Crusaders captain David Havili will look to help tame the British & Irish Lions at Adelaide Oval on July 12, unveiled as one of the first four players from New Zealand who have been selected for the AUNZ Invitational XV.
This will be the first time since the late 1980s that Australia and New Zealand have joined forces on the rugby field, and will also be the Lions’ final match before they take on the Wallabies in the first Test at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
Havili has been named after leading the Crusaders to Super Rugby glory, along with former All Blacks Shannon Frizell, Shaun Stevenson and Folau Fakatava. Frizell is the only one who was based overseas last season, having starred for Toshina Brave Lupus in Japan.
Les Kiss & Matt Faessler Reds presser
Les Kiss & Matt Faessler Reds presser
Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss will take charge of the side, while former All Blacks mentor Ian Foster will serve as one of the assistant coaches alongside the Western Force’s Simon Cron and the Reds’ Zane Hilton.
“There is plenty of excitement about this fixture, and that’s been demonstrated by the number of quality international players eager to be involved,” Rugby Australia Director of High Performance, Peter Horne, said in a statement.
“We are delighted with the quality of the New Zealand contingent announced today and look forward to naming more players as the squad comes together.
“We want this team to entertain the big Adelaide crowd and provide the Lions with a tough contest as they head into their three-Test series with the Wallabies.
“The last time the Lions played a combined Australia-New Zealand side, it went right down to the wire – and we’re hoping to deliver another competitive contest.”
There are 66 All Blacks caps between the four of them, with Havili and Frizell boasting 30 caps and 33 appearances respectively. Steveson played one Test for New Zealand in 2023 against Australia, while Fakatava has worn that black jersey on two occasions.
Frizell scored eight tries in 33 Test appearances before heading to Japan after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Before heading offshore, the backrower also played more than 65 matches for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.
Havili has played more than 142 games for the Crusaders, with his most recent appearance for the club coming into an enthralling decider against the Chiefs in Christchurch – with the serial champions triumphing once again by four points.
Stevenson reached a century of appearances for the Chiefs last season, but the fullback will embark on a chapter moving forward, having put pen to paper on a deal with Kubota Spears in Japan for the next two seasons.
Then there’s Fakatava, who is an electric halfback who has been a mainstay of the Highlanders’ 23 for quite some time now. Born in Tonga, Fakatava has scored 12 tries in 61 games for the Landers and has twice played for the All Blacks.