Source: All Blacks
All Blacks Head Coach Dave Rennie has named his team to play South Africa at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in the fourth and final Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry presented by Castle Double Malt,
Kickoff is at 5pm on September 12 (local time) and 9am on September 13 (NZT).
The team for the final Test includes several changes to the side that played in Soweto, Johannesburg last weekend, with Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea all ruled out with injury and Fabian Holland also unavailable due to illness.
Prop Fletcher Newell, lock Patrick Tuipulotu, loose forward Ethan Blackadder, first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga and centre Anton Lienert-Brown will all make their first Test starts of the series.
In other changes to the 23, prop Ethan de Groot and lock Josh Lord both return for the first time since leaving the field in the first Test, having progressed through the World Rugby concussion protocols.
Codie Taylor returns as starting hooker and will Captain the side, while Asafo Aumua shifts to the reserves.
Tighthead props Fletcher Newell and Tyrel Lomax also switch this week, with Newell taking the starting spot.
With Patrick Tuipulotu coming in to partner Sam Darry at lock, Tupou Vaa’i shifts back to blindside flanker to join Peter Lakai and Ethan Blackadder in the loose forward trio.
Josh Moorby takes the left wing, and Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett both enter the 23 as backs cover.
Rennie said the coaching staff had always planned for there to be a number of changes for this match.
“Every player here has worked incredibly hard over the last seven weeks to prepare the team for the seven games we’ve played so far, and all those selected for this Test fully deserve it,” Rennie said.
“We have everything to play for on Saturday.
“It is our chance to draw the series and end the tour with a performance to be proud of.
“We have had incredible support travelling with us throughout the tour and amazing support back at home.
“We want to put in a performance that shows how much we appreciate that.
“We also want to honour the players and management who have returned home early but contributed so much.”
MATCH FACTS
- New Zealand has played six test matches in the United States previously. Three matches were against USA (1913, 2014, 2021) one against Fiji, in 2024, and two against Ireland, 2016 and 2025.
- Kyle Preston is the only player to have featured in every game of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. He has also only ever played South African teams as an All Black, with his first Test coming against the Springboks in 2025, followed by 4 games and 4 Tests (if he takes the field on Saturday) during this tour.
- M&T Bank Stadium is home to the Baltimore Ravens NFL team. This is the first time it will host a rugby union Test match.
All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps and non-Test games in brackets):
1. Ethan de Groot (44)
2. Codie Taylor (111) – Captain
3. Fletcher Newell (40)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (58)
5. Sam Darry (11)
6. Tupou Vaa’i (50)
7. Ethan Blackadder (14)
8. Peter Lakai (13)
9. Cam Roigard (23)
10. Richie Mo’unga (56)
11. Josh Moorby (4)
12. Jordie Barrett (84)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (93)
14. Will Jordan (60)
15. Damian McKenzie (80)
16. Asafo Aumua (25)
17. Xavier Numia (4)
18. Tyrel Lomax (54)
19. Josh Lord (16)
20. Wallace Sititi (22)
21. Kyle Preston (4)
22. Rieko Ioane (88)
23. Beauden Barrett (144)
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