All Blacks Make Changes For Rugby Championship Grand Slam Test

The All Blacks team has been named to play in the final Test match of the Rugby Championship against South Africa at Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, on Saturday 2 October.

The starting forward pack remains unchanged from the original named last week, with Luke Jacobson returning to the number eight jersey, after his late withdrawal with illness last weekend. Asafo Aumua comes in at reserve hooker and George Bower comes in for Karl Tu’inukuafe on the bench.

In the backs, Brad Weber will start at halfback with TJ Perenara on the bench, Anton Lienert-Brown returns from injury to the 13 jersey, with Rieko Ioane moving to the left wing and Sevu Reece named on the right.  First five-eighth Richie Mo’unga, who re-joined the team this week, is on the reserves bench alongside Damian McKenzie.

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster said the team was keen to finish the Fortinet Rugby Championship on a high.

“The energy levels are high in the team, it’s our fifth Test in a row, and we’re highly motivated ahead of another big Test against South Africa and the last Test of the Championship.

“We’ve achieved the Championship title, which we’re really proud to have achieved. The fact that we now have the chance to achieve a potential Grand Slam against our Southern Hemisphere opponents is pretty special. I’m excited by that and it has already given this weekend’s Test an edge."

Foster said the All Blacks were looking for improvement in their game across the board this week.

“We learnt some lessons last week.  We didn’t look after the ball as well as we could have and some of our work at the ruck wasn’t as good as we wanted.  We have to lift our performance in that area and the team is keen to get that right this weekend.”

The matchday 23 is (Test caps in brackets):

1.           Joe Moody  (53)
2.           Codie Taylor  (63)
3.           Nepo Laulala  (36)
4.           Brodie Retallick  (88)
5.           Scott Barrett  (47)
6.           Akira Ioane  (9)
7.           Ardie Savea  (55) – captain
8.           Luke Jacobson  (9)
9.           Brad Weber  (13)
10.         Beauden Barrett  (97)
11.         Rieko Ioane  (43)
12.         David Havili  (10)
13.         Anton Lienert-Brown  (52)
14.         Sevu Reece  (13)
15.         Jordie Barrett  (31)
16.         Asafo Aumua  (3)
17.         George Bower  (7)
18.         Ofa Tuungafasi  (41)
19.         Patrick Tuipulotu  (40)
20.         Ethan Blackadder  (6)
21.         TJ Perenara   (74) 
22.         Richie Mo’unga   (26)
23.         Damian McKenzie  (36)