All Blacks make sweeping changes for final Springboks Test as team named

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Final Test.

The All Blacks have made several changes for Saturday’s fourth and final Test against the Springboks at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Codie Taylor returns at hooker and will captain the side in the absence of Ardie Savea, who has been ruled out through injury alongside Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea. Fabian Holland is unavailable due to illness.

Fletcher Newell, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ethan Blackadder, Richie Mo’unga and Anton Lienert-Brown will all make their first starts of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

Newell replaces Tyrel Lomax at tighthead prop, while Tuipulotu comes into the second row alongside Sam Darry. That sees Tupou Vaa’i shift to blindside flanker, with Blackadder and Peter Lakai completing the back row.

Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord return after progressing through World Rugby’s concussion protocols, having been unavailable since leaving the field during the opening Test.

Mo’unga starts at fly-half alongside Cam Roigard, with Damian McKenzie at fullback. Josh Moorby starts on the left wing, while Lienert-Brown partners Jordie Barrett in midfield.

Beauden Barrett and Rieko Ioane have been named among the replacements.

New Zealand must win in Baltimore to draw the four-Test series, with South Africa holding a 2-1 lead following consecutive victories in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The match kicks off at 5pm local time on Saturday, which is 9am in New Zealand on Sunday.

All Blacks team

1. Ethan de Groot
2. Codie Taylor (captain)
3. Fletcher Newell
4. Patrick Tuipulotu
5. Sam Darry
6. Tupou Vaa’i
7. Ethan Blackadder
8. Peter Lakai
9. Cam Roigard
10. Richie Mo’unga
11. Josh Moorby
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Anton Lienert-Brown
14. Will Jordan
15. Damian McKenzie

Replacements:

16. Asafo Aumua
17. Xavier Numia
18. Tyrel Lomax
19. Josh Lord
20. Wallace Sititi
21. Kyle Preston
22. Rieko Ioane
23. Beauden Barrett

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