All Blacks reveal new captain and make wholesale changes for Wales
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has revealed his team to face Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in Round Five of the Nations Championship.
Fullback Beauden Barrett will captain the All Blacks in a Test for the first time, in his 149th Test. Loose forward Anton Segner and wing Fehi Fineanganofo will both make their first Test starts.
It’s Segner’s fifth Test and Fineanganofo’s second.
The team includes ten changes to the matchday 23 that played Scotland last weekend, eight of them in the starting side.
Prop George Bower, hooker Asafo Aumua, Segner and scrumhalf Cortez Ratima move from the reserves into the starting side, while lock Josh Lord, flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown and Fineanganofo come into the team.
Hooker George Bell, prop Xavier Numia, lock Jamie Hannah, loose forwards Ethan Blackadder and Leicester Fainga’anuku, and scrumhalf Kyle Preston join prop Pasilio Tosi and outside back Rieko Ioane in the reserves.
“Beauden brings such valuable experience and is massively respected by us all. Captaining the All Blacks in a Test is an honour that I know he doesn’t take lightly, so it’ll be a proud day for him and his whānau,” Rennie said.
“We have created good depth in this group and there is a lot of competition for places. We have selected a strong side with 783 caps.
“Wales are a proud rugby nation and building nicely under Steve Tandy. We are well aware of the threat they pose and the challenge of playing in front of a passionate crowd at Principality Stadium.”
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett (captain), 14 Fehi Fineanganofo, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Peter Lakai, 6 Anton Segner, 5 Josh Lord, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 George Bell, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Jamie Hannah, 20 Ethan Blackadder, 21 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 22 Kyle Preston, 23 Rieko Ioane.
Date: Saturday, November 14
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 14:10 UK & IRE (14:10 GMT, 03:10 NZDT Sunday, November 15)
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Luc Ramos (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
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