Sam Whitelock to return to Canterbury training, ex-All Blacks wing Waisake Naholo to make first start

Former All Blacks winger Waisake Naholo will make his first start for his new province, Canterbury when they face Waikato in the National Provincial Championship while stand-in All Blacks Captain Sam Whitelock will join Canterbury in the hope of preserving his fitness before potentially joining the All Blacks on their northern hemisphere tour later this year.

Naholo made his Canterbury debut off the bench in their last match before New Zealand went into COVID-19 lockdown, defeating Manawatu 25-22.

Back in New Zealand after a stint in England with the London Irish, Canterbury coach Mark Brown is confident that Naholo can recreate the form that saw him become a fan favourite with both the Highlanders and Taranaki.

He says Naholo is a real professional and there is no doubt that he will do the job for them.

Meanwhile, Whitelock didn't travel with the All Blacks to Australia for this year's Rugby Championship as he and his partner awaited the birth of their third child.

The All Blacks' stand-in captain was supposed to depart for Australia last weekend, but a delayed flight to Australia saw the pin being pulled, and as a result, the 32-year-old veteran will return to Canterbury next week in a training capacity at the very least.

The All Blacks will meet the Argentina at 10.05pm Saturday while the Springboks will face the Wallabies at 7.05pm Saturday.

[Source: Newshub.co.nz]