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Les Kiss names full AUNZ squad to take on B&I Lions in Adelaide

Joe Brial of the Reds celebrates after scoring a try during the round 15 Super Rugby Pacific match between Queensland Reds and Hurricanes at Suncorp Stadium, on May 23, 2025, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

AUNZ invitational XV head coach Les Kiss has named his full 30-man squad to take on the British and Irish Lions this weekend in Adelaide, the last game for the Lions before the first Test.

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Kiss will be joined by former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, as well as Force head coach Simon Cron and Zane Hilton from the Reds.

The squad features a number of experienced Wallabies and All Blacks who will feature in the historic match at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Kiss’s squad for the one of fixture includes a number of players involved in recent games against the Lions on their 2025 Australia tour, with a heavy contingent from the Reds playing group who pushed the Lions in the first half, but fell away in the late stages in Brisbane.

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Maori All Blacks captain and Blues hooker Kurt Eklund is named in the squad, after playing in back-to-back weeks against Japan XV and Scotland respectively.

Waratahs first-five Tane Edmed will be one of the playmakers, alongside 21-year-old Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.

Kiss will find it difficult to select a backline with the amount of depth in the squad, with the likes of Mac Grealy, Darby Lancaster, Shaun Stevenson, Marika Koroibete, Jock Campbell and AJ Lam all in the mix.

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Only two halfbacks are named, with two-Test All Black No.9 Folau Fakatava involved alongside Reds haflback Kalani Thomas.

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AUNZ INVITATIONAL XV SQUAD (Country of representation, current side)

Aidan Ross (Australia/New Zealand, Queensland Reds)

AJ Lam (New Zealand, Blues)

Angus Blyth (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Australia, Western Force)

Daniel Botha (Australia, NSW Waratahs)

Darby Lancaster (Australia, NSW Waratahs)

David Havili (New Zealand, Crusaders)

Folau Fakatava (New Zealand, Highlanders)

George Dyer (New Zealand, Chiefs)

Harry McLaughlin-Phillips (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Hoskins Sotutu (New Zealand, Blues)

Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (New Zealand/Samoa, Queensland Reds)

Jock Campbell (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Joe Brial (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Joey Walton (Australia, NSW Waratahs)

Joshua Fusitu’a (New Zealand, Blues)

Kalani Thomas (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Kurt Eklund (New Zealand, Blues)

Lachlan Anderson (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Mac Grealy (Australia, Western Force)

Marika Koroibete (Australia, Panasonic Wild Knights)

Matt Philip (Australia, NSW Waratahs)

Ngani Laumape (New Zealand, Moana Pasifika)

Pete Samu (Australia, NSW Waratahs)

Richie Asiata (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Seru Uru (Australia, Queensland Reds)

Shannon Frizell (New Zealand, Toshiba Brave Lupus)

Shaun Stevenson (New Zealand, Kubota Spears)

Tane Edmed (Australia, NSW Waratahs)

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Everyone knows Robertson is not supposed to be doing the coaching

Yeah it’s not actually that I’m against the idea this is not good enough, I just don’t know whos responsible for the appalling selections, whether the game plan will work, whether it hasn’t worked because Razor has had too much input or too little input, and whether were better or worse for the coachs not making it work against themselves.

I think that’s the more common outlook rather than people panicking mate, I think they just want something to happen and that needs an outlet. For instance, yes, we were still far too good for most in even weaker areas like the scrum, but it’s the delay in the coaches seemingly admitting that it’s been dissapoint. How can they not see DURING THE GAME it didn’t go right and say it? What are they scared of? Do they think the estimation of the All Blacks will go down in peoples minds? And of course thats not a problem if it weren’t for the fact they don’t do any better the next game! And then they finally seem to see and things get better. I’ve had endless discussions with Chicken about what’s happening at half time, and the lack of any real change. That problem is momentum is consistent with their being NO progress through the year. The team does not improve. The lineout is improved and is good. The scrum is weak and stays weak. The misfires and stays misfiring. When is the new structure following Lancasters Leinster going to click?



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