All Blacks spring selection surprises for World Cup quarter-final against Ireland
All Blacks captain Sam Cane and winger Leicester Fainga'anuku during the Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks team to face Ireland in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals has been named and consists of a few surprise selection calls.
Ian Foster has named an experienced matchday 23 consisting of 1,366 Test caps, with Sam Cane captaining New Zealand from the side of the scrum.
Leicester Fainga’anuku starts
The surprise selections come on the wing and on the bench, with Leicester Fainga’anuku selected ahead of Mark Telea in the All Blacks number 11 jumper. He is joined in the back three by full-back Beauden Barrett and right wing Will Jordan.
Fainga’anuku secured the starting role after scoring a hat-trick in the pool stage match against Namibia.
Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane combine in the centres once again, with Aaron Smith earning his 123rd Test cap at scrum-half and Richie Mo’unga earning his 54th at fly-half.
Into the pack and for the first time since defeating South Africa 35-20 in Auckland, the loose forward trio of Shannon Frizell, Cane, and Ardie Savea start.
Scott Barrett is preferred in the number five jersey ahead of Sam Whitelock, who is named on the bench, with Brodie Retallick as his locking partner.
Into the front-row and Ethan de Groot has returned from suspension and joins hooker Codie Taylor and tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax in the starting XV.
There are further surprises on the bench as veteran hooker Dane Coles is preferred over the impressive Samisoni Taukei’aho. Props Tamiati Williams and Fletcher Newell join Coles as the front-row cover. Whitelock and Dalton Papali’i round out the forward replacements.
Cam Roigard was outstanding during the pool stages, but he has been snubbed for a place on the bench with Finlay Christie named as Smith’s back-up and is joined as backline cover by Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown.
All Blacks team to face Ireland
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Samuel Whitelock, 20 Dalton Papali’i, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Damian McKenzie, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown
Date: Saturday, October 14
Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Kick-off: 21:00 local (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England), Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
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