All Blacks Named To Face Italy

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named his side to face Italy in their final pool match at the Rugby World Cup, with lock Sam Whitelock in the reserves for his potential 149th test appearance for the All Blacks.

Their are several players returning from injury in the starting side and in the reserves. Same Cane's back injury and Tyrel Lomax's knee cut have allowed their inclusion on the reserves bench while both Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell will both start their first games of the tournament. 

New Zealand All Blacks: 

Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea (capt), Dalton Papalii, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, Ofa Tuungafasi. 

Reserves: 

Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Tyrel Lomax, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Cam Roigard, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.

All Blacks Squad Named For Rugby World Cup

In Napier on Monday, All Black selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have revealed their 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

The squad has an 18 forwards and 15 backs split, totaling three hookers, six props, four locks, five loose forwards, three halfbacks, three first five-eighths, four midfielders and five outside backs. Foster has also named Samipeni Finau, Brad Weber and George Bell as an injury cover set of players to travel to France, but train away from the squad.

The All Blacks next match is a warm up test against South Africa at Twickenham on 26th August, ahead of their opening match against France at the Rugby World Cup on 8th September.

Forwards:

Hookers:

Dane Coles, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Codie Taylor

Props:

Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Nepo Laulala, Fletcher Newell, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams

Locks:

Scott Barrett 
Brodie Retallick 
Tupou Vaa’i 
Samuel Whitelock 

Loose Forwards:

Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea 

Backs:

Halfbacks:

Finlay Christie 
Cam Roigard 
Aaron Smith 


First Five-Eighths:

Beauden Barrett 
Damian McKenzie
Richie Mo'unga

Midfielders:

Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown 


Outside Backs:

Caleb Clarke, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Will Jordan, Emoni Narawa, Mark Telea