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New Zealand: Patrick Tuipulotu to captain strong All Blacks XV squad

Auckland and Blues second-row Patrick Tuipulotu will captain the inaugural All Blacks XV squad for their upcoming matches against Ireland ‘A’ and the Barbarians in November.

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster and his assistants Joe Schmidt and Jason Ryan selected the 28-player All Blacks XV squad which includes eight players with Test experience.

They are: Tuipulotu, Aidan Ross, Angus Ta’avao, Asafo Aumua, Luke Jacobson, TJ Perenara, Brad Weber, and Damian McKenzie.

Blues boss Leon MacDonald was appointed as the All Blacks XV’s head coach at the end of last month with Clayton McMillan and Scott Hansen named as his assistants.

Set to boost New Zealand’s depth

The squad is expected to boost the depth in New Zealand’s talent pool ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

MacDonald is preparing himself for a difficult challenge against two dangerous teams.

“We are expecting an intense challenge from both Ireland ‘A’ and the Barbarians. These two fixtures will allow players to showcase what they have and put their best foot forward on an international stage,” he said.

“The selection panel have named a dynamic All Blacks XV squad, with eight capped All Blacks who know how to perform at this level and emerging talent. To play at international level is extremely valuable for the players and I am looking forward to guiding the team in what will be a first for the All Blacks XV.”

Foster believes they selected a powerful squad, who will give a good account of themselves, and is looking forward to see how they fare in their matches.

“The squad has a mixture of some experienced players and some younger talent coming through that we, as a group of All Blacks, are really keen to see how they progress in a Northern Hemisphere environment,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to play with a black jersey on, in a different environment and test themselves against different game plans and styles. Hopefully, that will help prepare us really well in another part of our building blocks for the Rugby World Cup next year.”

The All Blacks XV assemble on 28 October, travelling to Dublin where they will play Ireland ‘A’ at RDS Arena on November 4 followed by the Barbarians clash at Tottenham Stadium in London on November 13.

The All Blacks XV was launched as New Zealand Rugby’s next senior national representative team after the All Blacks, as a critical high-performance pathway to New Zealand’s senior national team.

The All Blacks XV follows in the footsteps of similar teams which have assembled throughout New Zealand rugby’s history, including the Junior All Blacks, New Zealand ‘A’ and Emerging Players.

All Blacks XV squad:

Forwards: Finlay Brewis, Oli Jager, Aidan Ross, Angus Ta’avao, Tamaiti Williams, Asafo Aumua, George Bell, Brodie McAlister, Josh Dickson, Zach Gallagher, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Dominic Gardiner, Billy Harmon, Luke Jacobson, Christian Lio-Willie, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u

Backs: TJ Perenara, Brad Weber, Cam Roigard, Bryn Gatland, Damian McKenzie, Levi Aumua, Bryce Heem, Alex Nankivell, Bailyn Sullivan, AJ Lam, Ruben Love, Mark Telea

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