Lock Sam Whitelock will equal Richie McCaw's New Zealand caps record in a much-changed side facing Namibia in the Rugby World Cup on Saturday.
The All Blacks have changed 10 — one positional — of the starting side that lost to France 27-13 last Saturday in Paris. In their first-ever pool defeat, the All Blacks' indiscipline was poor again, with 12 penalties and a yellow card conceded two weeks after they gave South Africa 14 penalties, one red card and one yellow. The scrum was shook again.
New Zealand shouldn't drop another pool game en route to the quarterfinals, but it has to start tidying up its weaknesses, starting with Namibia.
“We have to rebound from round one,” New Zealand coach Ian Foster said on Thursday. “It is a key game for us to get right.”
Whitelock's 148th test will tie McCaw, who retired in 2015 after his second straight World Cup win. Whitelock is the only player at this tournament going for an unprecedented third World Cup win.
Only retired great Alun Wyn Jones has more caps, 171 for Wales and the British and Irish Lions.
"He has been a warrior for this team for a long time, and to equal someone like Richie is a massive achievement,” Foster said. “The 148th time is a very special occasion, one that we make sure we put a performance on that gives that record a lot of respect and celebrate it with him afterwards.”
Stand-in captain Ardie Savea admired Whitelock's attitude.
“He's been around a long time. He's adapted and grown,” Savea said. “Something else I've observed about Sam is how he is able to relate to everyone and try and understand other people and other cultures.”
Whitelock, prop Nepo Laulala and back-rowers Savea and Dalton Papali'i have retained their starting spots in the pack. The only backs to repeat were Beauden Barrett and Anton Lienert-Brown, moved from inside centre to outside.
Damian McKenzie has the No.10 jersey. In his 43rd Test, he will make his World Cup debut with two others, scrumhalf Cam Roigard and wing Caleb Clarke. McKenzie and Roigard will start together for the first time.
Not considered because of injuries were captain Sam Cane — “Not as close as we would have liked to be fit on Friday," Foster said — prop Tyrel Lomax, back-rower Shannon Frizell and inside back Jordie Barrett.
Namibia has changed six - one positional - after losing to Italy 52-8 in Saint-Etienne on Sunday.
Prop Jason Benade, lock Johan Coetzee, flanker Prince Gaoseb, inside back Le Roux Malan, and fullback Cliven Loubser have come in, and Divan Rossouw has switched from fullback to the wing.
Eight of the matchday 23 played in the 71-9 loss to New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup in Tokyo.
Namibia was competitive against Italy but suffered from a first-half yellow card and conceded two tries. It struggled in the mauls and scrums, and the conditioning faded to allow Italy to score three tries in the last 10 minutes.
Lineups:
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Leicester Fainaga’auku, Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Ardie Savea (captain), Dalton Papali'i, Luke Jacobson, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ofa Tu'ungafasi.
Reserves: Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Aaron Smith, Richie Mo'unga, Rieko Ioane.
Namibia: Cliven Loubser, Gerswin Mouton, Johan Deysel (captain), Le Roux Malan, Divan Rossouw, Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens; Richard Hardwick, Prince Gaoseb, Wian Conradie, Tjiuee Uanivi, Johan Retief, Johan Coetzee, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Jason Benade.
Reserves: Louis van der Westhuizen, Desiderius Sethie, Haitembu Shifuka, PJ van Lill, Adriaan Booysen, Max Katjijeko, Jacques Theron, JC Greyling.
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