Seven starting changes, including Mark Telea’s debut on the right wing, and two further positional tweaks underlines the element of risky rotation the All Blacks have adopted for Scotland in Edinburgh.
The easy option for the All Blacks, as they seek to deliver consistency ofperformance for the first time this season and maintain their unbeaten record against Scotland on Monday morning, was to reinstate the team that scored eight tries in their Welsh demolition in Cardiff last week.
Settled, confident combinations usually present the best chance of preserving standards.
But with two tests remaining this year, and seven until next year’s World Cup, All Blacks coach Ian Foster has instead promoted several second-choice prospects — Telea, Finlay Christie, Nepo Laulala and Akira Ioane among them — in a quest to breed internal competition and depth.
While the overall quality of personnel in a team that features seven Blues in the starting side is vastly improved by comparison, the last time the All Blacks made widespread changes — against Japan in Tokyo two weeks ago — they were pushed to the brink.
Scotland at Murrayfield pose a significantly greater threat.
“There’s a challenge maintaining the same level of performance whether you don’t change or you do,” Foster said. “We’ve looked at the threat Scotland pose, the growth in some of our players and picked accordingly.
“With two tests to go at the end of our season it’s about making sure we keep energy levels really high. I’m probably not as fixated on the number of changes because a lot of them were the combinations that finished the test last week so it’s not like they haven’t played together.
“We need to try lift our performance up again in what’s going to be a big challenge.”
Mark Telea will make his All Blacks debut. Photo / Photosport
Telea’s debut ahead of Sevu Reece presents a notable chance to impress — his start arriving with Will Jordan missing this tour through injury.
“He’s got good aerial skills and he’s hungry for an opportunity,” Foster said. “He’s ticked all those boxes. We’re delighted to give him his first test start. It’s a big occasion for him but he’s been around the team a while. I thought he was one of the form wings in Super Rugby and certainly in the NPC so he’s come in with plenty of confidence.”
As signposted by the Herald this week, David Havili is paired with Anton Lienert-Brown in the new-look midfield, the latter starting his first test since last November after spending six months on the sideline following shoulder surgery.
“I expect them to play like an All Blacks midfield,” Foster said. “David had a really strong Rugby Championship. He finished that with an injury. He brings a different skill set to Jordie so we’re looking forward to seeing him utilise that. Anton I just want to see him out there smiling and doing what he does. He’s a very experienced midfielder for us and he’s hungry to get back in.”
Havili’s return pushes Jordie Barrett, after impressing in two starts at No 12, to fullback which allows Beauden Barrett to assume his favoured first five-eighth role while Richie Mo’unga rests for England at Twickenham next week.
“Beaudy is a very, very good 10 and we want to keep him in form in that position as well as 15.”
As for Jordie’s ongoing positional juggling act, Foster said: “He’s playing pretty well in both.”
Anton Lienert-Brown and David Havili start in the All Blacks midfield. Photo / Photosport
Experienced, unpredictable playmaker Finn Russell will start at No 10 for Scotland — the first time since the Six Nations — to add further intrigue to a contest the locals have long circled on the calendar after last playing the All Blacks five years ago, when a try-saving Beauden Barrett tackle on Stuart Hogg broke local hearts.
“I know how quick he is. Thankfully I had the sideline to work with,” Barrett recalled. “The game flashed before our eyes. We were quite lucky to get away with it. That just shows how lethal Scotland can be as a team. They’ve got plenty of attacking weapons and they like to use the ball so our defence has to be on this week.”
Scotland lost their opening November international against the Wallabies after missing a kickable penalty on fulltime before coming from behind to defeat Fiji 28-12 last week.
“I can’t see it changing too much in what they do,” Foster said of Russell’s inclusion. “They’ve got a pretty attacking mindset. They play with quite a bit of adventure to their game so they challenge you in different areas with different types of plays.
“In the last couple of years they’ve shown they can get up and play well in big games. They’re searching for consistency as well but the upside is their top game is at a pretty high level.”
In 31 attempts over 115 years Scotland are yet to defeat the All Blacks, managing two draws in that time.
“We get no comfort from records like that,” Foster said. “It’s a fact but it doesn’t change there’s a test match coming up. Expectations are always high for us but we’re also cognisant that this is a Scottish team going through a bit of confidence.”
All Blacks v Scotland
Monday, 3.15am, Murrayfield
All Blacks: Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Finlay Christie, Ardie Savea, Dalton Papali’i, Akira Ioane, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock (c), Nepo Laulala, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ethan De Groot.
Reserves: Codie Taylor, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Shannon Frizell, TJ Perenara, Stephen Perofeta, Rieko Ioane.
Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ali Price, Matt Fagerson, Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie (c), Grant Gilchrist, Richie Gray, Zander Fagerson, Fraser Brown, Pierre Schoeman.
Reserves: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, WP Nel, Jonny Gray, Jack Dempsey, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn, Mark Bennett.
