Taylor replaces Coles for All Blacks at Murrayfield

Codie Taylor will replace the injured Dane Coles at hooker when New Zealand take on Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Taylor came off the bench as a replacement at the Stade de France after Coles suffered a ruptured ACL in last weekend’s 38-18 win over France in Paris.

After beating France last weekend, another French XV were also dispatched 28-23 by the All Blacks in Lyon on Tuesday.

Coach Steve Hansen said: “Scotland will be a formidable opponent who, from all indications, will be looking to play skillful rugby and an up-tempo game.

“Therefore, we’ll need to meet this challenge head-on and be prepared to empty the tank and exert our own pressure upon them through both our physicality, our own tempo in the game and executing our skills at the highest level.”

That up-tempo style has been an early hallmark of Gregor Townsend’s reign, which continued with a breathless 44-38 win over Samoa in Edinburgh last weekend.

Townsend makes two changes to his side from that game, Zander Fagerson and back-row Cornell du Preez replacing the injured WP Nel and Ryan Wilson.

Du Preez will make his first Scotland start, while the uncapped Luke Hamilton steps up to the bench.