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Autumn Nations Series

Wallace Sititi benched as All Blacks make changes for England Test

By Ned Lester

30 days ago

Simon Parker of New Zealand on attack during The Rugby Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa Springboks at Sky Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Twickenham awaits the All Blacks in the penultimate week of their Grand Slam tour, and the team has welcomed back their captain among a handful of changes for the occasion.

Selectors have also brought back Simon Parker on the blindside flank, with Wallace Sititi returning to the bench. Barrett’s return at lock moves Josh Lord to the reserve unit.

In the backline, Caleb Clarke’s injury has paved the way for Billy Proctor to return to the No.13 jersey, with Leicester Fainga’anuku shifted to the left wing. One more change sees Anton Lienert-Brown come into the No.22 jersey.

Outside of the changes, it’s a familiar matchday 23 for New Zealand, with Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor and Fletcher Newell starting in the front row. Fabian Holland retains his place in the second row, alongside Barrett. Parker, Ardie Savea and Peter Lakai have been named as the starting loose forward trio.

Cam Roigard and Beauden Barrett will start at half back and first five, respectively, feeding the midfield of Quinn Tupaea and Billy Proctor. Outside them, Fainga’anuku joins Leroy Carter and Will Jordan in a well-balanced back three.

“Twickenham is one of the iconic venues in world rugby and there is nothing quite like hearing 80,000 fans singing ‘Swing Low’ to get the adrenaline pumping,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said.

“Recent games against England have been incredibly close-fought, and both teams are coming off a run of wins, so we are expecting an epic clash on Saturday afternoon. We will embrace the atmosphere and the occasion.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

Draws

Wins

Average Points scored

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

60%

All Blacks team to play England

Ethan de Groot
Codie Taylor
Fletcher Newell
Scott Barrett
Fabian Holland
Simon Parker
Ardie Savea
Peter Lakai
Cam Roigard
Beauden Barrett
Leicester Fainga’anuku
Quinn Tupaea
Billy Proctor
Leroy Carter
Will Jordan

Reserves

16. Samisoni Taukei’aho
17. Tamaiti Williams
18. Pasilio Tosi
19. Josh Lord
20. Wallace Sititi
21. Cortez Ratima
22. Anton Lienert-Brown
23. Damian McKenzie

Comments

47 Comments

B 29 days ago

Quinn Tupaea and Billy Proctor to prove their combination choice was correct with Leicester Fainga’anuku on the wing giving Immanuel Feyi- Wabaso some grief…

The AB’s had an early heads up of Englands team and have selected an AB’s team to counter what they see as the game plan they will be fronting and in my opinion it looks a pretty good mix of attack/defence, head to head…

Go the AB’s…a tough one to win…but discipline, backing each other up, plenty of on field chatter and no brain explosions @#$..All for One…One for the AB’s…or not…

CG 29 days ago

Leicester is awesome but he did miss seven tackles; that probably swung it for Procter

The best 13 over there at the moment is Ennor

The best thing for the ABs is that ford is 10

The English have great back row which will make for a good game

JW 29 days ago

Nar it’s just their defensive style, they aren’t really misses, they are more herding sheep.

SC 29 days ago

A very strong team.

I would have preferred a 6-2 bench with Kirifi on the bench instead of ALB.

I do understand the selection of ALB over Ioane. ALB can play 12 or 13 and has played a lot of Super Rugby with Tupaea at Chiefs. Also, there is no need of wing cover on bench with McKenzie able to play fullback and Jordan to shift to right wing.

Having Sititi on the bench was a great move to counter the power and energy that Henry Pollock will provide when he enters the test early in second half. Parker is more useful in the first half of test when test is more tight and structured.

JW 29 days ago

Yep, but it still doesn’t fit with the idea they want from the bench. He is as you suggest, cover. Not impact in any tactical or strategical sense. I would have preferred Caleb, but I guess they are willing to move Lester there yet (hell like they would give Caleb a debut).

And extra lock or loosie would have been my first choice given the backline cover in every position.

cw 29 days ago

I have made the same comment on another post so will be brief - this formula got absolutely smacked in Wellington.

JW 29 days ago

Whats that?

ColinK 29 days ago

Good selection I’m happy with it. Good luck to Razor and the boys, do us proud.

Sequoia.ponds21 30 days ago

Personally would have preferred

11. Leroy Carter

12. Leicester Fainga'anuku

13. Quinn Tupaea

14. Ruben Love

15. Will Jordan

22. Rieko Ioane

with a 6/2 bench of Sititi and Kirifi

Nickers 30 days ago

It’s very frustrating that we could have just brought Tangitau or Reiko in to cover Clarke and leave the rest of the team relatively untouched. But instead we get a completely new midfield pairing and the most impactful 13 we have had for years (albeit from a small sample) playing on the wing. And we get an out of form, undercooked 12/13 cover on the bench whose only measurable impact recently has been coming on and immediately getting a yellow card.

I would love to know why they have gone down this path. It does not seem to make any sense.

JW 29 days ago

Lol you are asking for Rieko? !!

Bruiser 29 days ago

Yep, should have just swapped in Reiko at wing…he would have plnety in the tank. ALB gives away a lot of penalties and hasnt played for months

TokoRFC 29 days ago

Agree with this and your other posts Nickers, they’ve made a risk to avoid a risk by rearranged what was finally working to provide specialist 12 cover. I hope ALB is used only if absolutely necessary, but then you’ve given up the chance to have another forward on the bench to match their 5 backrowers. Another risk…

At the end of the day NZ really suffer from having lots of:

Five Eights that cover fullback

Wingers that cover fullback, and;

Midfielders that cover wing (or fullback)

But we have no 10’s that cover 12 (or visa versa) or any 9s that cover 10. Are there any in super rugby?

Blackmania 30 days ago

Tangitau isn’t in the squad — he couldn’t be selected.

Well, if Razor had really wanted to, he could have. It would actually have sent quite a message to unleash such a rocket at Twickenham. But hey, Razor isn’t exactly the daring type…

Proctor will still bring more on defense. Fainga’anuku wasn’t always very convincing on that front last week. And he handles high balls pretty well.

Rieko Ioane is losing credit. Still not on the team sheet. His move to Ireland next year might mark the end of his journey with New Zealand and the All Blacks. His status has considerably declined over the past few weeks, and I don’t see him being selected again — especially with the emergence of several very talented young wingers.

johnz 30 days ago

A largely predictable line-up, with no risks taken, which is predictable in itself.

Clarke’s injury has weakened this team. Not only do we lose another power player and a high ball expert; shifting Fainga’anukui to the edge has the knock on effect of weakening the newly found attacking success. He’s the only 13 the ABs have used for a long time that can free up the outside backs.

Proctor has struggled to do the same, and the slightly curious pick of ALB on the bench indicates there’s no motivation to shift Leicester in a spot later in the game.

On paper, Ioane would have made a lot of sense as a straight swap for Clarke, or on the bench. The fact he hasn’t been selected at all in the 23 makes you wonder why on earth he’s been dragged around the world on an all expenses paid trip at all.

Sititi strengthens the bench, hopefully he gets 40 minutes, he’s hit a purple patch of form. While ALB weakens it. I can’t remember the last time he produced a performance from the pine of any impact. Again, a conservative choice, but there are no obvious outside backs left in the squad who offer much more in the way of impact.

Nickers 30 days ago

I think this selection approach is actually leading to a lot more risk.

Completely new midfield is a risk.

Proctor who has underperformed at test level is a risk.

ALB on the bench is a risk based on his recent history there.

LF on the wing against Ford’s kicking game and England’s wingers chasing game is a risk (remember how foolish Reece looked last year) - the last time I actually watched him play on the wing he had a pretty shaky game defensively against Ireland in that QF, and he has barely played there since.

The forwards selection on the bench is looking very strong though.

PMcD 30 days ago

It’s a solid team but not a great one and I can’t help this reflects Razor’s selection conservatism more than anything else.

If there was ever a time to play 6|2, especially with Sititi & Kirifi available for the bench, then this was the game.

Having done what he has done in the 13 shirt, to move LF and replace with Proctor feels a backward step and to offset the threat of Curry & Pollock with Lienert-Brown instead of Sititi & Kirifi, just feels a bit limited.

NZ should have enough to put this team away but given the chance to be bold and move this team on again, it feels like Razor has missed his opportunity again.

JW 29 days ago

LF has really provided the same thing whether 11 or 13, lets hope its not too important where he is and he still comes inside to generate some carry. I’d like to see him do that closer to the ruck, but yeah, what I definitely don’t want to see is Proctor being used in the midfield carry/crash role, where he is poor.

Not that the coach uses logic (he didn’t make this change last week where he brought on Dmac instead) but it might be too soon to actually put LF in the 12 jersey (as in say to sub Quinn out for Dmac) but I would have really liked Tangitau to be on the bench (because we all know by now hes never going to use 6 forwards) instead of ALB. Thats a double tactical change with more direct power and extra speed out wide that would suit Dmac well as options.

Bruiser 29 days ago

Agree, we have broken up a midfield combo that has looked good and would have had an edge. It was the time to try 6/2

johnz 30 days ago

Agreed, disappointing to see LF moved. He’s been at the centre (pun intended) of the much improved attack over the last couple of matches. Even DMac’s much celebrated try last week only happened because LF got a miracle ball away. A 6-2 split would have been interesting for this match. I can’t see why you would bring ALB on, except for injury.

SB 30 days ago

Some classic matchups. George Ford vs Beauden Barrett. Henry Pollock vs Wallace Sititi. Marcus Smith vs Damian McKenzie.

GL 30 days ago

With all the wing injuries, it is probably the best we could do.

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