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The All Blacks take on the Fiji Flyers in San Diego this weekend and All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson will be giving several players a chance.
Between the first and second games against England, Robertson made just one enforced change to the starting XI, replacing injured centre-back TJ Perenara with Finley Christie.
That meant Cortez Ratima was on the bench and eventually made his Test debut in Saturday night’s 24-17 SEC win in Auckland, with others set to join him in the States.
“This game now (against Fiji) is an opportunity for us. We have a good team, with depth and some good young talent,” Robertson told reporters.
“It’s their chance to prove why they’re here before we go into the Rugby Championship.”
Hooker George Bell, prop Pasilio Tosi, loose forward Wallace Sititi and centre Billy Proctor are the other four uncapped players in Robertson’s 32-man squad, which will face England and Fiji, the latter hoping to make its debut in San Diego.
Other players yet to take part include prop Tamaiti Williams, flanker Ethan Blackadder, and wingers Caleb Clarke and Emoni Narawa, with Robertson suggesting some changes to the wider travelling squad may be made to give first-choice players a chance to recover.
The All Blacks last played Fiji in two Test matches in July 2021, winning the first 57-23 in Dunedin and the second 60-13 in Hamilton.
The Fiji Flyers match against the All Blacks will kick off at 2:30pm this Saturday at the Snapdragon Stadium.
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