By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Number eight Hoskins Sotutu will have big shoes to fill as replacement for dynamo Ardie Savea when defending champions New Zealand bid for back-to-back Rugby Championship wins with victory over Australia in Melbourne on Thursday.
Long shut out of the back row, the 24-year-old Auckland Blue has been recalled for his first test since last November as one of three positional changes to the starting 15 that dismantled Argentina 53-3.
Savea, excused from the test while awaiting the birth of his third child, has been a rock through a difficult season for the All Blacks, and Sotutu knows he has a hard act to follow.
“His preparation is quite second-to-none,” 10-test Hoskins told reporters of Savea.
“For him being able to perform really consistently every week is something I find pretty amazing.
“Obviously with Ardie not being here it’s pretty big shoes to fill but I’ve just got to do what I do … Don’t try to over-complicate it and be me.”
Hoskins is part of a reshuffled back row, with Scott Barrett shifting from lock to blindside flanker in place of the injured Shannon Frizell in Ian Foster’s starting side.
Australia coach Dave Rennie has also rejigged his back row after the Wallabies were smashed at the breakdown in the 24-8 loss to South Africa in Sydney.
Hoskins will mark fiery number eight Rob Valetini, with openside Pete Samu and Rob Leota on the flanks.
“He’s a big, strong ball-carrier,” he said of Valetini.
“I’ve just got to try to match him physically and get stuck in early.”
Former World Player of the Year Brodie Retallick has been promoted to starting lock alongside fellow veteran Sam Whitelock, with loose forward Akira Ioane coming onto the bench in the only change to the reserves.
The backline remains unchanged.
The All Blacks lead the table with 10 points, one ahead of South Africa, Australia and Argentina. A bonus point win over the Wallabies at Docklands stadium would go a long way to retaining the title.
The match also doubles as the first in the two-test Bledisloe Cup, the annual series contested by the trans-Tasman nations.
New Zealand, who have held the trophy since 2003, will retain it for another year with victory in Melbourne.
Neither team have managed consecutive wins this season, and Foster said the All Blacks had moved on from their 50-point thrashing of the Pumas.
“It’s a big game in the Rugby Championship, it’s a big game in the Bledisloe, so these are the ones we want,” he told reporters.
New Zealand team:
15-Jordie Barrett, 14-Will Jordan, 13-Rieko Ioane, 12-David Havili, 11-Caleb Clarke, 10-Richie Mo’unga, 9-Aaron Smith, 8-Hoskins Sotutu, 7-Sam Cane (captain), 6-Scott Barrett, 5-Sam Whitelock, 4-Brodie Retallick, 3-Tyrel Lomax, 2-Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1-Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16-Dane Coles, 17-George Bower, 18-Fletcher Newell, 19-Akira Ioane, 20-Dalton Papali’i, 21-Finlay Christie, 22-Beauden Barrett, 23-Quinn Tupaea
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
