Rugby World Cup: Leicester Fainga'anuku gets start against Ireland after Mark Telea's protocol breach

Just what the All Blacks didn’t need. Just days out from a World Cup quarterfinal against an Ireland side everyone acknowledges as the standard-setters in the game, a breach of discipline has forced head coach Ian Foster to drop first-choice wing Mark Telea.

It’s not exactly a team coming apart at the seams (sometimes these things can even have a galvanising effect). But neither is it a good look. At a time when every man and their dog understands Foster’s All Blacks have to maximise their output against an Irish side at the very top of its game, a player rules himself out because he couldn’t meet a team-set curfew.

Little wonder Foster was a tad prickly as he explained the decision to bring in powerhouse wing Leicester Fainga’anuku at No 11 to face Ireland in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, because Telea had been effectively suspended because of this breach in protocol.

Foster confirmed at the start of his team-naming press conference on the outskirts of Paris that Telea’s breach had been of a “minor” nature, but nonetheless had resulted in a team decision to remove him from the selection picture. understands the 26-year-old, seven-test wing was out long past an agreed curfew, and left the All Blacks little choice but to enforce repercussions.

“He breached the protocol – nothing major, but enough to keep him out of selection this week,” said the coach. “We still love him, he’s trained well, it happens.”

Foster was asked whether he was disappointed a key player had committed a breach of protocol in a week as big as this, but was not keen to expand on the issue or details around his elusive wing’s omission.

“It is what it is,” added the coach. “For us it’s pretty clear-cut. I don’t really want to talk about it any more. We’ve dealt with it as a team and moved on.”

There are seven changes to the XV that ran out in the final pool clash against Uruguay and, more notably, four from the group that started the match against Italy in Lyon on September 29. It is the New Zealanders’ second straight World Cup quarterfinal matchup against the Irish after they defeated the men in green 46-14 in Tokyo four years ago.

Fainga’anuku, who was impressive against Uruguay with a game-high 184 metres carried, 9 defenders beaten and 3 clean breaks, comes in as a form replacement for Telea. He does not have the Blues wing’s shifty feet, but makes up for that in pure power. He is not the worst of replacements in a contest that could swing on a moment or two.

It will be Fainga’anuku’s seventh test appearance, his sixth start and fourth appearance of this World Cup. He came off the bench in the tournament-opening defeat to France, and then started against Namibia and Uruguay. It goes without saying, this will be the biggest game of the 24-year-old Toulon-bound utility back’s life.

The other eyebrow-raiser in an otherwise predictable 23 is the selection of Blues and Tasman halfback Fin Christie on the bench to back up veteran Aaron Smith at No 9. He gets the nod ahead of rising young Hurricanes standout Cam Roigard who appears to have the greater upside as an attacking force off the pine.

Foster said it was a “horses for courses” selection, and talked about the defensive prowess Christie brings in that backup role.

”We think Finlay has an edge defensively. We think a lot of action is likely to happen around the ruck defensively. We have been delighted with Cam’s form and in a different type of game it might have gone slightly differently. But this one here we’ve gone for that.”

The coach has also restored both of his top young props to starting duty off less than promising buildups, with Ethan de Groot returning from a two-game suspension to start on the loosehead side and Tyrel Lomax shaking off a knee strain against Uruguay to grab the tighthead spot. Lomax had sat out the early games of the tournament while a deep cut to his leg healed.

More notably, he has gone for rising young front-rowers Taimaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell on the bench, omitting veteran duo Ofa Tuungafasi and Nepo Laulala who had been somewhat exposed by the Irish last year.

The coach nominated ”mobility and agility” as the reasons for the prop selection as it fell. “ We feel the scrum is going well regardless of who goes in there. It’s just the areas we believe we’re going to get challenged and where we need to challenge Ireland, Fletcher and Tamaiti give us a little bit more in that space.”

The starting XV is otherwise as per usual, with Beauden Barrett and Will Jordan completing the back three, Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett in midfield and Richie Mo’unga and Smith in the halves. Up front skipper Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and Shannon Frizell form the loose trio, Scott Barrett and Brodie Retallick the second row and Codie Taylor slots in at hooker.

The in-form Damian McKenzie earns a deserved spot on the bench, alongside Anton Lienert-Brown, while the 150-test Sam Whitelock joins Dalton Papalii and Dane Coles in completing the forwards impact.

The All Blacks are looking to avoid just their second ever quarterfinal exit at the World Cup against an Ireland side riding a 17-test win streak. Andy Farrell’s men have won four of their last six tests against the New Zealanders, including a come-from-behind 2-1 series victory on Kiwi soil last year.

Ireland have never progressed past the quarterfinals at a World Cup in their history.

New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (capt), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Sam Whitelock, Dalton Papalii, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.