PARIS (Reuters) – All Blacks coach Ian Foster has kept power winger Leicester Fainga’anuku in his backline for the World Cup quarter-final against Ireland on Saturday.
Foster gave Fainga’anuku a runout in New Zealand’s last pool game against Uruguay and his fine performance, including a spell in the centres, earned him a start in preference to Mark Telea.
Telea had also breached team protocols this week and Foster said it was a serious enough offence to prevent him from being selected.
Otherwise, Foster brought back all of his big guns with Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Scott Barrett and Aaron Smith all returning to the starting lineup.
In the front row, prop Ethan de Groot returns after suspension and Tyrel Lomax starts at tighthead despite suffering a knee injury against Uruguay.
Team: 15-Beauden Barrett, 14-Will Jordan, 13-Rieko Ioane, 12-Jordie Barrett, 11-Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10-Richie Mo’unga, 9-Aaron Smith, 8-Ardie Savea, 7-Sam Cane (captain), 6-Shannon Frizell, 5-Scott Barrett, 4-Brodie Retallick, 3-Tyrel Lomax, 2-Codie Taylor, 1-Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16-Dane Coles, 17-Tamaiti Williams, 18-Fletcher Newell, 19-Samuel Whitelock, 20-Dalton Papali’i, 21-Finlay Christie, 22-Damian McKenzie, 23-Anton Lienert-Brown
(This story has been corrected to clarify that Telea was left out for disciplinary actions in paragraph 3)
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Toby Davis)
