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The All Blacks open the inaugural Rugby Nations Championship on Saturday against France in Christchurch, with kickoff set for 8:10 a.m. BST at Te Kaha, the One New Zealand Stadium.
The match carries extra weight beyond the competition itself. It is the first All Blacks fixture at Te Kaha, the venue that replaced Lancaster Park, which was severely damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. According to Yahoo Sports, the new ground is set for a significant occasion to mark the opening.
It also marks the first match under new All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie, who replaced Scott Robertson at the start of the year. Rennie's team selection shows a few fresh choices built around a familiar spine. Ardie Savea captains the side, with Josh Lord and Sam Darry stepping up in the second row after Scott Barrett's injury. Ruben Love starts at fly-half after helping the Hurricanes win the Super Rugby Pacific title. Xavier Numia and Fehi Fineanganofo are set to make international debuts from the replacements bench.
France arrive without captain Antoine Dupont but are not short of quality. Maxime Lucu captains from scrum-half, partnering with Matthieu Jalibert in the halves. Eight players who were part of Bordeaux-Begles' back-to-back Champions Cup victories feature in Fabien Galthie's starting lineup. Bordeaux-Begles' failure to reach the Top 14 playoffs freed up several of those players for international duty.
Tom Staniforth, born in Canberra but now playing for Castres, is a new face in France's second row. Replacement hooker Barnabe Massa is also in line for a debut.
The match will be broadcast live on ITV1 in the United Kingdom, with coverage starting at 7:30 a.m. BST. A live stream is available on ITVX. All Nations Championship matches in July and November will be shown on the station.
