LIMA SOPOAGA AND James Broadhurst will make their debuts for New Zealand in Saturday’s Rugby Championship meeting with South Africa at Ellis Park (Ko 16.05 Irish time).
Out-half Sopoaga was exceptional during the Highlanders’ run to the Super Rugby title this year, while Broadhurst excelled for beaten finalists the Hurricanes, and now Steve Hansen has handed them their international bows in testing circumstances.
The creative Sopoaga excelled under the guidance of attack coach Tony Brown with the Highlanders this season, as the 24-year-old’s instinctive running ability was rounded out with better decision making and an intelligent short kicking game.
27-year-old second row Broadhurst was incredibly effective as a main ball carrier for the Hurricanes, while getting through the kind of accurate rucking and set-piece work that is expected of All Blacks forwards.
Hansen has made a further change at hooker, with Dane Coles replacing Kevin Mealamu. Meanwhile, Chiefs captain Liam Messam comes in at blindside flanker in place of Jerome Kaino.
In the backline, the world-class Aaron Smith returns at scrum-half, while Sopoaga takes over from Dan Carter in the 10 shirt. With Sonny Bill Williams left out of the squad in order to rest, Conrad Smith partners Ma’a Nonu in the midfield.
As Israel Dagg continues at fullback, the exceptional Ben Smith comes into the team on the right wing, taking the place of the injured Waisake Naholo. The All Blacks bench is also littered with quality in the likes of Sam Whitelock, Beauden Barrett and Malakai Fekitoa.
With South Africa having named a strong XV yesterday, the factors are in place for an explosive fixture in Johannesburg on Saturday.
New Zealand (v South Africa):
15. Israel Dagg
14. Ben Smith
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma’a Nonu
11. Charles Piutau
10. Lima Sopoaga
9. Aaron Smith
1. Tony Woodcock
2. Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Brodie Retallick
5. James Broadhurst
6. Liam Messam
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
8. Kieran Read
Replacements:
16. Codie Taylor
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Ben Franks
19. Sam Whitelock
20. Victor Vito
21. TJ Perenara
22. Beauden Barrett
23. Malakai Fekitoa
You wouldn’t be the biggest fan of Meath rugby.
Just to address an anomaly. This “Louth Derby” thing. Drogheda is in Meath, not Louth. We would prefer not to be associated with it. Will never forgive Cromwell for not finishing the job when there.
Deep down you know it’s JP Rooney’s fault that Martin Sludden played so much extra time.
your talking sh*te, it’s jp’s fault that sludden made such a jock of it, or that joe dived over the line with the ball…………yeah it’s JP’s fault. You Meath As*ho*e
For ever it will read meath leinster champs 2010! Record books dont lie.
True, that’s what the record books will say, but For ever it will be remembered as Meath stealing it in the most UNSPORTING manner ever.
I’m from Louth and I happily say that it’s JP’s fault.
I’m from Louth Sinead and I’ll happily say it wasn’t, So that’s one vote each way, Do you think we’ll get anywhere with this ???
Well I thought when we lost we weren’t getting anywhere with it.
Probably best to get over it since it happened 3 years ago!
I took no enjoyment from the Leinster Final win, but it is ironic that Meath get pillaried for ‘cheating’ to gain a win, but I suspect that if Rooney had succeeded in time wasting, that’s cheating for all those Louth fans out there, that they would have gladly taken the win?
Would Louth have offered a reply?? Would they f**k
Finally, some sense in the world!
Can’t wait for the next list of sporting fans from Louth. No mention of Dermot ‘o Brien. The Jim McLaughlin era, where we nearly knocked Celtic out of Europe, beaten 3-2 .
Are Louth ‘s great hurling tradition the “poc fada” won’t mention boxing, greyhound racing. Ignore those thick Meath tweets. Only won all Ireland’s from guys sent from the West to live on the reservations.
There is gonna be a mighty strong smell of pi*ss around Louth on Sunday evening………………with everyone pis*sing themselves laughing at the humiliation the dubs are gonna serve up to bog men
Enjoy the smell Tom. Dublin and Meath will be in Croker so they will hardly be affected by the smell of you lot drowning in your own piss ;)
Live the dream!
Nah that’s just the smell of Louth in general
You sound like a broken record when ranting about the 2010 Leinster final… :-)
Pierce Brosnan is a Meath man!!
Yep. He was born in Drogheda though!
Had plenty of sympathy for the fans re:2010, but not for the team. They didn’t deserve to be provincial champions – they had a player needlessly sent off for a personal foul, and the keeper bottled it by coming out and missing the ball in at the end. True champions would have closed out that match by either knocking up their scores or by snuffing off the Joe Sheridan chance before it ever came to him.
Bur then lost all that sympathy for the fans when they didn’t stop whinging about it. Last year (LAST YEAR! MOVE ON.) heard a fan ring into a late night radio show comparing Joe Sheridan to Marion Jones, saying he should be banned just like her, because… obviously… he had also engaged in a decade-long conspiracy.
Anyway, hope they win something soon. Leinster GAA would benefit from more competition, the fans and team could move on from 2010, and the rest of us never have to hear about it again.
you mean true champions like Meath…………………….that’s where your point falls flat on it’s face navan man
am i getting red-thumbed for calling out louth for being losers, or for wishing (genuinely) that they produce a championship winning team?
Don’t forget the blatent time wating towatds the end when Louth were just ahead. Panic set in and they were driving the ball into the stands. They forgot you’ll never beat the royals!
Maybe should clarify – I think that Louth team of players deserved to win a Leinster; Paddy Keenan in particular. But the team performance in that match didn’t. If they had shown more composure in their score taking, and more discipline in closing out the match at the end, Martin Sludden’s wrong decision wouldn’t have made any difference.
8 million Londoners would, as well as the two largest towns in Ireland.
Da day da wefewee wobbed us in cwoke pawk with Joe’s twy in da leinstew final!
Another illiterate Meath bog man
Alan, comment of the week!!
Until last year I worked for ten years with Jim Roe of ’57 fame. The man is a gent and a legend.
Still crying about 2010? For f#cks sake move on lads.. 50 years from now ye will still be crying about it..
When are you going to do Longford? We must be the only county left!
You blame Soccer for our shortfalls in Gaelic Football.
That’s not something Meath can do
You love maaaaaaz baaaaz (mars bar)
You love Meath
Louth have a team???
That’s rich Niall coming from the biggest chokers ever……..
Rather reach finals and lose than not teach them EVER
you better get your record books out
Or at least read the article above………clown
Sorry forgot about that historic O Byrne cup victory. Apologies!
don’t show your ignorance, or can you not read ?
And stah baaaahs. In Drogheda.
You attack the referee when you don’t get your way
& You divert the attention away
You shouldn’t have changed your profile picture David, the other one suited you much more………………
Thats a bit stalker-ish Tom
your safe David, I looked at your page to make sure you were a meath bogger, I won’t be stalking you or your donkey
A Julius Caesar pic suits a Meath man more. A royalist that terrified his neighbours to the north
yis were fairly terrified when we dumped you’s into Div 3 :)
I know it was 25 years ago, but Alison Doody would get it!!
If we just got rid of all counties that begin with an “L” would anyone even notice?
Limerick folk wouldn’t be happy…..