All Blacks debut for Hoeata

Highlanders second row Jarrad Hoeata will make his international debut when New Zealand host Fiji in Dunedin on Friday night.

NZ coach gives fringe players a run out against Fiji

Highlanders second row Jarrad Hoeata will make his international debut when New Zealand host Fiji in Dunedin on Friday night. Hoeata will be joined in the second row by Ali Williams, who starts for the first time since November 2008, for the All Blacks' final warm-up before their Tri-Nations opener against South Africa in Wellington on July 30. Coach Graham Henry will use the game to give some of his fringe players a run-out with fly-half Colin Slade making his starting debut in place of Daniel Carter, who is named on the bench. Wyatt Crockett and Ben Smith have also been drafted back in for the first time in 20 months. Henry is, however, wary of underestimating Fiji after their fellow Pacific Islanders Samoa upset Australia last weekend, and has included the experience of skipper Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith. "This is an important Test for us as we kick off this year's Test season," Henry said.

Competition

"We have got some real competition for places and it's exciting for those players picked and they will keen to put their best foot forward. "They were competitive in the recent Pacific Nations Cup and will bring their unique style so we will have to be clinical in the way we play. "You just need to look at how Fiji's Pacific neighbours Samoa played against Australia on the weekend to know that if we underestimate Fiji, we do so at our peril." The All Blacks will be without Cory Jane, who dislocated a finger in Wellington's ITM Cup match against Taranaki, while Richard Kahui (hamstring), Tony Woodcock (foot), Isaia Toeava (hip), Hosea Gear (hamstring) and Israel Dagg (thigh muscle) are also missing. New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Zac Guildford, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Colin Slade, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Liam Messam, 7 Richie McCaw (capt), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Jerome Kaino, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Daniel Carter, 22 Ben Smith.