So'oialo to lead new-look All Blacks

Rodney So'oialo will captain a fresh-faced All Blacks rugby side. Photo / Getty Images

MILAN - Rodney So'oialo will captain a fresh-faced All Blacks rugby side full of comeback kids and three test debutants when they face Italy at San Siro here on Sunday (NZT).

Coach Graham Henry stayed true to his promise to give all members of the 33-man squad their chance when he made 12 personnel changes from Cardiff, including debuts for first five-eighth Mike Delany, centre Tamati Ellison and winger Ben Smith.

The only returnees from the 15 who started the 19-12 win over Wales at Millennium Stadium were props Wyatt Crockett and Neemia Tialata, and Cory Jane who shifts from wing to his preferred fullback spot.

Take out So'oialo's 61 tests, Sitiveni Sivivatu's 40, Tialata's 39 and Luke McAlister's 28, and the remaining starters have just 46 tests between them.

But they're backed by a powerful bench, with Richie McCaw, Andrew Hore, Jimmy Cowan and Mils Muliaina among them.

Delany's selection ahead of Stephen Donald at first five-eighth - which would have happened regardless of Dan Carter's one-week suspension for a dangerous tackle - was the main talking point.

The 27-year-old Bay of Plenty pivot was only a bench player for the Chiefs in this year's Super 14 and the Rotorua Boys' High School product never made any national age-grade teams.

Now he'll marshal a side including his old school first 15 teammates Tom Donnelly and Liam Messam in the pack.

"Initially in the Super 14 he had a couple of cameos, scored one of the great tries of the Super 14 in South Africa when he came on," assistant coach Wayne Smith said.

"We had a look at him as a running five-eighth and liked what we saw. Then during the Air NZ Cup you just had to take notice of him."

Wellington utility Ellison, 26, finally gets a chance in his preferred centre position after calf muscle problems, the latest injury ruling him out of a bench role in the Wallabies test in Tokyo.

Injuries to Richard Kahui and Isaia Toeava hastened his rise, but Ellison has been a regular in the extended All Blacks squad this year.

Smith, 23, will get his chance on the right wing after a standout season for Otago at fullback. He wasn't required off the bench in Cardiff behind impressive debutant Zac Guildford.

In the forwards, hooker Corey Flynn will make his first test start since the 2003 World Cup after his recent seasons were ruined by breaks in both arms; lock Anthony Boric returns after a long injury layoff while flankers Messam and Tanerau Latimer get to make amends after playing in the June defeat to France.

So'oialo will captain the All Blacks for a fifth time, having led them in four tests last year in McCaw's absence.

Halfback Andy Ellis, Delany and McAlister form a new inside combination in an exciting backline, with Sivivatu the senior figure as he returns from a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle against the Wallabies in Japan.

In the run-on side only McAlister, Latimer and Crockett are survivors from the All Blacks' error-ridden 27-6 win over Italy in Christchurch in June.

Smith said that was a good reference point for this second-string combination who'd been training together since the team assembled in Auckland.

He also warned the youngsters they faced a cacophony of noise in the sold out stadium which will be brimming with 80,000-plus fans.

"It's going to be passionate, it's going to be loud and that's going to help the Italians grow an arm and a leg," he said.

"That's really important to understand, they're passionate players and this will really help them. It's going to be a real test match."

All Blacks
Cory Jane, Ben Smith, Tamati Ellison, Luke McAlister, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mike Delany, Andy Ellis, Rodney So'oialo (captain), Tanerau Latimer, Liam Messam, Anthony Boric, Tom Donnelly, Neemia Tialata, Corey Flynn, Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves: Andrew Hore, John Afoa, Jason Eaton, Richie McCaw, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Mils Muliaina.

- NZPA