Scott Barrett to Lead All Blacks Against South Africa as Sam Cane Returns to Starting Lineup
Scott Barrett will captain the All Blacks in their Rugby Championship test against South Africa, with Sam Cane returning to the starting lineup. Check out the full team lists for the crucial match at Ellis Park.
Bollywood Fever: Scott Barrett will make his return from injury to captain the All Blacks in their Rugby Championship clash against South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday. Former captain Sam Cane will also make his first start of the season, adding to the high stakes of this crucial match.
Barrett, who missed New Zealand’s two home tests against Argentina due to a finger injury, displaces Sam Darry in the second row, joining Tupou Vaa’i. Cane, who returned as a substitute in the second test against Argentina, takes over at openside flanker from Dalton Papali’i, who is sidelined with a thumb injury. The All Blacks’ backline remains unchanged from their 40-12 win over Argentina.
Head coach Scott Robertson emphasized the significance of the upcoming match, stating, “To play South Africa at Ellis Park is one of the greatest tests you can prepare for. We will embrace the occasion. We have a lot of respect for the Springboks and we are looking forward to what will be an electric atmosphere at an iconic venue.”
Saturday’s game marks the third match for both teams in this year’s Rugby Championship and their first meeting since the closely contested Rugby World Cup final last year, where South Africa edged New Zealand 12-11 after Cane was sent off for a high tackle.
Cane’s inclusion in the starting lineup is particularly notable as it marks his first start in a test match since that World Cup final. The flanker had surgery on a back injury in March, which kept him out of Super Rugby this season. His last match was for the Suntory Sungoliath in Japan in January.
The All Blacks have had to deal with additional challenges, including the recent resignation of assistant coach Leon MacDonald, who left after “differences” on coaching matters.
Meanwhile, South Africa has made nine changes to their team that secured a 33-12 victory over Australia two weeks ago. Coach Rassie Erasmus’s squad will be looking to build on their strong form as they face their old rivals at the iconic Ellis Park, where they have won nine of their 15 previous encounters against New Zealand.
Teams:
New Zealand:
- Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Damian McKenzie, T.J. Perenara
- Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Ethan Blackadder
- Tupou Vaa’i, Scott Barrett (captain)
- Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Tamaiti Williams
- Reserves: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Sam Darry, Samipeni Finau, Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown, Mark Tele’a
South Africa:
- Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach
- Jasper Wiese, Ben-Jason Dixon, Siya Kolisi (captain)
- Ruan Nortje, Pieter-Steph du Toit
- Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche
- Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Marco van Staden, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Grant Williams, Handre Pollard
The match at Ellis Park promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams eager to assert their dominance in the Rugby Championship.
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