Thursday 5 October 2017 16:58, UK
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has named arguably his strongest available team for their Rugby Championship finale against South Africa at Newlands on Saturday.
Hansen allowed four All Blacks - lock Sam Whitelock, flankers Sam Cane and Liam Squire and centre Ryan Crotty - to remain in New Zealand while he took a less experienced squad to Argentina last week, where they wrapped up the title.
Whitelock's fellow second row, Brodie Retallick, who was also one of the players that missed the 36-10 victory in Buenos Aires, did not join the team in South Africa after his wife suffered a pregnancy loss.
Whitelock, Cane, Squire and Crotty all come back into the starting line-up for the big clash in Cape Town, live on Sky Sports, with the team essentially the same one that destroyed the Springboks 57-0 in Auckland last month.
Scott Barrett, who came off the bench at North Harbour Stadium and started last week against the Pumas, has replaced Retallick in the only change to the starting side.
Barrett's older brother Beauden, who was originally rested for the Buenos Aires trip but was called in with Lima Sopoaga staying at home to attend the birth of his first child, will also start the game at fly-half.
Hansen said he expected a backlash from the Springboks, who were heavily criticised by their fans after their record defeat in New Zealand.
"We're looking to play a team that will be hurting incredibly, I would suggest, after Albany and we need to make sure that we meet that and continue on growing and developing ourselves," Hansen said.
"To do that you've got to play a good team.
"Whilst we've left some people out that people might've thought (they) might have got a game, or we could've given someone else a rest, there's a bigger picture and we know where we're going with the rest and stuff."
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith; 1 Kane Hames, 2 Dane Coles, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Sam Whitelock, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Liam Squire, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Kieran Read (c).
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Matt Todd, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Lima Sopoaga, 23 David Havili.
