Head Coach Dave Rennie has officially announced his match-day squad to take on South Africa in the second Test of the series at DHL Stadium. In this official match update for the Rennie All Blacks Lineup, several changes have been made to the starting team following last weekend’s 33–16 victory in Johannesburg.
The fixture marks only the second Test match for the side at DHL Stadium, with all ten previous Cape Town Test matches historically played at Newlands Stadium.
Rennie All Blacks Lineup Forward Pack Changes
Prop George Bower steps into the starting loosehead position for Ethan de Groot, who continues to undergo HIA protocols alongside lock Josh Lord. Consequently, Tupou Vaa’i shifts from the back row into the second row to cover Lord’s absence, opening a starting spot for Simon Parker in the number six jersey.
On the bench, uncapped depth is bolstered as Xavier Numia comes into the 23 to supply prop cover. Experienced lock Patrick Tuipulotu also joins the reserve bench to provide second-row reinforcement for the Rennie All Blacks Lineup roster.
“While we were happy with the win last week, I think both teams will be better this weekend. We’ve played four Tests this year and are still growing as a group.” — Head Coach Dave Rennie
Rennie All Blacks Lineup Backline and Key Facts
The starting backline features just one positional rotation, with Leroy Carter starting on the wing in the 11 jersey while Josh Moorby shifts to outside back cover in the 23 jersey. Meanwhile, Damian McKenzie reaches a career milestone by playing his 34th consecutive Test match, and winger Will Jordan aims to build on his 53 international tries.
With squad preparations complete for the Rennie All Blacks Lineup selection, the team targets back-to-back Test wins on South African soil before kickoff at 5.10 PM local time.
Supporters keeping track of upcoming tour dates can view our full 2026 match schedule page. Ticketing details for future international fixtures are available on our rugby ticket information page. For head-to-head stats between these two rivals, explore our breakdown of the All Blacks South Africa rivalry in numbers.
Match-Day 23: New Zealand vs South Africa
Starting 15: 1. George Bower, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Fabian Holland, 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 6. Simon Parker, 7. Luke Jacobson, 8. Ardie Savea (c), 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Ruben Love, 11. Leroy Carter, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Quinn Tupaea, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Damian McKenzie.
Reserves: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Xavier Numia, 18. Fletcher Newell, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Peter Lakai, 21. Kyle Preston, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Josh Moorby.
Additional international tournament details and official match center updates are accessible via the official World Rugby portal.