New Zealand’s former captain Sam Cane and scrumhalf TJ Perenara will get the chance to play for the All Blacks for a final time after being picked on Thursday to face Italy on Saturday.
The Test at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium marks the end of the November tour for New Zealand, who edged England and Ireland in their opening two matches but lost 30-29 to France in Paris last weekend.
Cane and Perenara are moving to Japan to play club rugby. Cane, who has 103 caps, will line up on the openside of the scrum in a switch to the loose trio with Samipeni Finau out with concussion. It means Ardie Savea moves back to number eight with Wallace Sititi now on the blindside.
Perenara, with 88 caps, has been named as replacement scrumhalf and will likely get a run out to mark the end of his All Blacks career.
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New Zealand coach Scott Robertson had been expected to ring the changes and give opportunities to several fringe players but has put out a strong side against Italy, who lost heavily to Argentina in their opening November international and had a struggle to get the better of Georgia last week.
There are a total of five changes in the All Blacks line-up from the narrow loss in Paris last Saturday.
Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot, not used since being suspended for breaching team protocol ahead of the first Test on tour against England, has been chosen in place of Tamaiti Williams, who suffered a neck injury against France last Saturday, while Patrick Tuipulotu replaces Tupou Vaa’i in the secondrow.
New Leinster signing Jordie Barrett, who was set to have a scan on his knee, is replaced by the experienced Anton Lienert-Brown, while Mark Tele’a is back on the right wing after a hand injury, replacing Sevu Reece in the two backline changes.
“This Italy team has made a real impact on the international stage this year, with a strong showing in the Six Nations,” Robertson said in a statement naming the team.
“We know the passion this team will bring, so we are preparing for a physical and motivated Italy for our final test of the tour.”
Italy fullback Ange Capuozzo has returned from a head injury in Gonzalo Quesada’s side, with Juan Ignacio Brex captaining the team.
Capuozzo was an early casualty in Italy’s 50-18 loss to Argentina this month and forced to miss last weekend’s win over Georgia due to the head injury assessment protocols, where he was replaced by Matt Gallagher who drops out of the squad.
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Italy are without regular captain Michele Lamaro, who suffered a shoulder injury early in Sunday’s 20-17 win over Georgia, and centre Brex will wear the captain’s armband while Manuel Zuliani replaces flanker Lamaro in the side.
Federico Ruzza comes back into the secondrow after missing the Georgia game with a rib injury, with Niccolo Cannone dropping to the bench.
Quesada has made six changes from the side which struggled before beating Georgia. Martin Page-Relo comes in at scrumhalf with Alessandro Garbisi dropping to the bench, Gianmarco Lucchesi is at hooker replacing Giacomo Nicotera and prop Marco Riccioni is chosen ahead of Simone Ferrari.
ITALY: Ange Capuozzo; Jacopo Trulla, Juan Ignacio Brex (capt), Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Danilo Fischetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Marco Riccioni; Federico Ruzza, Dino Lamb; Sebastian Negri, Manuel Zuliani, Ross Vintcent.
Replacements: Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Alessandro Izekor, Alessandro Garbisi, Leonardo Marin, Marco Zanon.
NEW ZEALAND (v Italy): Will Jordan; Mark Tele’a, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke; Beauden Barrett, Cam Roigard; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu; Wallace Sititi, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Peter Lakai, TJ Perenara, David Havili, Damian McKenzie.
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