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Sam Cane and TJ Perenara will bid their international farewells to rugby union this weekend after being selected in a strong All Blacks line-up to face Italy in Turin.
Flanker Cane will make his 104th appearance for his country in the starting XI at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday as Scott Robertson aims to end the year on a high following a narrow defeat to France in Paris last weekend.
Cane missed that one with a head injury.
Perenara, who has 88 caps, starts his final match for New Zealand on the bench.
“As our first ever match in Turin, our final match of the 2024 Test season and Sam and TJ’s farewell match, it will be a great occasion,” Robertson said in a statement.
“We are determined to finish our season in a way that honors and celebrates the immense contribution that Sam and TJ have made to the black jersey.”
New Zealand have won all 17 of their matches with Italy since 1979 and Robertson has defied predictions that he would make sweeping changes for the Azzurri.
Two-time World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett starts at flyhalf while Wallace Sititi – named by World Rugby as Breakthrough Player of the Year – is opposite Cane on the open flank.
Prop Ethan de Groot and lock Patrick Tuipulotu come into the pack while Anton Lienert-Brown is at center for the injured Jordie Barrett.
Toulouse star Ange Capuozzo returns for Italy at full-back after missing his side’s 20-17 win over Georgia with a concussion.
Capuozzo left the field seven minutes after Italy’s heavy defeat to Argentina which kicked off their autumn Test campaign earlier this month, and replaces Matt Gallagher.
Italian coach Gonzalo Quesada made a total of six changes from last weekend, with injured captain Michele Lamaro handing over the skipper’s armband to center Juan Ignacio Brex.
Teams (15-1)
New Zealand
Will Jordan; Mark Tele’a, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke; Beauden Barrett, Cam Roigard; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Wallace Sititi; Patrick Tuipulotu, Scott Barrett (captain); Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Replacements: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Peter Lakai, TJ Perenara, David Havili, Damian McKenzie
Coach: Scott Robertson (NZL)
Italy
Angel Capuozzo; Jacopo Trulla, Juan Ignacio Brex (captain), Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Ross Vintcent, Manuel Zuliani, Sebastian Negri; Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza; Marco Riccioni, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Danilo Fischetti
Substitutions: Giacomo Nicotera, Mirco Spagnolo, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Alessandro Izekor, Alessandro Garbisi, Leonardo Marin, Marco Zanon
Coach: Gonzalo Quesada (ARG)
td/pi
