Waratahs are coming off an 11-try, 73-12 win over the Lions.

Former All Blacks lock Chris Jack is expected to be named for the first time this season in the Canterbury Crusaders' squad to take on the Lions, who have undergone six changes.

"We need to show the sort of character expected from a team of this caliber," Lions coach Dick Muir said.

The Otago Highlanders (1-4) return home for the first time since round two to host the winless Sharks, who will start without Springboks captain and prop John Smit.

Smit was dropped to the bench, with Bismarck du Plessis at hooker and his brother Jannie at tighthead prop. Johann Muller will take over the captaincy from Smit, who was not starting for the first time this year after regularly being shifted between prop and hooker by coach John Plumtree.

Teenage fullback Patrick Lambie was also handed his first Super 14 start as the Sharks search for a long-awaited victory.

"The game is all about pressure and composure. At the end of the day, we need to show enough composure to win the game," Plumtree said. "We've lost four games by less than four or five points so it's been very frustrating that we can't win these close games."

In meeting the Cheetahs in an all-South African match, the Stormers made two changes: Tim Whitehead replaced the injured Juan de Jongh while winger Sireli Naqelevuki was rested and replaced by Gio Aplon.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Reds, who along with the Waikato Chiefs have a bye this weekend, left former Wallabies vice-captain Morgan Turinui out of their squad for a three-match trip to South Africa.

Despite starting the Reds' first four games, midfielder Turinui was left out for the Reds' matches against the Cheetahs, Sharks and Lions. Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie said Digby Ioane's successful switch into the centers in the 50-10 win over Western Force on Sunday was a major factor in the decision.