Georgia v New Zealand XV - teams and prediction

PREVIEW: New Zealand XV coach Clayton McMillan has named his playing 23 to challenge Georgia in their second and final match of the 2024 year-end tour.

McMillan has made eight changes to his starting All Blacks XV for this Sunday’s game with Georgia in Montpellier.

The tourists opened their two-match European tour with a 38-24 win over Munster in Limerick last Saturday and they have now changed five forwards and three of their backs.

Hooker Kurt Eklund, tighthead Marcel Renata, lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi, blindside Caleb Delaney and No.8 Simon Parker have been named as pack starters at the expense of Brodie McAlister, George Dyer, Fabian Holland, Oliver Haig and Devan Flanders.

In the backline, Josh Jacomb is at flyhalf in place of Harry Plummer, with Riley Higgins and Dallas McLeod forming a fresh midfield combination with AJ Lam and Chay Fihaki dropping out.

McAlister and Plummer both stayed on in Ireland after last weekend’s game and joined up with Scott Robertson’s Test squad.

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💬 Overall we need to keep improving as a team but also try to win at the same time” – Richar Cockeril on The Lelos squad and November Internationals 🏉 https://t.co/3k12ljK1yM pic.twitter.com/udb0JrGNC0

— Georgian Rugby (@GeorgianRugby) October 25, 2024

“After an intense match against Munster, we want to build on our performance last week,” McMillan said.

“We’re going up against a full strength national Georgia side who have shown they’re fierce competition this year, they will be hungry for a win and we need to match that.”

Prediction

@rugby365com: New Zealand by 12 points

Teams

Georgia squad: Vano Karkadze, Luka Nioradze, Nika Sutidze, Nika Abuladze, Giorgi Akhaladze, Irakli Aptsiauri, Luka Japaridze, Alexsandre Kuntelia, Giorgi Mamaiashvili, Mikheil Babunashvili, Lado Chachanidze, Demur Epremidze, Lasha Jaiani, Giorgi Javakhia, Luka Ivanishvili, Tornike Jalaghonia, Sandro Mamamtavrishvili, Beka Saghinadze, Beka Shvangiradze, Ilia Spanderashvili, Giorgi Tsutskiridze, Gela Aprasidze, Vasil Lobzhanidze, Tengiz Peranidze, Tedo Abzhandadze, Luka Matkava, Tornike Kakhoidze, Giorgi Kveseladze, Georges Shvelidze, Demur Tapladze, Amiran Shvangiradze, Aka Tabutsadze, Alexander Todua, Davit Niniashvili, Dachi Papunashvili, Luka Tsirekidze.

New Zealand XV: 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Quinn Tupaea, 13 Dallas McLeod, 12 Riley Higgins, 11 Kini Naholo, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Simon Parker, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi (captain), 6 Caleb Delaney, 5 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 4 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Saula Ma’u, 19 Fabian Holland, 20 Corey Kellow, 21 Devan Flanders, 22 Noah Hotham, 23 Chay Fihaki.

Date: Sunday, November 10
Venue: Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier
Kick-off: 14.00 (12.00 GMT; 02.00, Monday, November 11 NZ time).
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)
Assistant referees: Jeremy Rozier (France), Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)