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New Zealand Head Coach Steve Hanson has rung the changes with only three players named to start against Namibia who also did so against Argentina on Sunday. Nehe Milner-Skudder, Julian Savea and Sam Whitelock are those retained with Richie McCaw’s replacement Sam Cane also taking over the captaincy.
So strong is the New Zealand bench that there are to be a total of 660 caps, or an average of 83 per player. Test centurions Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and Richie McCaw are among the reserves. Others with years of All Black experience named on the bench are Ma’a Nonu and Kieran Read.
Vast experience also exists in the run-on XV as does talent. So much so that, despite backing up, Hanson’s team could record the largest win of the competition. New Zealand previoulsy put 100 points on Japan in 1995, Italy in 1999 and Portugal in 2007. The largest win though was that of Australia against Namibia in 2003. Despite Namibia being vastly improved today the 142-0 result may, nonetheless, be under threat.
New Zealand
1 Ben Franks, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 4 Luke Romano, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 6 Liam Messam, 7 Sam Cane (Captain), 8 Victor Vito, 9 TJ Perenara, 10 Beauden Barrett, 11 Julian Savea, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 15 Colin Slade
16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Tony Woodcock, 19 Kieran Read, 20, Richie McCaw, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Ma’a Nonu, 23 Ben Smith
