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New Zealand U20s change 10 in the hunt for a repeat win over France
By Liam Heagney
As expected, New Zealand have confirmed a much changed XV to take on France in Sunday’s World Rugby U20 Championship semi-final in Cape Town. Knowing they effectively had a ‘gimme’ versus minnows Spain on match day three, they rested numerous first-choice players but they will now run out at the DHL Stadium with a team that has 10 alterations from last Tuesday in Stellenbosch.
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Just three of the pack that began the ultimately abandoned exercise against the Spanish have been retained, tighthead Joshua Smith, lock Tom Allen and back-rower Mosese Bason.
Out the back, Xavi Taele and Xavier Tito-Harris are the repeat picks, although the latter switches to the right wing after featuring at outside centre in the 45-13 clash with Spain that was called off at half-time due to a waterlogged pitch.
New Zealand have already beaten France at this Championship, winning a match day two game 27-26 thanks to an 80th-minute Rico Simpson penalty, and there are just two changes from that afternoon’s XV for an eagerly-awaited rematch as Logan Watson-Wallace, the starting tighthead on July 4, isn’t in Sunday’s squad while full-back Isaac Hutchinson is on the bench.
The latest Baby Blacks team announcement emerged on Friday, the same day it was confirmed that head coach Jono Gibbes is returning to the Top 14 as he has been snapped up by Lyon 18 months after his sacking by Clermont.
France, meanwhile, have named an XV showing four changes to face New Zealand following their 29-11 pool win over Wales last Tuesday.
NEW ZEALAND (vs France, Sunday): 1. Will Martin, 2. Vernon Bason (capt), 3. Joshua Smith, 4. Tom Allen, 5. Liam Jack, 6. Andrew Smith, 7. Jonathan Lee, 8. Mosese Bason; 9. Dylan Pledger, 10. Rico Simpson; 11. Stanley Solomon, 12. Xavi Taele, 13. Aki Tuivailala, 14. Xavier Tito-Harris; 15. Sam Coles. Reps: 16. Manumaua Letiu, 17. Sika Uamaki, 18. Gus Brown, 19. Cameron Christie, 20. Matt Lowe, 21. Riley Williams, 22. Isaac Hutchinson, 23. King Maxwell.
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