The All Blacks are creeping quietly towards this World Cup final. While South Africa’s Jacques Nienaber drew everyone’s attention by naming a team with seven forwards among the eight replacements, New Zealand’s Ian Foster continues slow and steady as he goes. Foster has made one change to the starting XV that beat Argentina last week, with Brodie Retallick coming into the second row in place of Sam Whitelock. The tighthead prop Nepo Laulala has also replaced Fletcher Newell on the bench in the only other change.
Foster, who has one eye on the way South Africa’s replacements out-scrummaged England in the second half of their semi-final, described Laulala’s inclusion as “a response” to Nienaber’s selection. “Not so much to the power but the technique we feel we will have to deal with,” he said. “Nepo is a very strong scrummager, he’s very experienced, and he has trained so well so with the likes of Sam Whitelock on the bench as well, we’ve got a lot of confidence in that group coming on.”
