Paris, Nov 18 (AFP/APP):Richie Mo’unga starts at fly-half instead of the injured Beauden Barrett for this weekend’s highly-anticipated Test with France, New Zealand Rugby announced on Tuesday.
Barrett failed a head injury assessment during last Saturday’s defeat in Ireland.
Mo’unga will be partnered at half-back by Aaron Smith who will make his first appearance of the tour in Saturday’s dress rehearsal for the opening game of the 2023 Rugby World Cup after missing away victories over the USA, Italy and Wales due to paternity leave.
“We’re really excited about this match, it’s a big statement game for us, and we know we have to respond from the Irish performance,” head coach Ian Foster said.
“It’s been an incredibly long tour but I’ve been delighted with how the players have handled it from a physical point of view.
“We’ve had to manage the physical and mental load for the players, so have changed things up a bit for this final Test to maximise the energy within the whole group,” he added.
The new faces for Saturday’s game in Paris also include hooker Dane Coles, back-rowers Akira Ioane and Sam Cane, George Bridge and centre Quinn Tupaea.
Front-rower Codie Taylor, flankers Ethan Blackadder and Dalton Papali’i and winger Sevu Reece drop out of the squad completely.
Tupaea replaces the injured Anton Lienert-Brown in midfield to make just his seventh Test appearance.
The All Blacks last lost in Paris in 1973 but have been knocked out at a Rugby World Cup twice by Les Bleus.
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