All Blacks wing Mark Telea has been left out of the team to play Ireland in the World Cup quarter-final in Paris on Sunday morning due to a breach of squad protocol.
Leicester Fainga’anuku will wear the No.11 jersey instead of Telea, who scored two tries in the All Blacks’ opening loss to France just over a month ago and is one of the most consistent backs in Ian Foster's line-up.
All Blacks coach Foster refused to go into details of Telea’s breach after the team was announced this morning, saying: “He breached a protocol – nothing major but enough to keep him out of selection for this week. We still love him. He’s trained well. It happens."
“It is what it is. For us it’s pretty clear cut. I don’t want to talk about it any more. We’ve dealt with it as a team.”
Experienced loose forward Ardie Savea said: “Foz has obviously addressed it. It is what it is. Yeah, we feel for him, we love him but we’re looking forward to a game this Saturday. That’s all I can say about it.”
The in-form wing will miss the All Blacks’ biggest match in four years, with Ian Foster saying it was “nothing major but enough to keep him out of selection”. (Source: Breakfast)
Later, pressed further on what Telea’s omission from a match the All Blacks will enter as underdogs said about the mindset of the team, Foster said: “I think it says volumes about what we believe and what we stand for. I think that speaks volumes for the team, that we’re willing to make that sort of decision."
Elsewhere, tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax has been passed fit from his knee injury and will start, with Ethan de Groot predictably returning from his two-match suspension to start at loosehead prop. Codie Taylor is the starting hooker.
There are surprises, though, in the selection of the back-up props, with Foster and company electing for the youthful Fletcher Newell and Tamaiti Williams on the bench ahead of the far more experienced Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Nepo Laulala.
It’s clear that the selectors want greater mobility against an Irish side which will pressure the All Blacks defence around the breakdown.
“It’s tough. We have six props and three hookers and we’re prepared to start them all at the moment,” Foster said.
“Everyone is fit and healthy. We just feel it’s the right mix. Probably a little bit of mobility and agility defensively is probably one catalyst in that. We feel the scrum is going well regardless of who goes in there – we’re confident in the scrum.
“It’s just the areas that we’re going to get challenged in and we’re going to challenge Ireland that Fletcher and Tamaiti just give us a little more in that space this week.”
Similarly, said Foster, Finlay Christie had been selected ahead of Cam Roigard as back-up halfback due to his defensive ability around the fringes.
1News' Andrew Saville said senior players were involved in the decision to drop Telea following a "fairly lengthy breach of team curfew". (Source: Breakfast)
Sam Whitelock again plays back-up to starting second rowers Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett, with Dalton Papali’i getting the nod over Ethan Blackadder as back-up loose forward. Coles beat out Samisoni Taukei’aho as back-up hooker.
All Blacks team:
15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane ©, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Dalton Papali’i, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Damian McKenzie, 23 Anton Lienert-Brown.
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