New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has named two debutants in the All Blacks squad to take on the Springboks in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Highlanders half Lima Sopoaga and Hurricanes lock James Broadhurst are the only uncapped players in Hansen’s squad, with both players being rewarded with All Black caps following strong seasons in Super Rugby.
Sopoaga, 24, will be paired in the halves by club teammate Aaron Smith who replaces TJ Perenara. Hansen believes that Sopoaga has all the necessary tools to succeed as the All Blacks primary playmaker.
“He’s someone we are comfortable with and confident he can run the cutter and be the driver we need him to be,” said Hansen.
“He plays up in the line, he is flat and he challenges the opposition. He has done that all season with the Highlanders. That’s all we expect him to do, just bring that form to this team and look after his role.”
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Broadhurst will partner reigning IRB International Player of the Year Brodie Retallick in the second row, with Sam Whitelock dropping to the bench.
Hansen has rewarded Broadhurst for a strong season with the Hurricanes, and has said that Saturday’s game against the Springboks will be about as physical a game as the Taranaki lock has ever played in.
“He’s had a pretty good season and it is a step-up physically – he is probably not going to get too many more bigger challenges from a physical point of view,” Hansen said.
“So he’s got to be right in the heart of it. The tight five is where Test matches are won.”
Hansen has made seven alterations to the side that defeated Argentina 39-18 in the opening game of the Rugby Championship, with Dane Coles and Liam Messam joing Broadhurst as the only other changes in the New Zealand forward pack. Coles and Messam replace Kaino and Mealamu who both drop out of the squad completely, being replaced in the matchday 23 by Codie Taylor and Victor Vito respectively.
Meanwhile, in the backs, Ben Smith comes in for the injured Waisake Naholo who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament and September’s World Cup with a broken leg, while Conrad Smith comes in for Sonny Bill Williams who drops out of the squad completely.
The All Blacks have just three games left before they must name their 31-man World Cup squad next month, and Hansen and his selectors have had to put their trust in the uncapped players.
“A lot of thought went into it and once again it’s a juggling act isn’t it? You have to have the right amount of experience, but you also have got to find out if the young people in your group can cope with the pressure,” Hansen said.
“There’s no bigger game than this one. Ellis Park is a tough place to play and you will find out a lot about our athletes.”
All Blacks
FB 15 Israel Dagg
RW 14 Ben Smith
OC 13 Conrad Smith
IC 12 Ma’a Nonu
LW 11 Charles Piutau
FH 10 Lima Sopoaga
SH 9 Aaron Smith
N8 8 Kieran Read
OF 7 Richie McCaw (c)
BF 6 Liam Messam
RL 5 James Broadhurst
LL 4 Brodie Retallick
TP 3 Owen Franks
HK 2 Dane Coles
LP 1 Tony Woodcock
Replacements
HK 16 Codie Taylor
PR 17 Wyatt Crockett
PR 18 Ben Franks
LK 19 Sam Whitelock
N8 20 Victor Vito
SH 21 TJ Perenara
FH 22 Beauden Barrett
CE 23 Malakai Fekitoa
Coach
New Zealand Steve Hansen
Not Bothered
Guest
Marto sulks whenever QC gets dropped after a bad game. So hes pretty much sulking 24/7.
Not Bothered
Guest
Are you suggesting that Conrad was hooked for missing tackles and that 1 game dictates an entire career? If so then why are you suggesting Fekitoa who made 4 and missed 5 in the final? But yeah, C.Smith made 10 and missed 1 against Eng and was hooked for missing tackles. Dont make up lies mate.
Not Bothered
Guest
Fantastic? So its either fantastic or abysmal is it? SBW was not abysmal in Super Rugby. SBW was very good against Argentina. Now you are trying to undermine him by saying that Argentina isnt good enough. Sigh.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Magnus. Conrad didn't have a great game in the final but to say that Nonu has carried him for years is a stretch. Funny how the AB outside backs are deadly but of course that has nothing to do with Smiths distribution or ability to straighten the line. Smiths decision making both on defence & attack has set the standard for centres as has his ability to win turn over ball. Of course both Henry & Hansen are poor judges & just select Smith out of pity.
Sylvester
Guest
So who is the best defensive centre in the world?
Sylvester
Guest
Yeah but they didn't lose because because of Kaino's supposed lack of pace.
Magnus
Guest
council , Laughing out loud , are you Conrads father ? . So you're suggesting in the test against England in dec , 2 tests ago for him when he got hooked at half time for missing tackles he's the best defensive centre in world rugby ?
Magnus
Guest
Not bothered , I did watch the game . Argentina is I think ranked 9th in world and never beaten the abs . Not exactly what you'd call a tough examination is it . His form for the Chiefs was rubbish except for his first game against the Crusaders . Which of the 5 games that he played for the Chiefs did you think he was fantastic in ?
Not Bothered
Guest
Rubbish. In the semis, his and AAC stats were nearly identical. However Fekitoa made the least metres of all the Highlanders backs, including Aaron Smith. In the first playoff game, TNW played opposite Fekitoa, not SBW. Why compare him to his opposite in all other games except this one? In the final. Metres made. Smith 45 Feks 28 Defenders beaten. Smith 4 Feks 2 Clean breaks. Smith 1 Feks 1 Turnovers/handling errors. Smith 0 Feks 1 Missed tackles. Smith 1 Feks FIVE!!!!!!!! (more than he actually made!) So Im afraid you are being absurd. In that final Feks was a liability in defense missing around 60% of the tackles he attempted. Dont make things up.
Not Bothered
Guest
Saying they have a 25% chance (1 in 4) and then them winning will make me look silly? I dont think so. I would give Eng 30%, Wales 10%, Ire 25%, Aus 25% and France 20%. Arg I would only give 5%, Italy 1%, Samoa 5%. If you hadnt noticed, NZ have only lost 13% of their games since 2000, only 26% against SA and Aus combined. Yet I give this Boks team 25% and its considered bold? I think its about right and to predict the ABs by 10 isnt a big call imo.
atlas
Guest
Reading today how James Broadhurst almost crossed the Tasman in Deans' era, has Australian grandfather, made an offer by ARU and Waratahs but after flying over to meet, declined the contract offer. 'Kiwi to the core' wanted to be an All Black. Took a while, but hope he gets a few tests before returning to his job as an orchardist in Northland
Old Bugger
Guest
2 things - that's the same match the ABs lost and if my memory does a recall, wasn't it when the SBs played an AB game plan??
Targa
Guest
Fekitoa outplayed SBW, AAC and C Smith in successive playoffs.
Taylorman
Guest
Well you'll be looking silly if we lose then.
Not Bothered
Guest
Yes, to use Conrads final as an exanple against Conrad but for Fekitoa is ridiculous. Conrad outplayed Fekitoa in the final, easily. I also believe that there could be better centres for the ABs now, that Conrad could be where Mils was in 2011 or where Jane was in 2014. However to suggest that Conrad has been carried by Nonu his whole career is just silly and I dont think Fekitoa should even be in the ABs squad right now. Id rather see a SBW/Nonu, centre pairing than a Nonu Fekitoa one.
Not Bothered
Guest
Oh poor Biltong. SA have lost 5 of their last 10 games, if they lose this they will have lost 6 of their last 10. Also, over the last 16 years or so, since the turn of the century, the Boks have only won 28% of games against the ABs. So for me, to say that the #1 team in the world has a 75% chance over another team thats only won 5 of its last 10 is not saying the that it is a forgone conclusion or being extreme.
Not Bothered
Guest
So you didnt watch the game then. He made sone awesome ackles, causing turnovers. Missed none. He made 52 metres. Put people away 3 times with offloads. Nonu was also very good. Where was the weakness? But SBW doesnt break the line? What nonsense. His form in Super Rugby wasnt abysmal either. I remembered that they moved Nonu to centre and it worked incredibly well. There was no weakness as SBW and Nonu completely dominated their opponents in attack and defense.
Jerry
Guest
I'm a Canes fan and wouldn't pick Jane in the RWC squad on form.
Magnus
Guest
Sbw , awesome !!!!. Seriously he did a few good things and compared to his s15 form. Which was abysmal it was an improvement . Please remember abs have moved the worlds best inside centre out one to accommodate him which I think weakened the backline . He's way too ponderous and doesn't break the line like Nonu or Fekitoa , bench player at best and very lucky to be in the abs on form .
Ridzenieks
Guest
and, if you are near Hemingways, pop in and say Hi to Martin McSkimming, me ol' Southland Boys mucker!