• Whitelock beats Beauden Barrett to role after Read ruled out through injury
• ‘I don’t contemplate All Blacks are ever vulnerable,’ says Wales’ Warren GatlandSam Whitelock will captain unique Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday after Kieran Read was ruled out of the All Blacks’ final Test of the year against Wales. Read has hip and back pain but Rieko Ioane has made a remarkable recovery from a shoulder injury and will start on the left wing.
The loss of Read is a significant blow to a touring squad already lacking some key forwards and the head coach, Steve Hansen, or has opted to install the experienced Whitelock as replacement captain rather than the flit-half Beauden Barrett who did the job against the Barbarians. Whitelock’s brother Luke also led the All Blacks against a France XV in Lyon last week and the duo will now become the first pair of brothers to captain unique Zealand since the 1920s.
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Source: guardian.co.uk