WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has named Damian McKenzie at flyhalf and veteran T.J. Perenara at scrumhalf in the first team of his tenure to play England in the first test at Dunedin on Saturday.
The New Zealand team Robertson announced on Thursday is the first of 14 he will name this year for tests over the next 21 weeks, beginning with two tests again England and one against Fiji in San Diego.
Robertson has had a long time to let selection ideas percolate: he was named to succeed Ian Foster as head coach months before last year’s World Cup and has had to wait more than a year to name his first lineup.
During that time several key players have left.
Six players who started last year’s World Cup final against winners South Africa are unavailable. Fullback Will Jordan and former captain Sam Cane are injured, scrumhalf Aaron Smith has retired while Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell and flyhalf Richie Mo’unga are in Japan.
Robertson faced several challenges, among them a shortage of choice at lock where he had only three options and scrumhalf where his choices were limited by the absence of Cam Roigard who is injured. In contrast he had an abundance of choice in the back row and in the outside backs.
He chose McKenzie in the No. 10 jersey and has placed Stephen Perofeta unexpectedly at fullback with Beauden Barrett on the bench to cover both of those positions.
Perenara has made an outstanding comeback to win the scrumhalf role. He was close to retirement a year ago and began the Super Rugby season as an understudy to Roigard. But he excelled when he took over the starting role in Roigard’s absence.
Robertson has paired captain Scott Barrett at lock with Patrick Tuipulotu, the Super Rugby-winning captain on the Auckland-based Blues and named Tupou Vaa’i on the bench.
World Rugby player of the year Ardie Savea will start at the back of the scrum with Dalton Papali’i on the openside and Samipeni Finau on the blindside. Finau had an outstanding Super Rugby season and echoes Jerome Kaino as a hard-tackling No. 6.
Sevu Reece will start on the right wing and Mark Telea on the left. Robertson has been unable to find a place on the bench for the powerful Blues winger Caleb Clarke. Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett are paired in midfield.
The front row was widely predicted with Tyrel Lomax at tighthead, Ethan de Groot at loosehead and Crusaders veteran Codie Taylor at hooker. Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua will make an impact from the bench along with Blues veteran Ofa Tu’ungafasi and the young Fletcher Newell.
“This was a very tough squad to pick but we’ve selected the best 23 players to beat England on Saturday,” Robertson said. “There is a lot of excitement in the group for our first test and we’re walking together toward this opportunity to represent New Zealand and our families in Dunedin in front of a sold-out stadium. We’ve prepared well and we’re ready.”
New Zealand: Stephen Perofeta, Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Damian McKenzie, T.J. Perenara; Ardie Savea, Dalton Papali’i, Samipeni Finau, Patrick Tuipulotu, Scott Barrett (captain), Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Asafo Aumua, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa’i, Luke Jacobson, Finlay Christie, Anton Lienert-Brown, Beauden Barrett.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
FILE- New Zealand's Scott Barrett takes the ball in a line out during the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Oct. 28, 2023. New All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has chosen Scott Barrett as his first captain, to lead a 32-man squad he named Monday in tests against England and Fiji. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Three years on from losing the European Championship final on penalties, England beat Switzerland in a shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024.
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winner as England swept all of its penalties to win the shootout 5-3 after a 1-1 draw in extra time on Saturday.
“The team showed a lot of character, belief, heart and spirit out there,” Alexander-Arnold told the BBC.
England converted its first four penalties and Alexander-Arnold won the game with the fifth, blasting his shot into the top corner. Another who scored was Bukayo Saka, who missed the last penalty kick of the final shootout in 2021 and was racially abused on social media.
Saka also equalized earlier to ensure the game went to extra time after the Swiss took the lead.
The other shootout scorers were Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Ivan Toney, who returned in January from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.
England was in the lead in the shootout after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved from Manuel Akanji, who took Switzerland's first penalty kick.
England goes on to play Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday for a spot in the final.
Switzerland, which has never reached the semifinals of a major tournament, exits the European Championship on penalties in the quarterfinals for the second time running after defeat to Spain three years ago.
It was the second game in a row that England left it late to win, after beating Slovakia 2-1 in extra time in the last 16.
The quarterfinal went to extra time after England forward Saka scored with a shot off the post in the 80th minute to cancel out Breel Embolo's goal five minutes earlier for Switzerland. It was the first shot on target for England in what was otherwise a cagey and cautious performance from the 2021 runner-up.
The Swiss had the better chances to win in extra time, including substitute Xherdan Shaqiri hitting the frame of the goal direct from a corner. Pickford saved from substitute Zeki Amdouni in the 119th to keep England in the game.
England was without captain and striker Harry Kane for the shootout after he collided with manager Gareth Southgate on the touchline while challenging for a ball and appeared to be hurt. He was replaced by Toney.
Taking charge of his 100th game on Saturday, Southgate has now taken England to at least the semifinals in three of the four major tournaments in his eight-year tenure.
AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
Switzerland supporters react after their team lost in the quarterfinal match against England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
England's manager Gareth Southgate and his players celebrate their victory during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Switzerland's players react after losing against England after the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Switzerland players watch the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England's Bukayo Saka reacts after scoring by penalty during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England players celebrate after Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winning goal during the penalty shootout of a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Jude Bellingham, right, and England's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrate after a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates his team victory after the penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
England's Trent Alexander-Arnold scores the winning goal during a penalty shootout during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
England's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, right, celebrates with tEngland's Trent Alexander-Arnold after a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
England fans gather at BOXPark, Wembley, London, Saturday, July 6, 2024, to watch a screening of the quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament played in Duesseldorf, Germany. (James Manning/PA via AP)
Switzerland's Remo Freuler, rignth, and England's Kyle Walker fight for the ball during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Jude Bellingham, left, and Switzerland's Manuel Akanji challenge for the ball during a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
A Swiss fan shows a sign reading "Apres-Ski better than Afternoon Tea" ahead of the Euro 2024 quarterfinal soccer match between Switzerland and England in Dusseldorf, Germany, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
