All Blacks 2nd-five Sonny Bill Williams will play just his third test in Wellington. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Three key numbers from the All Blacks test squad named to face the British and Irish Lions in Wellington.
1160
Ngani Laumape has been named on the bench and is set to make his All Blacks debut. If he gets on the field he will become All Blacks no.1160 and the
14th All Black from Palmerston North Boys College. Fellow bench player Aaron Cruden also attended the school as did 2016 All Black Liam Squire. The former Warriors player made his Super Rugby debut just last season. He will become the third new All Black this year, the other two Vaea Fifita and Jordie Barrett also plya for the Hurricanes.
Laumape lined up twice against Lions player Ben Te'o on the rugby league field - both times in Perth. Te'o's Rabbitohs came out on top in both games - winning 30-13 in 2013 and 34-18 the following year. That 2014 NRL season Laumape also played against All Blacks teammate Sonny Bill Williams when the Warriors were defeated 46-12 by the Roosters.
99
All Blacks skipper Kieran Read will run out onto the field for the 99th test on Saturday. Of his 98 tests, Read has played in just 10 defeats and two draws. 43 of those 98 have been played on home soil and 42 were victories. Read will captain the All Blacks in his 24th test, which is the fourth most in All Blacks' history. Owen Franks will play his 93rd test which moves him ahead of Sean Fitzpatrick to ninth on the All Blacks all-time list. Conrad Smith is next on the list with 94 tests.
2011
Sonny Bill Williams will play his third test at Westpac Stadium but he hasn't played there since the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In contrast, SBW played his 10th test at Eden Park last week and will probably make it 11 next Saturday. Read will play his 10th test at the Cake Tin and has never lost a test in Wellington.
