1
Seven changes for the All Blacks, including a debut for Mark Telea
By Liam Heagney
Ian Foster has named an All Blacks side to face Scotland on Sunday that has seven changes from the comprehensive 55-23 win over Wales in Cardiff. Among the alterations is a debut for Mark Telea on the right wing in place of Sevu Reece.
An NZR statement read: “Winger Mark Telea has been selected to make his first Test appearance, four months after initially being called up as covid cover during the Steinlager series. The 25-year-old was called in as injury cover for this campaign and is now in line to become All Black number 1,207.”
The inclusion of the uncapped Telea is one of four changes to the backline and there are also some positional switches regarding the Barrett brothers. Anton Linert-Brown is at outside centre for the benched Rieko Ioane, Finlay Christie is at scrum-half for Aaron Smith but the inclusion of David Havili at No12 set off a positional reshuffle chain.
Last week’s inside centre, Jordie Barrett, has been named at full-back from where his brother Beaduen, the No15 in Cardiff, has now been shifted to No10 and Richie Mo’unga drops out of the matchday squad.
In the pack, Samisoni Taukei’aho will start at hooker for Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala at tighthead for Tyrel Lomax and Akira Ioane at blindside for Shanon Frizell. There are also three new faces in the reserves from last weekend, with loosehead George Bower, half-back TJ Perenara and utility Stephen Perofeta all included on this occasion.
Foster said: “We have selected a team that excites us this week. In many ways, this Test is crucial for our tour as a whole and it's a chance to show how we are building as a group. Remembrance Day will make the occasion even more special. It's important for us to honour our veterans for what they do for us."
All Blacks (vs Scotland, Sunday)
1. Ethan de Groot (11)
2. Samisoni Taukei’aho (19)
3. Nepo Laulala (43)
4. Samuel Whitelock (141 - Captain)
5. Scott Barrett (56)
6. Akira Ioane (20)
7. Dalton Papali’i (20)
8. Ardie Savea (68)
9. Finlay Christie (13)
10. Beauden Barrett (110)
11. Caleb Clarke (13)
12. David Havili (23)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (58)
14. Mark Telea (*)
15. Jordie Barrett (46)
Replacements:
16. Codie Taylor (74)
17. George Bower (20)
18. Fletcher Newell (5)
19. Tupou Vaa’i (17)
20. Shannon Frizell (23)
21. TJ Perenara (78)
22. Stephen Perofeta (2)
23. Rieko Ioane (57)
Trending on RugbyPass
2
All Blacks XV player ratings vs Munster
3
Suaalii strikes awe as Wallabies lose midfielder
4
Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
5
Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
Go to comments