Team naming: Brother of former AB joins Southland Stags
Southland has been hit had in the tight-head propping department and has moved to try to fill the gaps with the introduction of Hamdahn Tuipulotu to the squad.
The Southland Stags have drafted in a former All Blacks brother to help with their depleted propping stocks.
Hamdahn Tuipulotu - brother of Patrick Tuipulotu’s - has joined the Stags squad and is in line to make his debut from the bench against Counties on Saturday.
Southland has been hit hard in the proposing department - particularly at tight-head.
Paula Latu is away with Tonga on World Cup duties, while Morgan Mitchell is still battling concussion symptoms following a head knock against Otago.
Quinn Harrison-Jones started in the No 3 jersey against Auckland but left the field in the second half with a rib injury.
Tuipulotu has previously been part of the Auckland NPC setup and has been named on the bench for Saturday’s showdown against Counties.
Jonah Aoina moves from the bench to start at tighthead prop.
The good news for the Stags is first choice loosehead prop Joe Walsh has returned to start against Counties.
Walsh has been carrying a shoulder injury through the early stages of the season and missed the 41-13 loss to Auckland.
Twenty-year-old former Verdon College pupil Hunter Fahey retains his place on the bench after making his debut at loosehead prop against Auckland.
In other changes in the forward pack, Mike McKee comes back into the starting lineup replacing Danny Drake.
Usual lock Shniel Singh will start on the blindside flank with Blair Ryall shifting to No 8 and Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa moving to the bench.
Former Hawke’s Bay halfback Connor McLeod will get his first start for Southland after coming off the bench against Auckland.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Hamer-Webb returns to start at fullback.
Saturday’s game against Counties will kick-off at 4.35pm.
SBS Bank Southland Stags team to play Counties:
1.      Joe Walsh
2.      Jack Taylor
3.      Jonah Aoina
4.      Mike McKee
5.      Josh Bekhuis (c)
6.      Shneil Singh
7.      Hayden Michaels
8.      Blair Ryall
9.      Connor McLeod
10.  Dan Hollinshead (vc)Â
11.  Michael Manson
12.  Tevita Latu
13.  Matt Whaanga
14.  Viliami Fine
15.  Gabriel Hamer-Webb
Reserves;
16.  Ben Strang
17.  Hunter Fahey
18.  Hamdahn Tuipulotu
19.  Leroy Ferguson
20.  Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa
21.  Jay Renton
22.  Greg Dyer
23.  Noah Foster