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All Blacks name six debutants in team to play Fiji in San Diego
By Ben Smith
The All Blacks have named a swathe of debutants for their one-off Test at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego against Fiji.
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After blooding halfback Cortez Ratima at Eden Park against England off the bench, Scott Robertson has handed more debuts to Billy Proctor, Wallace Sititi, George Bell, Pasilio Tosi, Noah Hotham and Sam Darry.
Off the six debutants, Billy Proctor is the only starter, lining up in the No 13 jersey along side 72-Test veteran Anton Lienert-Brown for a new midfield combination. The rest of the Test rookies are named on the bench.
After his debut last week, Ratima gets his first start at halfback named alongside Damian McKenzie who starts his third consecutive Test at first five-eighth.
Returning to the starting line-up in the backs is left wing Caleb Clarke, who scored a hat-trick for the Blues in the Super Rugby Pacific final, and Beauden Barrett who returns to the No 15 jersey.
Tamaiti Williams gets his first chance in the black jersey at loosehead prop, named in the No 1 jersey alongside Asafo Aumua and Fletcher Newell in a new-look front row.
Scott Barrett captains the side again in the second row while Tupou Vaa’i has been elevated into the starting line-up with Patrick Tuipulotu remaining back in New Zealand.
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In the loose forwards Luke Jacobson has been handed a start at blindside, while Ethan Blackadder gets a chance at openside alongside Ardie Savea at No 8.
“They’ve earned their opportunity; they’ve prepared well and they are ready for Test match rugby. We have a lot of respect for Fiji who will be fast and physical and we’re looking forward to the contest,” head coach Scott Robertson said of his team.
“It’s been a superb week in in San Diego. Our leaders have fed off the younger players energy and our focus is now on performing.”
All Blacks team to play Fiji:
15. Beauden Barrett
14. Sevu Reece
13. Billy Proctor*
12. Anton Lienert-Brown
11. Caleb Clarke
10. Damian McKenzie
9. Cortez Ratima
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1. Tamaiti Williams
2. Asafo Aumua
3. Fletcher Newell
4. Scott Barrett (c)
5. Tupou Vaa’i
6. Luke Jacobson
7. Ethan Blackadder
8. Ardie Savea
Reserves
16. George Bell*
17. Ethan de Groot
18. Pasilio Tosi*
19. Sam Darry*
20. Wallace Sititi*
21. Noah Hotham*
22. Jordie Barrett
23. Emoni Narawa
*denotes debut
Fiji team to play New Zealand:
1. Eroni Nawa 28-year-old 1.89 m 131 kg - Rugby World Cup starter - 350minutes for Saracens back up to Mako Vunipola but has much better carry stats this year
2. Tevita Ikanivere 24 y/o 1.82 m 114 kg - RWC impact to Northampton Saints starter Sam Matavasi but won the starting spot for knockout qf match - Drua rake and much more lively stats on the carry that Matavasi but maybe more raw than the Saints veteran. Behind Asafo Aumua still in all stats (still very impressive). Got the starting spot over Asafo Aumua in Alun Wyn Jones testimonial
3. Mesake Doge 31 y/o 1.80 m 122 kg - RWC impact to Bayonnes starter Luke Tagi
4. Isoa Nasilasila 24 y/o 1.97 m117 kg - RWC and Drua starter
5. Temo Mayanavanua 26 y/o 1.97 m 120 kg - RWC impact to Drua Kiwi Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta - more dominant tackler and impact player for Northampton Saints behind Top 14 bound Alex Moon
6. Lekima Tagitagivalu 28 y/o 1.95 m 110 kg - RWC starter at both openside and blindside but has spent half his career locking - Pau everywhere man, started in their euro knockout loss
7. Kitione Salawa 23 y/o 1.92 m 95 kg - Drua’s new boy tearaway, one of the leading, if not the best per 80minutes turnover mechants in Super Rugby
8. Viliame Mata 32 y/o 1.96 m 116 kg - Fiji and European star
9. Frank Lomani 28 y/o 1.80 m 81 kg - RWC test 9 - Best try involvements 9 in SR for the Drua behind Ratima and TJP
10. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 20 y/o 1.75 m 86 kg - Test rookie comes in in place of Test and Drua star Ilaisa Droasese who might have had flight or visa issues I suppose.
11. Semi Radradra - enough said
12. Inia Tabuavou 21 y/o 1.85 m 101 kg - Youngster has had some good minutes and stats filling in at Racing 92
13. Waisea Nayacalevu 34 y/o 1.93 m 105 kg - RWC starter and captain - Dominant carrier for Toulon when asked to return early after the WC but injured for the season shortly after which saw Leicester .
14. Jiuta Wainiqolo 25 y/o 1.87 m 97 kg - Has some crunching numbers for Toulon on the wing along side his captain
15. Vilimoni Botitu - Promoted to flyhalf for the RWC quarter finals after injuries - Has mostly had minutes for castres as inside center
Reserves
16. Zuriel Togiatama - Drua impact
17. Haereiti Hetet - Drua #1
18. Samu Tawake - Drua impact
19. Albert Tuisue - Fiji and Gloucester impact player
20. Elia Canakaivata - Late 20s in his second pro year (Drua) by the looks must have come through Fiji pathways or 7s
21. Simione Kuruvoli - Test backup and a player many though was best impact at RWC
22. Caleb Muntz - Seen as leader at 10 but regularly injured after coming from English Championship
23. Sireli Maqala - RWC player and Bayonne center
Missing players
Isefo Masi - Star center of Super Rugby for the Drua at the Olympics playing 7’s I think
Josua Tuisova - Fiji’s inside center at RWC got little minutes this Top 14 season so suspect injured still only 30 - Reports about managing his minutes and his body, looks like Toulon have put the hard word on him not to play until November window (back from injury around June)
Levani Botia - RWC star but getting on in years and injured toward back of Top14, hopefully not the same as above
Vinaya Habosi - Another RWC star winger who finished his Top 14 season recently after having a 3 month (injury?) layoff in the middle. Not scoring any tries. Hopefully partaking in 7VNS and not blocked by Racing 92 as he’s just gone missing to my sluthing
Mesake Vocevoce - Breakdown beast of a lock for a young fella in 2024 Drua
Selestino Ravutaumada - Probably Drua’s best attacking back and one who I also confuse for his older captain, their RWC wing and at the Olympics as well
Meli Derenalagi - Block buster 8 for the Drua
Please add a reply if you know better about any of these players (and there wereabouts if not playing)
Best opportunity to give some of these guys a taste of international footy with consideration to the; experienced and debutant balance, strength and experience of the opposition, the games that lay ahead and when a similar opportunity arises to make a thoughtful decision rather than being forced into making one.
Although it's true that test footy is another level up, so we've been told, all these debutants have played against most of these Fijian boys who have selected twelve Drua; six in the walk on side and six coming off the bench.
If there's anything to be keeping eyes on it would be lineout coordination, ruck speed and retention and scramble defence.
But that's just my two cents. What say you?
I'm not sure I agree with this apparent "give all the boys a run" attitude. They weren't exactly great Vs England and now all the cohesion that had started to come together is out the window again.
I think it is a case of there is more competition for places than we think, and injuries and inevitable. A lot of guys picked here would also make the Form XV from SR ahead of the incumbents rather than just giving all the boys a run.
No cohesion happened at all in the second test
It was more of the same with the bench making an impact
I’m all for the changes
Foster would have included one maybe two max then with no game time for the RC
It also serves notice to others of these guys perform
In saying that there is a spine of experience at lock, 8, 10, 12 and back three
LOVE THIS TEAM!! A strong pack, exciting backs, & a stacked bench that will add value. Energy plus!
Of course, it’s a banana skin test, potentially, heaps of pressure to absorb for newbies, but so many positives in this selection. I expect we'll win well.
Anyone nitpicking who didn’t see this coming has missed the point of Razor selecting his first squad for the first three tests only.
Relax. Lay back. Enjoy.
I saw it coming and its great but if I had to nitpick Id question Bell and Hothem. Perhaps Bell the most. Are they really AB quality as yet???? They certainly look like they will be in future.
Thats it tho. Very happy with this team and its an eye to the future for sure, and the future may be as close as the RC if these boys go well.
We should be building cohesion, the only way to do that is give combinations time.
I like they’ve got Dmac and Cortez in the halves.
But they should have partnered Jordie/Billy together in the centres. (We know what we get from ALB).
Samipeni needs more test time at 6, pop Wallace in at 8 and Ardie at 7 and that’s a debutant blooded.
Wings you can play around with.
I think it’s too many changes, and Fiji will not be (as Bidwell seems to think) a ‘glorified training run’.
Fineau needs to sit his ass down and watch Jacobson smash ball carriers, smash rucks, and smash and win the gainline as a ball runner because Fineau did none of these things in both tests vs England. Plus for his height, Fineau is an ineffective line-out jumper.
They have an absolutely packed schedule this year, more tests than ever before and plenty of chances to refine their selections and build combinations. They need 2 guys who are good enough to start and be the best in every position. The best way to find who those players are is for then to be on the field, playing well and putting pressure on each other to get better.
I’m fairly disappointed with this side to be honest. I had hoped it might retain a bit more relevance to those guys selected.
I think Perofeta should have been given more much needed game (if fit) at the back, along with Finau on the flank, and would have used this as a run to stretch the legs for Savea at 7. That would have given Sititi a much more comfortable game starting at 8, which he would have felt right at home in imo. Otherwise, enjoy the changes, maybe Narawa for Reece obviously, as I’d had liked to also give him a run, while retaining Beauden on the bench.
I like the pack a lot but would have preferred Jordie at 12 with ALB on the bench and Narawa at 14 with Reese on the bench.
Agree with this except for Savea who I would have on the bench. He might not be match fit but he also played through Feb 2023 to May 2024 without much of a break so I think he needs to be managed. Jordie at 12 as vice captain to allow some familiarity for Proctor.
Great to see BB and DM in the same run on team again. Watch the backs go well with Ratima at 9 too. Looking forward to seeing Tosi and Sititi and hope they go well. Im not so keen on Bell tbh as I dont believe he is AB quailty as yet but hope he proves me wrong.
So good seeing others get an opportunity.