All Blacks team named for Samoa Test
| The All Blacks team for the historic Test against Manu Samoa in Apia on Wednesday July 8 has been named, with George Moala to make his Test debut on the wing. A further three new All Blacks have been named on the reserves bench: prop Nepo Laulala, halfback Brad Weber and midfielder Charlie Ngatai.
The team is: (with caps in brackets. New All Blacks in bold) Starting XV: 1. Tony Woodcock (110) Reserves: 16. Hikawera Elliot (3) There are a further 224 Test caps in the starting backline, with halfback Andy Ellis returning to the All Blacks for the first time since 2011; Daniel Carter is at first five-eighth, with Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty in the midfield. Moala is on the right wing, Charles Piutau is on the left and Israel Dagg is at fullback On the bench, hooker Hikawera Elliot continues his remarkable rugby comeback after last playing for the All Blacks in 2012 and undergoing neck surgery in 2013. Wyatt Crockett joins Laulala as prop cover while Brodie Retallick will provide lock cover. Another returning All Black, Matt Todd, is loose forward reserve. In the backs, Colin Slade joins Weber and Ngatai as backs reserves. All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said the team was excited by the numerous challenges that the Test against Samoa will pose. “It’s exciting for the group to be playing this first ever All Blacks Test in Samoa and we know it’s going to be a special occasion. The Samoans will be incredibly physical and keen to put in a huge performance in front of their fans and we will have to play with high intensity and accuracy with plenty of physicality. We have had a good build-up this week and, with it being a new season and our first Test of the year, we have tried to keep things as simple as possible and now looking forward to getting our season underway.” Meanwhile, All Blacks halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow and prop Joe Moody have been released to play for the Maori All Blacks, who will take on Fiji in Suva on Saturday 11 July. The remaining All Blacks squad members, except loose forward Sam Cane, who shouldered a heavy Super Rugby workload, will travel to Samoa. The All Blacks and Samoa have played each other five times since 1993 and this is the first Test to be played in Apia. The last Test was on 3 September 2008 in New Plymouth. Current All Blacks who played in that match include Tony Woodcock, Jerome Kaino and Daniel Carter. Fan frenzy for All Blacks supporters in Samoa Rugby fans in Samoa will get to see their fair share of All Blacks with the team undertaking a number of fan events in Apia ahead of the All Blacks Test against Manu Samoa. The team flies into Apia on Monday night and has a full day of events planned, including a public parade and presentation, an official meeting with Samoa’s Head of State, a rugby skills session with local rugby kids and a schoolkids event with their official international partner UNICEF. The fan activities kick off on Tuesday morning when a group of All Blacks players and management, including captain Richie McCaw, together with New Zealand Rugby President David Rhodes, Chairman Brent Impey and CEO Steve Tew visit Samoa’s Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi. Later that morning ten players will take part in a skills and drills session with 100 children at Marist Brothers School, for an event that promises to be a lot of fun for the rugby-mad youngsters. At 12.00PM on Tuesday, Apia is expected to come to a standstill when both the All Blacks and Manu Samoa squads take part in a public parade. The teams will travel a short route through Apia in traditional open Samoan buses finishing at the Government Building in the centre of the capital for a presentation. The fan activities wrap up ahead of the Test on Wednesday when a group of players visit some local schoolchildren for a UNICEF promotion on “Healthy Eating, Healthy Activity” All Blacks Manager Darren Shand said: “The team is really looking forward to meeting their fans in Samoa ahead of this historic Test. We know it’s going to be a fantastic few days for the whole of the country and we look forward to seeing as many people as we can.” For information on media opportunities around the above events, please contact Joe Locke on the details below. The new All Blacks – mini biographies George Moala Position: Wing / Midfielder With his considerable athleticism and physicality, midfielder George Moala creates openings for those around him, making him an attractive squad member – but he can also make the most of opportunities for himself. He burst onto the rugby scene for Auckland’s Tamaki College before making the Auckland Under 20 squad in 2010. The following year he was in the Auckland ITM Cup side, and the Blues the following year. One of the fastest and strongest members in his Blues squad, Moala is versatile – he can cover wing or midfield – and has a sound rugby brain. He is an explosive runner, and dangerous with ball in hand, his power making him difficult to stop. Nepo Laulala Position: Prop Tighthead specialist Nepo Laulala has the right attitude and commitment to match his natural talent. A powerful prop and solid defender, Laulala has benefitted from working alongside three All Blacks props in the Crusaders environment, since making his Investec Super Rugby debut in 2013 after impressive provincial seasons for Canterbury. He was born in American Samoa and educated at Auckland’s Wesley College – and there’s a fair bit of rugby talent in the Laulala family: older brother Casey was an All Black, while younger brother Luteru was in the 2015 New Zealand Under 20 side. Brad Weber Position: Halfback Small in stature but with lightning quick speed and a bullet pass, Brad Weber had a breakout Super Rugby season with the Chiefs this year, impressing many with his all-round game. Weber played for the New Zealand Under 20 team in 2011 alongside current All Blacks and Chiefs teammates Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane while studying at the University of Otago. He represented Otago at provincial level in 2012 before transferring to Waikato in 2013. The following year he joined the Chiefs wider training group and captained Waikato in the 2014 ITM Cup displaying strong leadership skills. Charlie Ngatai Position: Midfielder It has been a big 12 months for midfielder Charlie Ngatai. He was impressive for both the Maori All Blacks – who he captained on their successful tour of Japan in late 2014 – and for his ITM Cup side Taranaki, which won the 2014 Premiership title, and he was nominated for Maori Player of the Year. He carried his form into this year’s Investec Rugby season for his third season with the Chiefs. The latest powerhouse player from New Zealand’s East Coast, Ngatai played for Poverty Bay while still at secondary school and has also played for Wellington (2009 – 2013) and the Hurricanes (2011-2012). He has represented New Zealand as an age grade sprinter and is a former New Zealand Under 20 (2010) and New Zealand Schools (2008) representative. |
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