Chiefs lose Tupou Vaa’i but get Wallace Sititi back for top-of-table Super Rugby Pacific clash with Hurricanes

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

Tupou Vaa’i is out of the Chiefs’ top-of-the-table clash against the Hurricanes due to concussion.

The Chiefs will be without All Blacks lock Tupou Vaa’i and have been forced into a midfield shuffle, with Quinn Tupaea to centre, for Saturday night’s Super Rugby Pacific blockbuster against the Hurricanes in Hamilton.

News that outside backs Emoni Narawa and Etene Nanai-Seturo (both foot injuries) now aren’t scheduled to return until the final round of the regular season at the earliest makes for further blows for Jono Gibbes’ side ahead of the top-of-the-table round-10 clash at FMG Stadium Waikato.

The second-ranked Chiefs do, however, get a boost in the form of All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi returning from a hamstring problem, for what will be just his second game of the season, in a fixture that is also captain Luke Jacobson’s 100th for the franchise.

Sititi, whose only action to date has been off the bench in the round-three loss to the Crusaders, will line up in the reserves, which features a season-first 6-2 forwards-backs split for the hosts.

The Chiefs have further fresh forwards injected in the form of George Dyer, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Josh Lord (all starting) and Kaylum Boshier (bench), after they were rested from last Saturday’s 62-17 thrashing of Moana Pasifika in Rotorua.

Reon Paul has been thrust into a starting second-five role for the Chiefs this weekend.

However, a head injury to vice captain Vaa’i makes for a big loss. That sees Lord and Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi combine in the second row, and gives promising youngster Fiti Sa a third opportunity from the pine in four weeks.

The other major change comes in midfield, with centre continuing to be a problem area, with Daniel Rona (hamstring), Lalakai Foketi (hand) already sidelined and now also Kyle Brown (hip) after getting his first start there last weekend.

All Blacks winger Leroy Carter had capably filled the No 13 in the two previous games, but with the outside backs division now also getting light, Gibbes has opted to keep him where he is (in what is the first re-used starting back-three combination this year) and instead catapult wider-training-group member Reon Paul into the starting lineup, on the back of an encouraging showing off the bench on Super debut against Moana.

Paul, the 24-year-old nephew of former All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara, was contracted by the Blues last season, and has played 19 games for Bay of Plenty across the last three years, though has made just five starts, with four of those on the wing.

He now faces the massive assignment of marking an in-form Jordie Barrett, with Tupaea, the runaway leader of the Player of the Year voting, to instead line up as the Chiefs’ fifth different centre in the past six games, in what will still be an All Blacks head-to-head, against Billy Proctor.

The Hurricanes will arrive in Hamilton confident, sitting top of the table and on the back of a belting of the Blues.

It will be the first time Tupaea has worn the Chiefs No 13 jersey since his debut year back in 2020, but after making a fine go of the centre role for the All Blacks in a couple of tests last year, there is a sense it could just be one that becomes a more common one for him at test level.

Meanwhile, the high-flying Hurricanes, who sit three points clear of the Chiefs at the top of the table, with a game also in hand, have made just a single change to their starting lineup on the back of their impressive 42-19 beating of the Blues in Wellington last Saturday night.

That comes at lock, where Isaia Walker-Leawere (starting) and Caleb Delany (bench) swap roles.

There are two further tweaks on the bench, with prop Pouri Rakete-Stones coming in for Siale Lauaki (concussion), and hooker Jacob Devery preferred over Raymond Tuputupu.

“It’s a hugely exciting weekend to go up to the Chiefs, who have played particularly well over the past few weeks,” Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said, in a statement.

“They have probably the strongest forward pack we've faced. They’re full of All Blacks, so we’re well aware of the threat they pose, but we’re confident in the way we’re playing.

“We’ve got a settled squad to build on the cohesion from last week against the Blues, but we expect the Chiefs to be highly-motivated and it should be a great game.

“We’re super excited to get up there and get another opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the competition away from home.”

Chiefs: Liam Coombes-Fabling, Leroy Carter, Quinn Tupaea, Reon Paul, Kyren Taumoefolau, Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima, Simon Parker, Luke Jacobson (c), Samipeni Finau, Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Josh Lord, George Dyer, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ollie Norris. Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Jared Proffit, Reuben O’Neill, Fiti Sa, Kaylum Boshier, Wallace Sititi, Xavier Roe, Josh Jacomb.

Hurricanes: Callum Harkin, Josh Moorby, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett (cc), Fehi Fineanganofo, Ruben Love, Cam Roigard, Peter Lakai, Du’Plessis Kirifi (cc), Devan Flanders, Warner Dearns, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Pasilio Tosi, Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia. Reserves: Jacob Devery, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Tevita Mafileo, Caleb Delany, Brad Shields, Brayden Iose, Ereatara Enari, Jone Rova.