Towering lock Pari Pari Parkinson returns to the Māori All Blacks for the first time since 2019 as the team prepares to play its 125th match.
Parkinson will start at lock alongside fellow Highlander Manaaki Selby-Rickit against Samoa at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday afternoon.
The 24-year-old didn’t feature in last week’s 35-10 win in the first of two matches against Samoa due to cancelled flights, and last donned the jersey against Fiji in Rotorua in 2019.
“He was immense that game, provided a huge presence against Fiji, and we are looking for a similar game from him on Saturday,” coach Clayton McMillan said of the man who was injured during the international window last year.
Towering lock Pari Pari Parkinson returns to the Māori All Blacks for the first time since 2019 as the team prepares to play its 125th match.
Parkinson will start at lock alongside fellow Highlander Manaaki Selby-Rickit against Samoa at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on Saturday afternoon.
The 24-year-old didn’t feature in last week’s 35-10 win in the first of two matches against Samoa due to cancelled flights, and last donned the jersey against Fiji in Rotorua in 2019.
“He was immense that game, provided a huge presence against Fiji, and we are looking for a similar game from him on Saturday,” coach Clayton McMillan said of the man who was injured during the international window last year.
“We wanted to give everyone in our 26-man squad the opportunity to pull on the Māori All Blacks jersey. This weekend, Ollie, Pari and Rameka [Poihipi] get that chance,” McMillan said
