Fainga’anuku gets an All Blacks start

Auckland – Powerhouse wing Leicester Fainga’anuku will make his All Blacks debut after being named yesterday in the side to start the first Test against Ireland as Covid struck down another New Zealand coach.

Canterbury Crusaders standout Fainga’anuku will start on New Zealand’s left wing at Eden Park in Auckland tomorrow, while another uncapped Pacific Islands-born player, bruising Waikato Chiefs forward Pita Gus Sowakula, will be on the bench.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell named all four of his New Zealand-born players in the matchday 23 for the opening Test of a three-match series.

Jamison Gibson-Park will start at scrum-half with James Lowe on the wing while Joey Carbery and Bundee Aki, who captained Ireland against the Maori All Blacks on Wednesday, are on the bench.

They are joined in the replacements by Cian Healy, despite the veteran prop limping off during the 32-17 defeat in Hamilton.

Veteran fly-half Johnny Sexton will captain the side in his 106th international.

All Blacks scrum guru Greg Feek yesterday became the seventh member of the New Zealand coaching or playing staff to test positive for Covid-19 this week.

Head coach Ian Foster, who also tested positive and has been in isolation along with assistants John Plumtree and Scott McLeod, conceded that the disrupted build-up had not been ideal.

“Clearly it’s been intriguing but it is what it is,” said Foster, who could be cleared to rejoin the team tomorrow.

“We’re excited with the team we’re putting out there and it doesn’t change that there’s a statement that we want to make on the first Test of the year,” he said via video link.

Second-row forward Scott Barrett, who last started in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, was a surprise choice at blindside flanker, after niggles to Akira Ioane and Dalton Papalii. –