All Blacks captain Sam Cane is one of six changes to the All Blacks 23 for the second Bledisloe Cup match against Australia at Eden Park on Saturday.
Cane came off with a self-reported head injury in the opening match, won by New Zealand in Melbourne. Although he later passed a HIA, he has been sidelined from training since the game.
Scott Barrett and Shannon Frizell are out while David Havili misses out having failed a HIA in Melbourne. Quinn Tupaea is the fourth player missing after suffering a serious knee injury when taken out by Darcy Swain, an action that led to a ban for the Wallabies player on Thursday.
Coach Ian Foster said Frizell was close to being fit while Barrett had an Achilles niggle.
“We’ve been managing his Achilles for a month and he’s been doing really good, but you might have seen him getting treated in the last 15 minutes of that test and he had a little bit of a calf tightness,” said Foster.
Sam Whitelock will lead the team which has No.8 Ardie Savea returning from parental leave. He will play in a a loose forward trio featuring Dalton Papali’i at openside flanker and Akira Ioane on the blindside.
Foster said Savea would be given the chance to concentrate on his role without the added burden of captaincy.
The Wallabies caused plenty of harm through Pete Samu and Rob Valetini on Thursday and Foster wants Ioane to show his strengths.
“There’s plenty of competition in the loose forwards and that’s the way we want it,” said Foster. “We believe with the skill set that he’s got that he can really contribute with the ball and without the ball.
“He’s a different type of defender and a different type of carrier to the likes of Scott Barrett and Shannon so it’s important that he finds his way into the game and is able to utilise his strengths. It’s a big challenge because the Wallabies played a very physical, combative game last week, and that’s what we’re expecting again.”
With Havili and Tupaea out of the midfield selection frame, the All Blacks have retained the combination that finished the Test in Melbourne. Jordie Barrett will play at No.12 with Beauden Barrett at fullback.
Codie Taylor replaces Samisoni Taukei’aho at hooker in the starting side, alongside props Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Nepo Laulala.
Lock Tupou Vaa’i, midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and outside back Sevu Reece are added to the bench.
“This year’s Rugby Championship is so tightly contested and our group is continuing to make shifts to improve,” said All Blacks head coach Ian Foster in a statement.
“We are determined to finish the tournament strongly and we know that Australia will throw everything at us. This is what Test match rugby is all about and we can’t wait.”
The Wallabies will name their team at 12.45pm AEST. With Swain out, Cadeyrn Neville will be picked to start in the second row.
All Blacks (Test caps in brackets):
1.Ethan de Groot (9)
2.Codie Taylor (71)
3.Tyrel Lomax (19)
4.Brodie Retallick (97)
5.Samuel Whitelock (139)
6.Akira Ioane (18)
7.Dalton Papali’i (17)
8.Ardie Savea (66)
9.Aaron Smith (110)
10.Richie Mo’unga (40)
11.Caleb Clarke (10)
12. Jordie Barrett (44)
13.Rieko Ioane (55)
14.Will Jordan (20)
15. Beauden Barrett (108)
16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (16)
17.Ofa Tu’ungafasi (47)
18.Nepo Laulala (41)
19.Tupou Vaa’i (14)
20.Hoskins Sotutu (11)
21.Finlay Christie (11)
22.Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (1)
23.Sevu Reece (20)
Fox
Roar Guru
Sorry Khun but the Wallabies will not beat the AB's at Eden Park, and in fact, previously, even after beating the AB's the week before they have been annilated at Eden Park. I don't think they will get thrashed this time round - but I don't they will win either.
Nick
Roar Rookie
He'll need to. We all know he's a great explosive player. My point was more I knew he's good at what he does. But it's because he doesn't do it that much IE saving energy for the big hit/or run (more on D than O). He made 3 dominant tackles but only made 6 in total. As opposed to Cane who made 20. I'm not expressing this very well but hopefully you get what I'm banging on about. Moot point if he has indeed raised his general work rate.
Nick
Roar Rookie
My god 4 tackles for a 7! That's abysmal. I don't recall him trucking the ball up or winning TOs so what was he doing???
Bentnuc
Roar Pro
Only 5 crusaders in the 23???
Lux Interior
Roar Rookie
Well, things have come full circle now, JD. Fossie says, “wocka wocka and try not to get flustered out there”.
Lara
Guest
When have they ….Foster n Co actually selected a good team, every team this year has had poor selections….Cane, Havilli, Akira, RTS, Taylor, BB at times, along with a lack of game plans n there you have it….a mess.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Obviously not LI because he's selected several squads since then and he's kept on selecting three Blues loosies and no Crusaders!
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Just 4 tackles last time, when he was on for about 70 minutes. Left the 4, 5 and 6 to do all the work.
Spew_81
Roar Rookie
Sneak preview of the Rugby Pass article: “his [Ardie Savea] highlight stats in Rounds 1-4 of the current Rugby Championship, among all four nations: First in number of ball carries [51], First in run metres gained by a forward [275 metres], First in off-loads, Second in dominant tackles on defence, Fourth in breakdown pilfers“. I knew he was a strong carrier and great in the wide channels. But I was surprised with his improvement in the more stereotypical loose forward areas. He’s stepped it up, hope he can keep it up.
Nick
Roar Rookie
Don’t have the access to + article. I read an article where in a game this season Cane made double the tackles & hit twice the ruck of AI & AS COMBINED! If he’s remedied that work rate then great. If not jettison AI as AS is way better, but we need workers too.
Lux Interior
Roar Rookie
Given that he named the original squad before the SRP final, he must’ve been having conniptions about his prop and loose forward selections by the time the Crusaders lifted the trophy.
Spew_81
Roar Rookie
Ardie Savea has stepped up his performance. But A Ioane (last chance saloon) and Papali'i (in a slump) are not doing enough. Check out Nick Bishop's article on Ardie Savea from RugbyPass: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/the-all-blacks-cant-afford-to-lose-ardie-savea/. Ardie Savea has really stepped it up.
Chustyle
Roar Rookie
Only good thing about this line up is that the best 7 in NZ finally gets a start. The rest of the starting line up feels like Foster was forced to select more Blues by his higher ups.
Nick
Roar Rookie
:thumbdown:
Nick
Roar Rookie
Yeah weird! TBH I don't mind him in the wide role if we have workers in the other back row spots. But we have zero workers in this back row.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
I would very much like that Nick, but the NZRU will not let that happen.
Spew_81
Roar Rookie
Agree, normally it is the other way around.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Every good team is Schmidt's and every bad team is Foster's?
Nick
Roar Rookie
Are have © on "Fozzie Firsts" :silly:
Nick
Roar Rookie
And scooter