All Blacks Name Jacobson Captain, Two Debutants for Sharks Match

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has made sweeping changes to his team for the second match of their South Africa tour, appointing Luke Jacobson as captain and naming two debutants for the clash against the Sharks in Durban. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium, with kickoff at 7:00 PM local time.

Rennie has made 15 changes to the starting lineup that secured a 38-21 victory over the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday, August 7. Only seven players from that opening win are included in the matchday 23 for the Durban fixture. The coach described the selection as "reasonably straightforward," citing the need to manage player workloads and minor injuries ahead of the first Test against the Springboks next week.

Jacobson, a 29-year-old loose forward with 27 Test caps, will lead the team for the first time. "Luke is the obvious choice to captain the team against the Sharks," Rennie stated. "He is highly respected, has a great feel for the game and will lead through his actions."

The squad features two players set to make their All Blacks debuts from the bench: hooker Bradley Slater and loose forward Semisi Taeiloa. Slater was called into the...