The Blues rolled out a reshaped 23-man squad for their clash with the Hurricanes at Eden Park this weekend, with Beauden Barrett back in the No.10 jersey and Stephen Perofeta pushed to the bench.

Dalton Papali’i was ruled out with a jaw injury, while Anton Segner came in at openside flanker and Xavi Taele joined the starting backline at centre. AJ Lam shifted to the right wing, Finlay Christie stayed on the bench in a 6/2 split, and Zarn Sullivan was retained at fullback.

The changes also brought Marcel Renata back from injury in the front row, where he joined Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Bradley Slater. Patrick Tuipulotu and Sam Darry held the starting lock spots as the Blues looked to steady a season that took a hit in round 13 against the Crusaders.

Blues head coach Vern Cotter said last week hurt after that loss and said the group knew it had to be better in the areas that matter. He said the Hurricanes were in top form, making the task at Eden Park a serious one, and added that the home crowd would give the side a lift on Saturday night.

The selection is one of the Blues’ more significant changes to a matchday 23 this season, and it puts Barrett back at the centre of the attack with a stronger front row and a reshuffled backline around him. For Cotter, the calculation is straightforward: the Blues need an accurate, physical performance, and they wanted to deliver it in front of their own fans.

That leaves the clearest measure of where the Blues stand now. Barrett’s return gives them direction, but Papali’i’s absence strips away a key part of their defensive edge, and the Hurricanes arrive with enough form to test whether the rest of the changes can hold up under pressure at home.