Retallick in return for New Zealand

NEW Zealand second row Brodie Retallick will make his comeback from injury in tomorrow’s Rugby World Cup game with Namibia (0545BST).

Retallick, regarded as one of the world’s best locks, has been out since dislocating his shoulder in July and returns earlier than expected.

The two-time defending champions make 12 changes, including resting both Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett.

That means Barrett’s brother Jordie, a utility back, will play flyhalf for the first time in international rugby.

“He has played there before at a lower level,” coach Steve Hansen said.

“He has got the skill-sets we believe to be able to run the game and the confidence and the skillset to be able to execute as well as run it.

“We’re reasonably confident he will be fine.”

New Zealand are currently second in Pool B with two wins from two games, including a 63-0 thrashing of Canada on Wednesday.

“It’s exciting to have the big fella back,” Hansen said.

“You go back to the night it happened and there was a bit of despair. Then we found out it wasn’t one of those dislocations that would require an operation and there was more hope.

“As he has trained he has got better and the guys have got more excited, none more so than the coach.”

In tomorrow’s other game, prop Jefferson Poirot will become France’s third captain at the World Cup when he leads a reshuffled side against Tonga at Kumamoto Stadium (0845BST).

Poirot succeeds number eight Louis Picamoles, who stood in for benched hooker Guilhem Guirado to lead France to a 33-9 win over the United States.

Coach Jacques Brunel makes 11 changes to the side that beat the USA, with Romain Ntamack returning at fly-half. Scrum-half Baptiste Serin starts after impressing off the bench on Wednesday.