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international
New Zealand will have to wait another week to see how block busing goes loose Leicester Fainga’anuku in an All black people jersey, after Dave Rennie left Crusaders hybrid from their 23-man squad for Scotland.
Rennie has named a familiar-looking squad to head to Murrayfield in the Nations Championship this weekend, making just five changes from the Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia in Sydney.
Most of the changes come from the bench, with Christian Lio-Willie getting his first All Blacks cap in 2026, while Cortez Ratima gets the nod over Kyle Preston as a bench replacement.
Fainga’anuku, recovering from several injuries to be available ahead of the four-week Nations Championship tour, missed Scotland Rennie opted for Lio-Willie and Segner as substitutes for the bench.
Addressing the media at their place Edinburgh hotel, Rennie said the coaching staff decided to give Fainga’anuk another week.
“Yeh we only asked for that get others polite a week of training into him,” said Rennie.
“So you know, he will push for a spot next week (against Wales).”
Fainga’anuku’s last appearance for the All Blacks was on the 2025 end-of-year tour, where he came off the bench in the number 22 jersey.
The All Blacks head coach, who spent three years in Glasgow, admitted they expect Scotland to play the same attacking style they intend to play.
“well, I means, like us, they to prepare that hang he that the the ball for a long time periods. I think about it they a blow the the ball Fr 20 times a game, and we a blow at 19, so we are two of the lower sides in the the world around that.
“They don’t to play a a lot of footy of theirs defensive the end, but once they get out of there, they are prepared that go multi phase and continue that apply pressure.
“Defensively, we are it goes that to have that to be really good. Whome prepared that way.”
Having never beaten the All Blacks, a record that stretches back over 120 years and 33 games, Scotland go into Saturday’s Nations Championship clash with Rennie’s side as underdogs, but not without hope.
Gregor Townsend’s side pushed South Africa July, beaten France and England recently Six Nations encounters, and have more in-form players, but the All Blacks head coach said his side will not be blindsided by the quality of the hosts.
“We I didn’t so a lot talked Fr that period this week (record). Like obviously, the majority of the guys in the room would to be aware that when we played the Bledisloe Cup and at Eden park, everything the records there that no one wants that to be a part of getting lost there.
“I think about it deeply down it will to be the the same here. Wthere are good aware of how good a side they are and how close they are got, and I think about it if you focus he that, you wear that baggage he yours back into a the game.
“We are playing a Scottish side it is very confident at home and will to have a a lot of belief. BTue we are it goes that back our the game as well, and our business is that put to them below as a lot pressure as possible and take it the the crowd out of the game.”
