AUNZ Invitational XV Ready to Face the British and Irish Lions
Les Kiss has revealed the starting lineup for the AUNZ Invitational XV that will face the British and Irish Lions in Adelaide. The team presents a powerful combination of players from Australia and New Zealand, with the aim of delivering a memorable spectacle.
The team will be co-captained by Lukhan Salakaia-Loto of Australia and David Havili, captain of the Crusaders, the title-winning team.
Tane Edmed has been selected as the opening, having an opportunity to impress the Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt.
Schmidt’s squad announcement for the Wallabies will be on Friday. A standout performance from Edmed could secure his place in the team for the first test in Brisbane.
The Kiss team includes 17 players with international experience.
Aidan Ross, eligible to play for the Wallabies, will be in the front row alongside Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Angus Blyth joins Salakaia-Loto in the second row.
Folau Fakatava and Edmed will form the half-back pairing, while Havili will be partnered in the midfield by Ngani Laumape.
The three-quarter line will be formed by Shaun Stevenson, Marika Koroibete, and AJ Lam.Coach Les Kiss commented on the choice of captains and the team’s preparation:
After speaking with all the players, we thought the co-captain model with natural leaders like David and Lukhan would really suit this team and what we stand for. This week has been building well and the guys have dedicated a lot of time to getting to know each other. In forming new bonds, many of them have discovered they have more in common than they originally thought. We have named an experienced and powerful starting team for Saturday and we know our bench will have an impact when they get their chance.
The Lions will announce their 23-player squad later on Thursday.
The AUNZ match could mark the beginning of a more frequent collaboration between Australia and New Zealand, as they haven’t combined on the same team since 1989.
