By Nick Said
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -New Zealand have dropped fullback Beauden Barrett and scrumhalf TJ Perenara to the bench in four changes to their starting line-up to face South Africa in the Rugby Championship on Saturday as Ethan Blackadder and Caleb Clarke miss out through injury.
Coach Scott Robertson moved the experienced Barrett and Perenara to the roles of “finishers” after the All Blacks let a 10-point lead slip in the final 12 minutes of Saturday’s 31-27 defeat by the Springboks in Johannesburg.
“It was a tough conversation, but both are great team men, they have been around a long time,” Robertson told reporters. “The All Black jersey is important to all of us. If they have to come on and finish the job they will.
“They want to start and be out there for the majority of the match but they understand (why the decision has been made). It is two great names to have come on and finish the job for us.”
Flanker Blackadder (hamstring) and winger Clarke (back), who scored two tries in Johannesburg, miss out after strong displays in the first test.
“They are not major injuries, but they are out for this test,” Robertson said.
Will Jordan shifts to fullback, Sevu Reece comes in on the right wing with Mark Tele’a brought in on the left for the test in Cape Town.
Perenara is replaced at scrumhalf by Cortez Ratima, who gets only his second start for the All Blacks, while Wallace Sititi, who made his debut in July, takes the place of Blackadder on the blindside of the scrum.
“It is an opportunity to give Will a run at fullback. He has trained well and covers fullback anyway in the game with how we play,” Robertson said.
“Sevu is world class wing, we are fortunate to have some quality players in the squad. Will and Sevu have played a lot of rugby together.”
Flanker Luke Jacobson is preferred to Samipeni Finau among the replacements as New Zealand retain a 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench.
Asked how New Zealand counter the Springboks’ ‘bomb squad’ of replacement forwards in the final 20 minutes of the game, Robertson joked: “We were thinking of going with an 8-0 split, but the conversation did not last all that long.
“We gave opportunities to them with 10 minutes to go through a bit of a lack of discipline, we have to be better at finishing games.”
Team: 15-Will Jordan, 14-Sevu Reece, 13-Rieko Ioane, 12-Jordie Barrett, 11-Mark Tele’a, 10-Damian McKenzie, 9-Cortez Ratima, 8-Ardie Savea, 7-Sam Cane, 6-Wallace Sititi 5-Tupou Vaa’i, 4-Scott Barrett (capt), 3-Tyrel Lomax, 2-Codie Taylor, 1-Tamaiti Williams
Replacements: 16-Asafo Aumua, 17-Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18-Fletcher Newell, 19-Sam Darry, 20-Luke Jacobson, 21-TJ Perenara 22-Anton Lienert-Brown, 23- Beauden Barrett.
(Additional reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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