Anton Segner will make his debut off the bench in Saturday’s Rugby Nations Championship second spherical match towards Italy, changing into the primary German-born participant to play for the New Zealand All Blacks.
The 24-year-old Auckland-based Blues back-rower was chosen by head coach Dave Rennie amongst 11 modifications to the line-up that beat France 34-32 within the match opener. 5 of them are within the beginning lineup. Segner will make his debut alongside winger Josh Film.
Segner was born in Frankfurt and moved to New Zealand in 2017 on the age of 15 for a six-month keep as an change scholar. He attended Nelson Faculty, the nation’s oldest secondary faculty, the place New Zealand’s first rugby match was performed in 1870 and produced 23 All Blacks.
He then led the Christchurch-based Crusaders Underneath-20 staff and performed in New Zealand’s nationwide state championships with the Tasman Makos earlier than becoming a member of the Blues in 2024.
Mr Segner mentioned he was first launched to New Zealand rugby when he was enjoying for Frankfurt on the age of 10, the place he “met numerous Kiwi coaches and so they impressed me to come back right here to New Zealand and provides rugby a strive.”
“I’ve skilled firsthand that New Zealand rugby is just like German soccer,” he mentioned. “It is a rugby-crazy nation and that is the whole lot I wished. To hitch this (All Blacks) staff now could be positively a dream come true.”
Rennie mentioned Segner was the perfect participant to come back out of the Blues this season, together with his means to win the ball unfastened, his resilience and his contribution at lineouts being priceless.
Moorby performed two seasons in Tremendous Rugby with the Wellington-based Hurricanes earlier than leaving New Zealand in 2024 to play for French membership Montpellier. He returned to the Hurricanes this 12 months and scored 17 tries, equaling the Tremendous Rugby season file for tries.
Rennie made little modifications to the construction of his backline, sustaining the inside-back mixture of scrum-half Cam Rougaard, fly-half Reuben Love and inside heart Jordie Barrett. Billy Proctor will substitute Quinn Tupaea at exterior heart, whereas Leroy Carter will begin on the left wing instead of Caleb Clark.
Rennie additionally tweaked his back-row mixture, changing Peter Lakay with Wallace Siti on blindside, Luke Jacobson on openside and captain Ardie Savea behind the scrum.
“There are a selection of gamers and combos of gamers that we expect need to play and who would profit from enjoying for a second 12 months in a row, and there are different gamers who’ve earned their proper to the chance,” Rennie mentioned.
“It is a robust staff that displays the respect we’ve got for this Italian staff. They’ve proven all through the Six Nations competitors that they’ll beat any staff.”
Tupou Vaai will be part of Sam Daly within the second row, with Tyrell Lomax beginning at tighthead prop instead of Fletcher Newell.
Among the many modifications to the bench are Samisoni Taukeiaho masking hooker, George Bower offering an alternative choice at prop, lock Josh Lord dropping to the bench after beginning final week, and Segner, Film and Anton Lienert-Brown making their Nations Championship debuts.
new zealand: Damien McKenzie, Will Jordan, Billy Procter, Jordy Barrett, Leroy Carter, Reuben Love, Cam Rojgaard, Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Wallace Sititi, Tupou Vaai, Sam Daly, Tyrell Lomax, Cody Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Substitutes: Samisoni Taukeiaho, George Bower, Pacilio Tosi, Josh Lord, Anton Segner, Cortez Latima, Anton Lienert-Brown, Josh Film.
