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The winners from the opening round of the Rugby Championship will clash in Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday. The All Blacks will be the home side against South Africa, the best performing team from round one of the competition.
New Zealand welcome back a number of Crusaders players who were rested following the Super Rugby Final. Notably among them is fly half Richie Mo’unga who will start with the usual no10 Beauden Barrett named to play at fullback.
A new front-row sees the Crusaders trio of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, and Owen Franks all named to start together. They will be joined by their franchise captain, Samuel Whitelock who will partner Brodie Retallick in the second-row.
The rested Matt Todd, and Kieran Read both start in the back-row. It is not only Crusaders changes in the side, however. At flanker one Tongan-born player replaces another with Shannon Frizell taking over from Vaea Fifita.
In the backs Sonny Bill Williams is back to fitness and will play inside center, joining Jack Goodhue in the mid-field. With Beauden Barrett at fullback, Ben Smith moves to the right wing while Rieko Ioane completes the back-three. Finally, at scrum half Aaron Smith makes way for TJ Perenara.
South African Head Coach Rassie Erasmus has also rung the changes. In total there are twelve changes with only Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, and Makazole Mapimpi retained. Despite maintaining his spot in the team, Etzhbeth passes the captaincy to Duane Vermeulen.
Vermeulen, and du Toit are to join Kwagga Smith in the back-row while Etzebeth will partner Franco Mostert in locking the scrum. The front-row is entirely new with Tendai Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi, , and Trevor Nyakane making way for Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, and Frans Malherbe.
In the backs Faf de Klerk and Handré Pollard will play in the halves and Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am are to be the centers. They will have plenty of speed outside them with Makazole Mapimpi,, Cheslin Kolbe, and Willie le Roux in the back-three.
There have been 97 prior test matches between New Zealand, and South Africa. There most recent in New Zealand was a thriller with the Springboks upsetting the All Blacks 36-34 also in Wellington. Overall New Zealand has 58 wins and South Africa 36 while there have also been 3 drawn matches.
Despite this being match that either team could win. New Zealand enter Saturday’s match as the favorites. The All Blacks are projected to win by 8 points.
TEAMS
NEW ZEALAND
1 Joe Moody, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Owen Franks, 4 Brodie Retallick, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 6 Owen Franks, 7 Matt Todd, 8 Kieran Read (capt.), 9 TJ Perenara, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 11 Rieko Ioane, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 14 Jack Goodhue, 15 Beauden Barrett
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Ofa Tuungafasi, 18 Angus Ta’avao, 19 Vaea Fifita, 20 Dalton Papalii, 21 Aaron Smith, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 George Bridge
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Steven Kitshoff, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Franco Mostert, 6 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Duane Vermeulen (capt.), 9 Faf de Klerk, 10 Handré Pollard, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 12 Damian de Allende, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 15 Willie le Roux
Date: Saturday, July 27
Kick-off: 7:35am local
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
TMO: Rowan Kitt (England)
