Akira Ioane handed New Zealand debut

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster has ring the changes for the second game of the Rugby Championship to be played in Brisbane on Saturday.

This is the final game of the Bledisloe Cup series which the All Blacks had already claimed for the 18th consecutive year following wins in Auckland and Sydney.

Akira Ioane wins his first test cap positioned at blindside with skipper Sam Cane at openside. Beauden Barrett will don the fly-half role with Jordie Barrett moving to fullback. Reiko Ioane and Sevu Reece are the designated wings with Anton Lienert-Brown and Ngani Laumape forming centre partnership.

TJ Perenara will form halfback partnership with Beauden. Sam Whitelock will make his 100th Test start for New Zealand with Scott Barrett joining him at second row. Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Codie Taylor will be part of the front-row. Brad Weber will make his first appearance this year when he comes off the bench that also has Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan.

“We have reset this week and our focus has been on this weekend and the Investec Tri Nations. It’s an All Blacks – Wallabies Test and that’s special," said Foster.

"We know how fired up they’ll be, so we have to make sure we are as well, because we don’t want to give ourselves any excuses at the end of it.”

New Zealand starting XV: 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (c), 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe

Reserves: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Tyrel Lomax, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Cullen Grace, 21 Brad Weber, 22 Damian McKenzie, 23 Will Jordan