Dave Rennie makes three major forward pack calls for third Springboks Test

Aumua staring is a big call, and I would think the right one. Scrums gonna be very interesting !

So we finish if all goes to plan in the pack with

Numia Samisoni Newell

Tupou V Holland

Wallace Ardie Lakai

Add Aumua in there and some might argue this is our best pack and I include Numia in that discussion

Win or lose, these selections bode well for the future of Rennie era. Some brave calls to drop Taylor out of the 23 completely, rotate Holland to the bench, and finally get our best loose forward onto the field for more of the game.

Taylor has not looked right on this tour and it is great to see Aumua get rewarded for the year that he has had so far. Had Taylor been hitting the mark on every line out there could have been an argument to retain him, but he has been no better in that area than Aumua or Samisoni, and he is nowhere near the others in terms of physicality. Likewise Vaa’i, Jacobson and Lakai have all proven themselves to very good edge forwards on attack. Given that I’m not sure where Taylor fits into the team now.

Holland has put in a couple of huge shifts and to have him coming on for the last 30 is the right idea. It will come down to execution on the day, and Darry really stepping up, but it’s great to see selection based on current reality rather than history and hope.

Parker had his best game in a while last week, he was all over Weise and stopped him on the gain line on most carries so in a way surprised to see him gone but we are definitely in need of fresh legs. Lakai has taken the intensity of the game up a notch every time he has come onto the field. He has only played about 25 minutes across game 1 and 2 so I expect him to play the full 80 this week. Sititi is an interesting call. We know what he can do and the stage is set.

I wonder if the change at 6 away from someone who is essentially a 3rd lock hints at a change of tactics for this game. I think we could see a lot more kicking.

As for the backs, they seem more like injury replacements than guys that can some on and make a huge impact. I may never understand the need to have midfield AND outside back cover on the bench against the Springboks when we have someone in form and super fresh in Reiko who can cover both. It seems like they really don’t want Tupea going to 12 if something happens to Jordie, but he has shown on this tour that his kicking, catch pass, as well as his decision making are exceptional. If JB went down I would rather see QT and Reiko than ALB and QT.

We all feeling a bit more comfortable around the amount of time Preston might have to play now? Not that he has been on for long or done anything special but has gone about his biz ..at some point he will need a start

Gutted theres no Jimmy. ALB is the straight missionary option.

We need a weapon, not Mr Vanilla who happens to get the odd cars here and there.

Cant wait to see Wallace get on. Crazy his sister is playing in black ferns beforehand.

Aumua with the start!! think this will make many happy well deserved should have happened earlier I reckon in NC after an outstanding Super but all good he gets to start in a huge game basically as big as they get .

Have to say tho Asafa has had his struggles at lineout so why they given him the shortarse lineup? Haha

Love the bench forwards not a heap of experience but powerful

What a team!

Some very brave calls but they look to be the right ones.

This Rennie boy knows what he’s doing!

Less disappointed in the end than I expected. A few brave decisions for Game 3. The All Blacks are going to rely on the mobility of their forwards, and that’s exactly what they need to do in Soweto.

The only slight concern is the bench, with ALB and a winger. I still don’t understand the logic behind that.

The All Blacks can genuinely win this game. But they’ll need to be a little better in the set-piece areas (scrum in Game 1, lineout in Game 2), and avoid giving away points too quickly. Jordie Barrett’s poor kick in the very first seconds of the match in Cape Town cost them 7 points far too early.

Rieko prone to brain explosions, ALB steady kool old head.

Which we will need in the last 15 mins.

So pleased to see some bravery in selection, finally. It’s not something we have seen for a long time - Foz and Razor were too fareful to rotate. Razor’s ABs paid the price at Twickenham last season for having too many tired legs.

Still, I would have played Lakai at 7 and given Jacobson a spell - he looked a bit weary last match. I guess Rennie didn’t want to drop two leaders from the pack at once.

Like most people, I find the continued selection of ALB on the bench puzzling - he offers nothing in terms of impact. Quinn can cover 12. ALB is a starter, or not at all. Moorby is in the same camp.

Holland not starting is interesting - he’s been essential to the linout, but pleased to see Darry get a start.

All in all, it’s exciting to see fresh legs, and two powerful hookers. Fortune favours the brave, as they say - let’s hope that plays out on Saturday.

Finally a team based on NZ rugby DNA. It is the most mobile, explosive AB team in many years. What a game we are in for this weekend.

Thought we might see Rieko instead of ALB, but not surprised. We drop some height in the line out, targeting more go-forward at ruck (our gainline stats haven’t been great), and presumably Darry is there to do a heap of ruck cleaning. Can this team handle the Boks start this time, before finishing over the top? Let’s hope so - go ABs!