New All Blacks faces for final French Test

The All Blacks will field two uncapped players in the starting line-up and two more on the bench in a much-changed team for the third Test against France.

rugby

Sonny Bill Williams (r) is among the inclusions for the All Blacks in the third Test against France. (AAP)

Blooding four new players in one Test carries risk which has New Zealand coach Steve Hansen on edge heading into the series finale against France.

Centre Jack Goodhue and flanker Shannon Frizell will make their debuts in the third Test in Dunedin on Saturday while five-eighth Richie Mo'unga and lock Jackson Hemopo are on the bench.

Not since the first Test of 2010 against Ireland have the world champions handed out more debuts in a single match.

The series may be wrapped up at 2-0 but Hansen is adamant he won't sacrifice a result for the sake of development.

He concedes he has pushed the boat out by starting the likes of Super Rugby rookie Frizell, who ideally would have spent the series observing the All Blacks' methods.

Injuries to others mean the Highlanders blindside gets thrown head-first into an environment which can unforgiving.

Hansen has thus spent the week telling the newcomers to relax.

"Getting them comfortable enough to express themselves. That's normally the hardest part," he said.

"When you get your first opportunity to play, it can be a gee-whiz moment or it can be one of those moments where everything turns to custard.

"You don't want that so you've got to make sure that mentally they're ready."

There are six starting changes and a positional switch from the side who failed to impress in a 26-13 second Test win in Wellington.

The midfield is revamped, with Goodhue replacing outside centre Anton Lienert-Brown while Sonny Bill Williams returns at inside centre for Ryan Crotty.

Damian McKenzie heads off Mo'unga to make his first start at five-eighth after Beauden Barrett was ruled out with concussion.

Waisake Naholo is recalled on the right wing, pushing Highlanders teammate Ben Smith to fullback and Jordie Barrett to the reserves.

Hansen has named his least experienced loose forward combination in more than 100 Tests after Frizell replaced injured blindside flanker Liam Squire and Ardie Savea usurped an out-of-sorts Sam Cane on the openside. Luke Whitelock stays at No.8.

The all-Crusaders tight five remains the same, with captain Sam Whitelock playing his 99th Test and Owen Franks his 98th.

Hansen says the build-up has been vastly superior than to the Wellington Test, when his error-laden team struggled to put away a stubborn French side reduced to 14 players for 68 minutes.

"Last Saturday's game, I consider it to be a gift because it was such a learning opportunity," Hansen said.

All Blacks:

Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo, Jack Goodhue, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Damian McKenzie, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Ardie Savea, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock (capt), Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody. Reserves: Liam Coltman, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Jackson Hemopo, Matt Todd, TJ Perenara, Richie Mo'unga, Jordie Barrett.


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Source: AAP


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