Retiring playmaker Kieran Foran will partner Dylan Brown in the halves for the Kiwis in Sunday’s Pacific Championships opener against Samoa in Auckland.
The pair are part of a six-player group returning from the 2023 title-winning squad, with wing Ronaldo Mulitalo, second rower Briton Nikora and props Moses Leota andNelson Asofa-Solomona.
Jeremy Marshall-King starts at hooker, three years after playing his first two tests at the 2022 World Cup, while Dally M lock of the year Erin Clark misses out on the No 13 jersey to Canberra Raiders captain Joseph Tapine.
The side will be captained by James Fisher-Harris, who is among the 10 players included in the team who were used in the Kiwis’ last match when they beat Papua New Guinea 54-12 in Sydney last November.
Brisbane Broncos young gun Xavier Willison has been named 18th man as he chases a test debut.
Sunday’s encounter will be the sixth between the two nations with the Kiwis winning all of them, including their past meeting, a 50-0 victory in their opening game of the 2023 tournament at Eden Park, although Samoa will be fielding a much more formidable side with Murray Taulagi, Junior Paulo and Terrell May returning from that side two years ago.
Meanwhile, Patricia Maliepo, Shakira Baker and Tysha Ikensio will all become the latest dual-code internationals after being named to make their debuts for the Kiwi Ferns.
Five-eighths Maliepo and second rower Baker played 10 and 13 tests for the Black Ferns respectively, while Ikensio was a member of New Zealand’s gold medal-winning Sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Patricia Maliepo will make her Kiwi Ferns debut against Fetu Samoa. Photo / Getty Images
Ivana Lauitiiti, daughter of former Kiwis forward Ali Lauitiiti, has been named on the interchange for her debut, with halfback Raecene McGregor and lock Georgia Hale named as co-captains.
The Kiwi Ferns kick off against Fetu Samoa at 3.35pm, followed by the Kiwis v Toa Samoa at 6.05pm.
Kiwis: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Matt Timoko, 4. Casey McLean, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Dylan Brown, 7. Kieran Foran, 8. James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Moses Leota, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Isaiah Papali’i, 13. Joseph Tapine.
