Rugby: Two new caps brought into All Blacks Squad for Rugby Championships

Two new caps have joined New Zealand’s All Blacks Squad including uncapped forward Du'Plessis Kirifi and prop George Bower. They are included in the team due to the head injury of Joe Moody and Nepo Laulala and Ardie Savea’s paternity leave. Few other players also previously joined the team as a substitute for the injured player including Ngani Laumape, Pater Umaga-Jensen and Mitchell Dunshea. Bower and Kirifi have 38 Super Rugby caps between them. New Zealand will take thirty-six players for the upcoming Rugby Championships which features three nations and six matches after the withdrawal of the World Cup Champion South Africa.

The squad is, however, the same as the earlier one which drew 16-16 with Australia in the Bledisloe Cup test and emerged out victorious with 27-7 in Auckland. In this season of Rugby Championship, Australia and New Zealand will face each other in the first two matches just like the last two matches of Bledisloe Series in Sydney.