The All Blacks have made a whopping six changes, plus two positional switches, from the team that lost to the Springboks in Wellington for their clash wit hthe in-form Pumas at Jose Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires on Sunday September 30 (UAE time).
Out go under performing forwards prop Owen Franks and flanker Liam Squire, replaced by Ofa Tuungafasi and the explosive Shannon Frizell.
Ranks drops right out of the 23 with Chiefs prop Angus Ta’avao set to make his All Blacks debut from the bench.
Also dumped from the starting line-up are scrum-half Aaron Smith, centre Anton Lienert-Brown and young fullback Jordie Barrett, who both pay for mistakes against the Boks.
In for them are TJ Perenara, set to start his 50th Test, the returning Sonny Bill Williams and Waisake Naholo.
The final change sees Kieran Read rested due to ongoing back issues with Luke Whitelock slotting in for him. Luke’s brother Sam will captain the All Blacks in Read’s absence.
The two positional switches see Ben Smith move from wing to his favoured full back spot and Ryan Crotty move to No13 to accommodate Williams. There is no place in the 23 for Crusaders centre Jack Goodhue, who has been impressive for the All Blacks so far this season, with Richie Mo’unga and Lienert-Brown providing back cover from the bench.
All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said the team had recovered well this week in Buenos Aires after travelling from New Zealand and was preparing for what would be the first of two tough away games.
“We’ve picked what we believe is the best team for this particular Test match,” he said, “Argentina are a very good side who have shown they can win both away and at home.
“They’re full of confidence and self-belief which will make them a very dangerous beast.
“From a selection point of view, we’ve always seen these next two Test matches as a great opportunity to replicate the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup, where we’ll have to beat quality teams back-to-back if we are to keep advancing in the Tournament.
“One of the keys to achieving this will be a consistency of selection, and that’s why we haven’t made too many changes this week.”
Hansen added: “We’ve taken some key learnings from the loss to South Africa, which we look forward to implementing on Saturday.
“Our week’s preparation starts off the field with our individual and collective clarity and builds during the week through our trainings.
“So far this week this has been very pleasing and everyone’s been working really hard. We’re excited by Saturday’s challenge and can’t wait for kick off.
“We’d also like to thank the people of Buenos Aires for their incredible hospitality this week. It’s a fantastic place to visit and we really enjoy our time here.”
The matchday 23 is as follows (with Test caps in brackets. * new cap):
Key facts
Angus Ta’avao is set for his All Blacks debut
About Angus Ta’avao
28-year-old prop Angus Ta’avao is living proof that hard work and patience can pay dividends. Ta’avao first came to prominence when he played for New Zealand Under 20 in Argentina in 2010 and made his debut for Auckland in the same year.
He signed for the Blues for the 2012 Super Rugby season playing for the side through to the 2015 season before looking to further his opportunities in Australia.
He played for the Waratahs for two seasons before heading back home to play for Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup, but without a Super Rugby contract in 2018.
A timely call from Chiefs coach Colin Cooper saw him get regular game time before being called into the All Blacks after an injury to prop Joe Moody.
Rugby Championship – All Blacks games
