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Beauden Barrett named All Blacks captain in much changed team for Wales test
Beauden Barrett will captain New Zealand for the first time in Saturday’s Nations Championship match against Wales in Cardiff. Coach Dave Rennie has made several changes to the side, giving new players opportunities and adjusting the line-up ahead of the test.
Barrett will lead the team in his 149th test, extending his record as the most-capped back in world rugby. Anton Segner and Fehi Fineanganofo will make their first starts, while Richie Mo’unga returns at fly-half after missing last month’s Bledisloe Cup matches with a calf injury; Anton Lienert-Brown also returns, earning his 95th cap.
In short
- Beauden Barrett will captain the All Blacks for the first time.
- New Zealand have made several changes for the Wales test.
- Anton Segner and Fehi Fineanganofo earn their first starts.
Explained simply
The All Blacks are New Zealand’s national rugby union team, while Wales represent their country in the same sport. Their matches are international tests, the term used for games between national teams, and Cardiff is the Welsh capital and home to the Principality Stadium.
Beauden Barrett is a long-serving New Zealand back, a player usually involved in carrying, passing or kicking the ball rather than playing in the forward pack. The captain leads the side on the field, while the coach selects the team and decides how it is set up; test caps count a player’s appearances for their country.