All Blacks coach Ian Foster has sacked winger Mark Telea for a disciplinary breach and replaced him with Leicester Fainga’anuku for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Ireland.
Telea was the first choice left winger to enter the tournament and scored two tries in the opening defeat to France and another in the 96-17 loss to Italy in New Zealand’s third group match. Zeeland.
“It was a violation of protocol,” Foster said. Nothing major, but enough to keep him out of selection this week. We still like him and he’s training well so let’s see what happens.
“That’s how it is,” he added. “Just for us, it’s pretty clear, I don’t really want to talk about it anymore. We handled it as a team and moved on.
“We believe in what we stand for. And I think it says a lot about the team that we’re willing to make that kind of decision during this week.”
Foster set up a goal for Fainga’anuku in New Zealand’s final group match against Uruguay and the powerful winger responded with a hat-trick while demonstrating his versatility by finishing the game in the crosses.
Foster said the All Blacks were fully prepared to face the world number one team on Saturday and said defeat to the Irish in a home Test series last year would mean nothing when it comes time to play sent to the Stade de France.
“This team is ready,” he said. “If you look at this year, it’s all about preparing for a World Cup and making sure we’re ready to perform at that stage of the tournament.
“We are excited about the challenge, we know how good Ireland are and they deserve all the plaudits they get, but playoff rugby is about who is the best on the day.”
Aside from the omission of Telea, there were no real surprises in the team.
Foster brought back all his big guns with number eight Ardie Savea, fullback Beauden Barrett, lock Scott Barrett and scrum-half Aaron Smith back in the starting line-up after being rested against Uruguay.
Up front, loose prop Ethan de Groot returns from suspension and Tyrel Lomax starts at tight end after recovering from a knee injury he suffered against Uruguay.
In a minor surprise on the bench, Finlay Christie was preferred to youngster Cam Roigard as Smith’s replacement at scrum-half.
“We just felt like these were horses replacing courses for this particular match,” Foster said. “We just think Finlay has a defensive edge. We think there’s probably going to be a lot of action around the ruck defensively.”
NEW ZEALAND: Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (captain), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Replacements: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Samuel Whitelock, Dalton Papali’i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown
