All Blacks team to play Scotland: Scott Robertson makes three changes to starting side

Leicester Fainga’anuku will get an opportunity to make his mark at centre for the All Blacks against Scotland this weekend.

With second five-eighths Jordie Barrett sent home from the Grand Slam tour due to high ankle and knee injuries sustained in last week’s win over Ireland in Chicago, Fainga’anuku gets the first chance to claim the vacant spot.

The 26-year-old will start alongside Quinn Tupaea, who moves from centre into the No 12 jersey in Barrett’s absence.

While he has spent time on the wing at test level, centre is where Fainga’anuku spent two years with French club Toulon and he looked at home alongside Tupaea there when replacing Barrett 24 minutes into the test against Ireland.

Fainga’anuku is one of two new additions to the run-on side for the test at Murrayfield.

Josh Lord replaces captain Scott Barrett, who exited just a few minutes into the Ireland test with a leg laceration that required stitches, at lock while Wallace Sititi returns to the starting XV at blindside flanker in place of Simon Parker. Ardie Savea takes over as captain.

With Fainga’anuku, Lord and Sititi all elevated into the starting side, three new faces come into the side on the bench.

Sam Darry will provide cover at lock and Du’Plessis Kirifi in the loose trio, with Billy Proctor as backline cover.

The All Blacks head into Murrayfield to meet a Scotland side full of form, fresh off handing the USA an 85-0 thrashing.

All Blacks team to play Scotland

1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Fletcher Newell, 4 Josh Lord, 5 Fabian Holland, 6 Wallace Sititi, 7 Ardie Savea (c), 8 Peter Lakai, 9 Cam Roigard, 10 Beauden Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 13 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 14 Leroy Carter, 15 Will Jordan.

Reserves: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Billy Proctor, 23 Damian McKenzie.