 Dan McKellar is exploring his options at halfback after demoting Joe Powell for the first time this season ahead of the Brumbies' key Super Rugby match against the Jaguares.
Matt Lucas will be the starting No.9 in Buenos Aires on Sunday (AEDT), with the smooth-passing Powell having owned the jersey in all their nine games until now. Lucas has had to be content with seven bench appearances but gets his chance inside skipper Christian Lealiifano, who continues his run of starting every game at five-eighth. Coach McKellar has made one other starting switch from the team who bravely held out the Stormers 19-17 in Cape Town last week. James Slipper replaces Scott Sio at prop, continuing the season-long rotation between the two seasoned looseheads. There are two changes on the bench. Hooker Conal McInerney was flown to Argentina to replace veteran Josh Mann-Rea, who suffered a suspected season-ending knee injury against the Stormers. Irae Simone returns as reserve back cover, in place of Wharenui Hawera. The Brumbies are chasing a third straight success on the road after season-reviving wins in South Africa, over the Lions and Stormers. They take a 4-5 record into their clash with the Jaguares (4-4), who are coming off successive losses in South Africa, followed by a bye last week.  New Zealand's government has announced the initial seven members of the central bank's new policy setting committee, including three external and four internal appointees but no business people. The new monetary policy committee (MPC) makes its first decision at the next cash rate review on May 8 and transfers power to change rates from the governor alone to a panel of bank staff and external members. On Wednesday, the RBNZ held its last monetary policy decision under the old framework at which central bank governor Adrian Orr decided to keep rates unchanged but surprised markets by flagging the next move in rates was likely to be a cut. The four RBNZ staff members on the committee include governor Orr, who chairs the committee; deputy governor Geoff Bascand; assistant governor Christian Hawkesby; and manager for international and markets analysis Yuong Ha, who has a one-year term while the role of central bank chief economist is vacant.  New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has touched on the Christchurch mosque terror attacks as she paid tribute to the World War Two generation.
She told the dawn service in Auckland war a reminder of “our shared humanity”. That shared humanity was something she said was prominent following the attacks on March 15, that killed 50 people attending Friday prayers at two mosques. “There is more that unites us than divides us," she said. "Through our expressions of love, compassion and unity, we reaffirm our commitment to peace and we move forward together in hope.” Ms Ardern said on Anzac Day, thoughts turned to the sacrifice of all veterans 104 years since the landings at Gallipoli in World War One. But it was the veterans of the next world war that she singled out for mention. "We pay tribute particularly to those who served in the Second World War, a generation which sadly has almost left us," she told the Auckland Anzac Day dawn service. The Duke of Cambridge will attend the national service later on Thursday as part of his two-day visit to honour the terror attack victims. Prince William will lay a wreath at New Zealand's national service later on Thursday in Auckland. He will then on Friday meet some of the survivors of the Christchurch mosque terror attacks. Dozens of Anzac events have been called off and consolidated following the Christchurch attacks. |