Wednesday 18 October 2017 23:38, UK
New Zealand fly-half Lima Sopoaga will make his first Test start in over two years after Beauden Barrett was ruled out of the final Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Barrett has been suffering from concussion symptoms since the All Blacks beat South Africa 25-24 in the Rugby Championship in Cape Town on October 7.
Sopoaga's only previous Test start was on his debut against the Springboks in July 2015, while he has also made 11 other appearances off the bench.
The 25-year-old had been expected to start the win over Argentina in Buenos Aires on September 30 while Barrett was rested, but he opted to remain in New Zealand to attend the birth of his first child.
We're always striving to get better every game and this week is no different.
Hansen only made one other injury-enforced change to the team that secured the Rugby Championship, with Waisake Naholo replacing Nehe Milner-Skudder on the right wing.
Milner-Skudder dislocated his shoulder during the All Blacks' last match against South Africa.
The World Cup winner had surgery this week and is expected to return to action in seven months.
The All Blacks have retained the Bledisloe Cup for the 15th successive season after beating the Wallabies in the first two games of the Rugby Championship, but Hansen said there was still plenty to play for.
"They'll be desperate to win as they haven't done so for some time," said New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen.
"For us, our goal is to never be satisfied at where we're at, and that means it's greater than just the outcome.
"It's about how we play, individually and collectively as a unit. We're always striving to get better every game and this week is no different."
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Ryan Crotty, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith; 1 Kane Hames, 2 Dane Coles, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Sam Whitelock, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Liam Squire, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Kieran Read
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Matt Todd, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 David Havili
Watch Australia v New Zealand on Saturday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Arena at 9:45am.
