Codie Taylor has waited 110 All Blacks appearances for this moment.
The veteran hooker will captain New Zealand for the first time when the All Blacks face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, adding a fresh chapter to a career already written in black ink.
Taylor returns from injury to lead a side using the Pretoria clash as its final audition before the first Test against the Springboks. Kick-off is at 19:00.
For Taylor, the captaincy is more than a ceremonial armband. It is a reward for longevity, leadership and the kind of hard-nosed consistency that has made him a fixture in the All Blacks engine room.
“Huge congratulations to Codie on his first All Blacks captaincy. He is a top man and has done a great job leading this tour group,” All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said.
“This is a proud moment for an All Blacks centurion who has made a massive contribution to this team as a player and a leader.”
Taylor will have Xavier Numia and Tyrel Lomax alongside him for their first appearances of the tour, while six players who started in Tuesday’s 54-0 demolition of the Sharks retain their places.
Josh Lord, Wallace Sititi, Kyle Preston, Cortez Ratima, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Emoni Narawa will back up in Pretoria. Ratima and Preston will make their third appearances of the tour.
Overall, 14 players in the matchday 23 also featured in the opening tour match against the Stormers, giving the All Blacks a useful blend of continuity and selection pressure.
And selection pressure is precisely what Robertson wants.
“There is healthy competition for Test spots, so this is another opportunity for players to put their hands up for selection,” he said.
The Bulls present a considerably different proposition from the Sharks scoreline. Their recent record in the United Rugby Championship has made them South Africa’s most consistent franchise, reaching the final four times in the last five seasons.
Loftus Versfeld, meanwhile, has long been a rugby pressure cooker where visiting teams can find their plans squeezed until the steam escapes.
“The Bulls have consistently been South Africa’s best franchise side, making the United Rugby Championship Finals in four of the last five years,” Robertson said.
“Loftus Versfeld is one of the most formidable rugby grounds in the world, so we are aware of the challenge in front of us and excited at what lies ahead.”
For Taylor and his teammates, the Pretoria showdown carries the weight of a dress rehearsal with Test rugby waiting in the wings.
“This is also our final hit-out before the first Test match against the Springboks, so it is an important game for us,” Rennie said.
The focus: 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 ⏳
Watch how the All Blacks prepare for 𝟎𝟖 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 on the road ~ latest episode of 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒆𝒓𝒏 live now. https://t.co/5gUpqP9LDi pic.twitter.com/1kOzXuqtZa
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At Loftus, reputations will be weighed, combinations tested and Test jerseys potentially won or lost.
Taylor gets the armband. The Bulls get the stage. The Springboks get the scouting notebook.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Leroy Carter, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Peter Lakai, 7 Anton Segner, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Fabian Holland, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor (captain), 1 Xavier Numia
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 George Bower, 18 Siale Lauaki, 19 Josh Lord, 20 Wallace Sititi, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 23 Emoni Narawa
Date: Saturday, August 15
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT; 05.00 Sunday, August 16 NZST)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Matthew Carley (England)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
