All Blacks team named to play Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria

All Blacks

1 hour agoBy: Alan Brown

Captain Codie Taylor gets first start of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Tour

All Blacks Head Coach Dave Rennie has named his team to play the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday 15 August in the third match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry presented by Castle Double Malt.

Kick off Saturday 7.00PM local time (5.00AM Sunday 16 August NZT), LIVE on Sky Sport. Highlights available on allblacks.com and the All Blacks and Black Ferns app.

All Blacks match-day 23

Test caps and non-Test games in brackets:

1.  Xavier Numia (2, 0)

2. Codie Taylor (109, 0) (Captain)

3.  Tyrel Lomax (51, 0)

4.  Fabian Holland (12, 1)

5. Patrick Tuipulotu (57, 3)

6.  Simon Parker (8, 1)

7.  Anton Segner (2, 1)

8.  Peter Lakai (10, 1)

9.  Cortez Ratima (24, 2)

10. Josh Jacomb (0, 1)

11. Josh Moorby (2, 1)

12. Anton Lienert-Brown (90, 2)

13. Rieko Ioane (88, 1)

14. Leroy Carter (7, 1)

15. Beauden Barrett (144, 2)

Reserves

16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (44, 1)

17. George Bower (26, 1)

18. Siale Lauaki (0, 1)

19. Josh Lord (15, 1)

20. Wallace Sititi (21, 1)

21. Kyle Preston (1, 2)

22. Timoci Tavatavanawai (2, 1)

23. Emoni Narawa (4, 1)

WATCH: Go behind the scenes with the All Blacks in episode 6 of Behind the Fern

Hooker Codie Taylor returns from injury to captain the All Blacks for the first time in his 110^th All Blacks match and first match of the tour. Props Xavier Numia and Tyrel Lomax will also play their first match of the tour.

Six players from the All Blacks team who beat the Sharks 54-0 on Tuesday back up for the Bulls match: lock Josh Lord, loose forward Wallace Sititi, halfbacks Kyle Preston and Cortez Ratima (who are both playing their third game of the tour), midfielder Timoci Tavatavanawai and outside back Emoni Narawa. A total of 14 players named in the 23 to take on the Bulls played in the opening match against the Stormers.

“The Bulls have consistently been South Africa’s best franchise side, making the United Rugby Championship finals in four of the last five years. Loftus Versfeld is one of the most formidable rugby grounds in the world, so we are aware of the challenge in front of us and excited at what lies ahead,” Rennie said.

“This is also our final hit out before the first Test match against the Springboks, so it is an important game for us. There is healthy competition for Test spots so another opportunity for players to put their hands up for selection.

“Huge congratulations to Codie on his first All Blacks captaincy. He is a top man and has done a great job leading this tour group. This is a proud moment for an All Blacks centurion who has made a massive contribution to this team as a player and a leader,” Rennie said.

MATCH FACTS

The All Blacks have played at Loftus Versfeld (and the former Eastern Sports Ground) 16 times since 1928, playing six Tests against the Springboks and four games against the forerunner to the Bulls, Northern Transvaal, in 1949, 1960, 1970 and 1976. The All Blacks won the first three games and lost the 1976 match 29-27.
Other opponents the All Blacks have played at Loftus Versfeld include the Junior Springboks, South African Universities, Northern Universities, South African Combined Services, Pretoria and Pretoria Clubs. The All Blacks also played Scotland there at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
The match venue is 1350 metres above sea level, and the rarefied air allows kicks to travel much further than at sea level. Twenty years ago Dan Carter kicked what is possibly the longest ever penalty kick by an All Black, nailing a 62 metre-penalty goal in the All Blacks’ 45-26 victory.