Hoeata to make belated debut
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has given Highlanders lock Jarrad Hoeata a belated Test debut, against Fiji at Carisbrook on Friday.
And fellow Highlander Colin Slade will complete his comeback from two fractured jaws this year when he makes his first Test start in Dunedin.
The key features of the squad are the naming of 27-year-old Hoeata in the second row, alongside 61-Test All Black veteran Ali Williams – who returns to the All Blacks Test side for the first time since November 2008.
Williams will play his 62nd Test, becoming the joint third most capped All Blacks lock, alongside Robin Brooke.
It is also a return to the All Blacks for Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett and Highlanders wing Ben Smith, who last played for the All Blacks on the 2009 Northern Hemisphere tour.
Crockett is alongside 50-Test hooker Andrew Hore and tighthead prop Ben Franks in what will be an All Blacks debut for the front row combination.
The team will be captained by Richie McCaw – who, together with fullback Mils Muliaina, will extend their records as the most capped All Blacks.
Joining McCaw in the loose forward trio are Liam Messam at No.8 and Adam Thomson at blindside flank.
In the backs, Jimmy Cowan will start at scrumhalf, while Slade makes his first run-on start at flyhalf in his second Test.
All Blacks midfielders Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith will play their 27th Test together, just one Test behind the record held by the famous midfield partnership of Walter Little and Frank Bunce.
The starting wings are Sitiveni Sivivatu and Zac Guildford.
Cory Jane, who dislocated a finger in Wellington’s NPC match against Taranaki at the weekend, was ruled out of contention, while other injured players not considered include Richard Kahui (hamstring), Tony Woodcock (foot), Isaia Toeava (hip), Hosea Gear (hamstring) and Israel Dagg (thigh muscle).
Henry said this is an “important Test” as New Zealand kick off this year’s Test season.
“We have got some real competition for places and it’s exciting for those players picked and they will keen to put their best foot forward,” Henry said.
The All Blacks have played Fiji four times since 1987.
The last Test was at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland in 2005.
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Zac Guildford, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Colin Slade, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Jerome Kaino, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Daniel Carter, 22 Ben Smith.
Date: Friday, July 22
Venue: Carisbrook, Dunedin
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assistant referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
