{"id":144569,"date":"2025-11-20T10:51:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T10:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/144569\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T10:51:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T10:51:08","slug":"mckenzie-in-hot-seat-as-all-blacks-ring-the-changes-for-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/144569\/","title":{"rendered":"McKenzie in hot seat as All Blacks ring the changes for Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  [&amp;_p]:tit-sub-xl tit-sub-xl md:[&amp;_p]:d-tit-sub-xl md:d-tit-sub-xl mb-[1.3rem]\">Loose forward Simon Parker is the only All Black to retain his place following the defeat to England, the selectors making 13 changes to the starting team to play Wales in Cardiff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Will Jordan is also in the starting line-up but switches from fullback to right wing as head coach Scott Robertson and company shuffle the deck for the final Test of the year and with the Grand Slam gone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">The reserves bench has also undergone a complete overhaul.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Damian McKenzie starts at No.10, with Ruben Love in the No.15 jersey for his fifth cap and second start.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Fabian Holland has recovered from the illness which ruled him out late in London and starts alongside skipper Scott Barrett in the second row, with Parker joined in the loose forwards by openside flanker Du\u2019Plessis Kirifi and No.8 Wallace Sititi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Loose forward Peter Lakai has been ruled out with a calf injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">The back-up front row from last week \u2013 Tamaiti Williams, Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho and Pasilio Tosi \u2013 become the starters against Wales, while Fletcher Newell shifts to the bench alongside George Bell and George Bower who are named for the first time on this northern tour. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Christian Lio-Willie, who joined the squad from the All Blacks XV last week when Luke Jacobson (concussion) and Samipeni Finau (family illness) returned home, provides loose forward cover. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Cortez Ratima and Finlay Christie will share halfback duties, with Cam Roigard rested.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">In another predictable move, Beauden Barrett has been rested after struggling with a thigh injury at Twickenham. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Anton Lienert-Brown moves from the bench to the No.12 jersey, with Rieko Ioane, not used so far on this tour, alongside him at centre. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Caleb Clarke has returned from an ankle injury to start on the left wing. The midfield and outside backs cover will be provided by Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku and Sevu Reece. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson said the team were preparing to end the tour and year with a performance to be proud of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Wales, who have won only two Tests all year \u2013 both against Japan \u2013 have not beaten New Zealand since 1953.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">The All Blacks have lost three Tests this year, with their latest, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1news.co.nz\/2025\/11\/16\/england-expose-familiar-failings-to-sink-all-blacks-grand-slam-hopes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">against England, <\/a>ruining their chance of a rare Grand Slam against the home nations. A victory will given them a 10-3 record for 2025. <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Robertson said in a statement: \u201cWe have a lot to play for this weekend \u2013 we want to put on a performance that reflects the effort and pride we have put in, and that is a fitting farewell to Jason, Robbo and Coops [assistant coach Jason Holland, NZR CEO Mark Robinson and NZR president Matthew Cooper].\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.1news.co.nz\/2025\/10\/23\/all-blacks-assistant-coach-in-shock-decision-to-walk-away\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Holland<\/a>, the team\u2019s strike coach, is not applying to have his contract renewed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">\u201cWe do not underestimate the passion and resolve that Wales will bring and we know how organised, accurate and ruthless we need to be in return,\u201d Robertson said. <\/p>\n<p>All Blacks match-day 23 to play Wales<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">(Test caps in brackets) <\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">1.\u202fTamaiti Williams (26), 2. Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho (42), 3. Pasilio Tosi (15), 4.\u202fScott Barrett (88) (Captain), 5. Fabian Holland (11), 6.\u202fSimon Parker (7), 7.\u202fDu\u2019Plessis Kirifi (7), 8. Wallace Sititi (18), 9. Cortez Ratima (20), 10. Damian McKenzie (73), 11. Caleb Clarke (32), 12. Anton Lienert-Brown (87), 13.\u202fRieko Ioane (87), 14. Will Jordan (53), 15. Ruben Love (4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Reserves: 16. George Bell (3), 17. Fletcher Newell (34), 18. George Bower (24), 19.\u202fJosh Lord (11), 20. Christian Lio-Willie (3), 21. Finlay Christie (27), 22. Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku (11), 23. Sevu Reece (36).<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-paragraph articleLinkText  lg mb-4\">Unavailable for selection: Peter Lakai (calf), Tevita Mafileo (rib), Luke Jacobson (concussion), Samipeni Finau (family illness), Jordie Barrett (high ankle). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Loose forward Simon Parker is the only All Black to retain his place following the defeat to England,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":144570,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[789,42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-144569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-all-blacks","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144569\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144570"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}