Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks against Australia, in place of the injured Sam Cane, for the Bledisloe Cup clash at the MCG on Saturday.
Cane suffered a neck strain in the 35-20 win over the Springboks in Auckland two weeks ago and has been replaced on the openside flank by Dalton Papali’i.
It is the only change from a starting XV that impressed in the emphatic display against the Boks, although head coach Ian Foster has made five changes to his bench for the match in which New Zealand will seek to wrap up the Rugby Championship title and retain the Bledisloe Cup.
The All Blacks will make it back-to-back Rugby Championship titles after defeating the Wallabies in front of a packed MCG, according to @mark_keohane and Zels. pic.twitter.com/hkRXfL5v2j
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) July 27, 2023
Among the replacements are uncapped Hurricanes scrumhalf Cam Roigard and veteran lock Sam Whitelock, who is in line for his 144th cap in what would be his first Test appearance in eight months.
Others recalled to the bench are midfield back Anton Lienert-Brown, loose forward Luke Jacobson and prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi.
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Whitelock aggravated an Achilles tendon injury when helping his Crusaders beat the Waikato Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific final five weeks ago.
His most recent Test was as captain in a 25-25 draw with England at Twickenham last November.
Cane returned as skipper this year for the opening 41-12 win over the Pumas in Argentina and the defeat of the Springboks, but he hands the armband to fellow-loose forward Savea, who will lead the All Blacks for the fifth time.
Foster said the Kiwis would be motivated to clinch both pieces of silverware at the MCG. “This trophy [Bledisloe Cup] means so much to both countries and we expect a massive challenge on Saturday,” he said.
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“As the final Rugby Championship Test, there is much at stake in this game. We have learned a lot from two stern Tests so far this year, and there is huge excitement about playing Australia at this iconic ground.”
It will be a third successive start for nine players who are seemingly cemented in Foster’s plans for the Rugby World Cup in France.
Fullback Beauden Barrett, midfield backs Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett and scrum-half Aaron Smith have been fixtures in the Rugby Championship so far, along with pack members Savea, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Tyrel Lomax and Ethan de Groot.
© Agence France-Presse
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