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Five changes for the All Blacks, including the return of Sam Cane
By Liam Heagney
Scott Roberston has announced a New Zealand team to play Italy on Saturday that has five changes from last weekend’s loss to France, including a recall for the fit-against Sam Cane who was injured in the November 8 win over Ireland in Dublin.
The All Blacks went down 29-30 in Paris last Saturday and the reaction for their tour-ending game in Turin has been to alter two backs and three forwards.
Mark Tele’a, who has recovered from a hand injury, and Stade de France replacement Anton Lienert-Brown have been named to start at right wing and inside centre respectively in place of Sevu Reece and Jordie Barrett, who has a knee injury.
In the pack, Ethan de Groot is at loosehead in place of Tamati Williams, Patrick Tuipulotu, another Stade de France sub, is promoted for the benched Tupou Vaa’i and Cane is recalled for Samipeni Finau, a second-minute injury casualty last weekend.
Cane’s inclusion at openside for his final Test rugby appearance sees Ardie Savea switch to No8 and Wallace Sititi to blindside.
On the bench, Fletcher Newell, TJ Perenara and David Havili are this week's new additions along with the demoted Vaa’i. As with Cane, Saturday’s match will be a final All Blacks appearance for sub scrum-half Perenara.
Robertson told allblacks.com: “This Italy team has made a real impact on the international stage this year, with a strong showing in the Six Nations competition that included wins over Scotland and Wales and a draw against France. "We know the passion this team will bring, so we are preparing for a physical and motivated Italy for our final Test of the tour.
“As our first ever match in Turin, our final match of the 2024 Test season, and the farewell match for Sam and TJ, this will be a great occasion. We are determined to finish our season in a way that honours and celebrates the immense contribution that Sam and TJ have made to the black jersey.”
New Zealand (vs Italy, Saturday)
1. Ethan de Groot (28)
2. Codie Taylor (95) (Vice-Captain)
3. Tyrel Lomax (43)
4. Scott Barrett (79) (captain)
5. Patrick Tuipulotu (50)
6. Wallace Sititi (9)
7. Sam Cane (103)
8. Ardie Savea (93) (vice-captain)
9. Cam Roigard (9)
10. Beauden Barrett (133)
11. Caleb Clarke (28)
12. Anton Lienert-Brown (83)
13. Rieko Ioane (80)
14. Mark Tele’a (18)
15. Will Jordan (40)
Replacements:
16. Asafo Aumua (19)
17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi (67)
18. Fletcher Newell (21)
19. Tupou Vaa’i (37)
20. Peter Lakai (2)
21. TJ Perenara (88)
22. David Havili (29)
23. Damian McKenzie (61)
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Latest Comments
That's really stupidly pedantic. Let's say the gods had smiled on us, and we were playing Ireland in Belfast on this trip. Then you'd be happy to accept it as a tour of the UK. But they're not going to Australia, or Peru, or the Philippines, they're going to the UK. If they had a match in Paris it would be fair to call it the "end-of-year European tour". I think your issue has less to do with the definition of the United Kingdom, and is more about what is meant by the word "tour". By your definition of the word, a road trip starting in Marseilles, tootling through the Massif Central and cruising down to pop in at La Rochelle, then heading north to Cherbourg, moving along the coast to imagine what it was like on the beach at Dunkirk, cutting east to Strasbourg and ending in Lyon cannot be called a "tour of France" because there's no visit to St. Tropez, or the Louvre, or Martinique in the Caribbean.
Go to commentsJust thought for a moment you might have gathered some commonsense from a southerner or a NZer and shut up. But no, idiots aren't smart enough to realise they are idiots.
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