Aaron Smith will captain the All Blacks for the first time in his career. Photo / Photosport
Aaron Smith will captain the All Blacks for the first time in his career. Photo / Photosport
A new captain and 13 starting changes would, usually, amount to an experimental All Blacks team. Yet with Beauden Barrett and Brodie Retallick among those injected, Ian Foster's rotation policy this month is etching ever closer to his preferred side.
The first of two tests against Fiji on Saturday willbe a special occasion for Aaron Smith after he was handed the All Blacks captaincy for the first time in his 98th test.
So, too, will Smith's Highlanders teammate Ethan de Groot savour his debut from the bench on his home Super Rugby ground, with a hefty Gore contingent preparing to make the trip to Dunedin.
Evergreen halfback Smith, following another standout Super Rugby campaign, assumes the captaincy mantle from Sam Whitelock in a nod to his longevity and influence since debuting nine years ago.
Smith's speed to the base and wide-ranging pass helped carry the All Blacks to World Cup success in 2015.
As Richie McCaw, Kieran Read and other revered figures retired in recent years, Smith's value within the All Blacks has grown - his elevation to skipper this week reflecting the devotion to his profession and standing within the team.
"He's earnt it," Foster said of Smith. "He's a big part of our whole leadership group. He's grown to become an outstanding preparer for a test match so there's a little bit of a reward there but we've watched his leadership with the Highlanders and I thought he did a great job so it gives us a lot of confidence to give him that title."
Aaron Smith will captain the All Blacks for the first time in his career. Photo / Photosport
Foster has made good on his promise to hand everyone opportunities during the July test window by ushering in a completely altered forward pack from the one that started the 102-0 demolition of Tonga last week. In the backline, George Bridge on the left wing and Rieko Ioane at centre are the only two players retained.
"It hasn't been pre-scripted or locked in stone but it certainly is a reward for some for the way they've presented themselves and trained," Foster said. "It's a chance to use that attitude to build some depth and give us some more options."
In the pack Crusaders prop George Bower is promoted to the No 1 jersey after making his debut off the bench last week while Hoskins Sotutu gets his second start – his first appearance this year – at No 8 against the nation his father, Waisake, represented in the late '90s.
While Retallick's first test since the 2019 World Cup garners attention, the most interesting change comes at openside flanker where Foster has been forced to promote Crusaders blindside Ethan Blackadder following injuries to Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and Dalton Papalii.
Brodie Retallick. Photo / Photosport
Blackadder debuted with 28 minutes off the bench last week, and now finds himself thrust into the coveted seven jersey. If the opposition were different, Blackadder's rapid promotion would highly scrutinised, though his physical intent can be seen in the two black eyes he handed Beauden Barrett after a collision during a ruck cleanout at training.
"When we selected the squad in our mind he was always going to be a seven option for us," Foster said. "Regardless of Dalton's calf and Ardie's knee we were always going to look at an opportunity so it made it quite an easy decision to make.
"He's trained well; he's probably got a little bit more anxiety preparing for seven than six because he's played a lot more at six but this year he's already had a couple of games at seven.
"We like him there. We think he's got an attitude and desire to work and be around the ball and he brings a physicalness to that contest. There's perhaps a little bit of fine tuning to do in some of his stuff around the ball but he's thriving at the moment and I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes."
Four years after the last of his three tests as an outside back, this week represents a significant juncture in David Havili's evolution. Emergency bowel surgery threatened to end Havili's career last year but he has since recovered to make his mark at second five-eighth for the Crusaders this season.
David Havili during an All Blacks training session. Photo / Photosport
Havili is on record that No 12 is ultimately not his preferred position yet the subtle skills he brought to the role made such an impression that his chance comes there with Jack Goodhue out for the season and Ngani Laumape off to France.
"He's always been a quality rugby player," Foster said. "He was out of contention for us last year because he had a pretty horrific incident at the end of Super Rugby so he lost an opportunity with us.
"I'm more delighted than surprised with how he's gone about it; how he's focused on his job. He's always been skilful and in Super Rugby we saw him go through phases of how to deal with the physical side of the midfield and by the end he did a pretty good job of it hence he's here."
The highly-competitive back three is another area of interest where Sevu Reece and Jordie Barrett get their chances. The younger Barrett, in his favoured fullback position, needs to rise to the challenge laid down by Damian McKenzie. Likewise, Sevu Reece must continue his resurgence this year after a flat 2020 season.
With Will Jordan, Dane Coles, McKenzie and Luke Jacobson among those to be unleashed off the bench, a Fijian side that's just emerged from two weeks quarantine will do well to contain Smith's All Blacks.
All Blacks team:
Jordie Barrett, Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, George Bridge, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith (c), Hoskins Sotutu, Ethan Blackaddder, Shannon Frizell, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, George Bower.
Reserves: Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Samuel Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan.
