All Blacks named to play Uruguay in Lyon
All Blacks selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have named the team for Thursday’s Rugby World Cup pool match against Uruguay in Lyon.
Regular captain Sam Cane has returned to the starting side for the final pool game at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
Tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax has also been named in the run-on side for the first time at this Rugby World Cup while flanker Ethan Blackadder is in line to make his tournament debut from the reserves.
Other changes to the team see lock Tupou Vaa’i, number eight Luke Jacobson, halfback Cam Roigard, centre Anton Lienert-Brown, winger Leicester Fainga’anuku and fullback Damian McKenzie brought into the starting XV.
“We still have everything to play for and our group is preparing accordingly,” said All Blacks head coach Ian Foster. “We have plenty of respect for a Uruguay side that has showed just how good they can be in their pool games.
“It is a short turnaround from our last game against Italy but being able to play in Lyon for back-to-back games has helped with our preparation. We are confident in the direction we are heading in so it’s now about putting out another solid performance and growing our game.”
The All Blacks and Uruguay first met during a tour of Argentina and Uruguay in 1976, but Friday’s match will mark the first official Test between the two sides and is expected to be played in front of more than 50,000 fans.
All Blacks match day 23 (Test caps in brackets)
1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi (56)
2. Codie Taylor (81)
3. Tyrel Lomax (28)
4. Samuel Whitelock (149)
5. Tupou Vaa’i (24)
6. Shannon Frizell (29)
7. Sam Cane (91)
8. Luke Jacobson (17)
9. Cam Roigard (4)
10. Richie Mo’unga (52)
11. Leicester Fainga’anuku (5)
12. Jordie Barrett (53)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (66)
14. Will Jordan (27)
15. Damian McKenzie (44)
Replacements:
16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (27)
17. Tamaiti Williams (4)
18. Fletcher Newell (10)
19. Scott Barrett (65)
20. Ethan Blackadder (9)
21. Finlay Christie (18)
22. Beauden Barrett (119)
23. Caleb Clarke (19)
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