All Blacks call on Codie Taylor for Saturday's clash with Scotland
Thursday 16 November 2017 19:04, UK
Codie Taylor is the only change to the New Zealand team to play Scotland on Saturday from the one that brushed France aside last weekend.
The 26-year-old hooker will win his 27th cap and comes in for the injured Dane Coles who went off in the 24th minute of the 38-18 triumph in Paris.
Nathan Harris takes Taylor's spot on the bench, while Liam Squire also joins the replacements.
All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen said he was expecting a full-blooded encounter against an attack-minded Scotland, who last Saturday won a thrilling Test with Samoa 44-38.
The Scots have never beaten New Zealand in 30 previous encounters and two draws are the best they have mustered.
An All Blacks B team beat a French XV again 28-23 on Tuesday in Lyon. Hansen said their performance should motivate the regular starters.
"This Test against Scotland will be an opportunity for this group of players to take on the challenge of raising the bar on the performance which was set down by their team-mates on Tuesday," said Hansen.
"Scotland will be a formidable opponent who, from all indications, will be looking to play skilful rugby and an up-tempo game.
"Therefore, we'll need to meet this challenge head on and be prepared to empty the tank and exert our own pressure upon them through both our physicality, our own tempo in the game and executing our skills at the highest level."
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie; 14 Waisake Naholo; 13 Ryan Crotty; 12 Sonny Bill Williams; 11 Rieko Ioane; 10 Beauden Barrett; 9 Aaron Smith; 1 Kane Hames; 2 Codie Taylor; 3 Nepo Laulala; 4 Luke Romano; 5 Samuel Whitlock; 6 Vaea Fifita; 7 Sam Cane; 8 Kieran Read (capt)
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris; 17 Wyatt Crockett; 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi; 19 Liam Squire; 20 Matt Todd 21 TJ Perenara 22 Lima Sopoaga 23 Anton Lienert-Brown
