4 debutants in ABs side to play
AUCKLAND: There are four debutants in the All Blacks side to play the Wallabies in the fourth Bledisloe Cup test tomorrow night in Brisbane, while Beauden Barrett will start at firstfive.
Blues loose forward Akira Ioane, who played a noninternational on the All Blacks’ 2017 endofyear tour, will start at blindside.
Hooker Asafo Aumua, who also played two nontests on the same tour, is set to make his test debut from the bench alongside 20yearold loose forward Cullen Grace and 22yearold outside back Will Jordan.
Ngani Laumape starts at secondfive after returning from a broken arm in last week’s win
over the Wallabies in Sydney.
Veteran lock Sam Whitelock, who will make his 100th test start for New Zealand in his 120th test, becoming just the fifth player to start in a century of tests for the All Blacks.
There are also a number of other changes to match day 23 for the match which doubles as a TriNations clash, after the All Blacks secured the Bledisloe Cup with for an 18th straight year with victory in Sydney last weekend.
Codie Taylor starts at hooker, replacing Dane Coles, while Scott Barrett starts at lock, with Patrick Tuipulotu moving to the bench.
Ardie Savea returns to the No 8 jersey, alongside Ioane and captain Sam Cane, with Grace coming in for Dalton Papalii as reserve loose forward.
In the backs, TJ Perenara starts at halfback, with Brad Weber to come off the bench in his first appearance of 2020.
In the outside backs, Jordie Barrett starts at fullback and Rieko Ioane starts on the left wing, with Sevu Reece also making his first start of 2020 on the right wing.
Damian McKenzie comes on to the bench.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster said: ‘‘We have reset this week and our focus has been on this weekend and the Tri Nations. It’s an All BlacksWallabies test and that’s special. We know how fired up they’ll be, so we have to make sure we are as well, because we don’t want to give ourselves any excuses at the end of it.’’
In making a number of changes to the squad, Foster explained: ‘‘We’ve been really delighted with the whole squad, so we feel that there are some players who are really putting their hand up and deserve an opportunity.
‘‘Secondly, it’s been a big threeweek test series to date against Australia. It’ll be another massive test, so we’ve brought in some freshness and new energy into the group. Players are jumping out of their skins to get on to the park.’’
Foster said the four players named to play their first test had all been working hard and had