All Blacks: No changes to starting XV as Stephen Perofeta set to debut from the bench for Argentina clash
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has made no changes to his starting line-up, that beat the Springboks at Ellis Park a fortnight ago, for their clash against Los Pumas.
The only tweak in the matchday 23 is promising Blues playmaker and potential debutant Stephen Perofeta being named on the bench for Beauden Barrett, who was ruled out with an injury picked up in training.
Continuity
The starting XV remains the same, with Ethan de Groot, Samisoni Taukei’aho, and Tyrel Lomax combining in the front-row while Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett make up the remainder of the engine room in the second-row.
Sam Cane leads the team from the side of the scrum and links up with Shannon Frizell and Ardie Savea in the back-row.
Veteran scrum-half Aaron Smith makes up the half-back pairing with playmaker Richie Mo’unga as the duo will look to pull the strings on Saturday, with David Havili and Rieko Ioane continuing their partnership in the midfield.
Jordie Barrett starts at full-back again as wings Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan complete the remainder of an exciting back three.
On the bench, hooker Codie Taylor and props George Bower and Fletcher Newell are the front-row options, with Tupou Vaa’i and Akira Ioane being the other forwards that Foster can call on.
Scrum-half Finlay Christie and centre Quinn Tupaea join possible debutant Perofeta as backline options.
Foster thought Mo’unga played well against the Springboks and controlled the game from fly-half.
“Very good,” Foster said in reference to Mo’unga. “I thought his control was good, there were a few areas that he wants to improve his accuracy in. But overall he was confident and he gave us some of those territory moments.”
Backroom staff bolstered
Joe Schmidt has joined the All Blacks‘ coaching team since the Springboks game and the players have taken well to the new addition.
“It’s a start slow and build-type strategy,” Foster noted. “And like I said I have been communicating with him (Schmidt) for a couple of years behind the scenes. We have been using him from a strategy side for the last month or so, anyway, from an All Blacks selector’s role.”
New Zealand: 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 David Havili, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Sam Whitelock, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Akira Ioane, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Stephen Perofeta, 23 Quinn Tupaea
Date: Saturday, August 27
Venue: Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:45 local (08:45 BST, 07:45 GMT)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Damon Murphy (Australia)
TMO: Brian McNeice (Ireland)
READ MORE: All Blacks: Jordie Barrett preparing for aerial assault from Argentina