Five new caps named in All Black Rugby Championship squad

All Blacks selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have announced a squad of 36 players for the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship.

The 36-strong squad is as follows: (age, Super Rugby club, province, Test caps).
* denotes new caps

Hookers:
Codie Taylor (32, Crusaders / Canterbury, 76)
Dane Coles (36, Hurricanes / Wellington, 84)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (25, Chiefs / Waikato, 24)

Props:
Ethan de Groot (24, Highlanders / Southland, 13)
Fletcher Newell (23, Crusaders / Canterbury, 6)
Nepo Laulala (31, Blues / Counties Manukau, 45)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (31, Blues / Northland, 50)
Tamaiti Williams (22, Crusaders / Canterbury, *)
Tyrel Lomax (27, Hurricanes / Tasman, 23)

Locks:
Brodie Retallick (32, Chiefs / Hawkes Bay, 100)
Josh Lord (22, Chiefs / Taranaki, 2)
Samuel Whitelock (34, Crusaders / Canterbury, 143)
Scott Barrett (29, Crusaders / Taranaki, 58)
Tupou Vaa’i (23, Chiefs / Taranaki, 18)

Loose forwards:
Ardie Savea (29, Hurricanes / Wellington, 70)
Dalton Papali’i (25, Blues / Counties Manukau, 22)
Luke Jacobson (26, Chiefs / Waikato, 12)
Sam Cane (captain) (31, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 86)
Samipeni Finau (24, Chiefs / Waikato, *)
Shannon Frizell (29, Highlanders / Tasman, 25)

Halfbacks:
Aaron Smith (34, Highlanders / Manawatu, 114)
Finlay Christie (27, Blues / Tasman, 14)
Cam Roigard (22, Hurricanes / Counties Manukau, *)

First-five eighths:
Beauden Barrett (32, Blues / Taranaki, 112)
Damian McKenzie (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 40)
Richie Mo’unga (29, Crusaders / Canterbury, 44)

Midfielders:
Anton Lienert-Brown (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 60)
Jordie Barrett (26, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 48)
Rieko Ioane (26, Blues / Auckland, 59)
Braydon Ennor (25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 6)
Dallas McLeod (24, Crusaders / Canterbury, *)

Outside backs:
Caleb Clarke (24, Blues / Auckland, 15)
Emoni Narawa (23, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, *)
Leicester Fainga’anuku (23, Crusaders / Tasman, 2)
Mark Telea (26, Blues / North Harbour, 2)
Will Jordan (25, Crusaders / Tasman, 21)

Note: Shaun Stevenson (26, Chiefs / North Harbour, *) has been added as injury cover for Mark Telea for the start of the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship.

Unavailable due to injury: Angus Ta’avao, Ethan Blackadder, Cullen Grace, David Havili, Joe Moody, George Bower, Patrick Tuipulotu, Quinn Tupaea, Sevu Reece, TJ Perenara.

Foster has also announced that Sam Cane will return as captain of the All Blacks.

“Sam has proven himself as a great leader of our team despite having had a disrupted couple of seasons leading into this one,” said Foster. “We have total belief that he is the right man to lead us.”

The All Blacks will begin their preapartions with a training camp at Mount Maunganui from June 21-23 for the non DHL Super Rugby Pacific finalists. The full squad will assemble in Auckland on June 27, before travelling to Mendoza for the opening Test of the year against Argentina on Saturday July 8th.

FIXTURES:

WEEK 1 vs. ARGENTINA. Saturday 8 July, 4:10PM (7:10AM, Sunday 9 July NZT), Estadio Malvinas, MENDOZA

WEEK 2 vs. SOUTH AFRICA. Saturday 15 July, 7.05PM, Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, AUCKLAND

WEEK 3 vs. AUSTRALIA. Saturday 29 July, 7.45PM (9:45PM NZT), Melbourne Cricket Ground, MELBOURNE

WEEK 4 vs. AUSTRALIA. Saturday 5 August, 2.35PM, Forsyth Barr Stadium, DUNEDIN