Rugby World Cup (New Zealand vs Italy): Sam Whitelock On Bench For Must Win Game

• Sam Whitelock on bench for must-win Rugby World Cup match.

Sam Whitelock could come off the bench at the Rugby World Cup on Friday night against Italy to become New Zealand’s most capped player of all time.

The second row, 34, is level with former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw on 148 caps.

Whitelock would also equal the World Cup appearances record if he came on.

Whitelock’s appearance in the 71-3 win against Namibia was his 21st in World Cups, one behind McCaw and former England international Jason Leonard.

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster said: “He equalled a record last week, he’s going to beat it this week. He’s got 150 [caps] coming up and then he’s got the most-capped All Black in World Cups. Every day is a bit of a statement of something he’s achieving.

“We want to honour that achievement because he’s earned that but I feel like as a team, we talked a lot about it last week before the Namibia game, we respect that but we will do all our celebration of that achievement after this game.

“Right now what the team needs to achieve is bigger than the individual.”

Foster has made nine changes to his starting XV to face Italy, with only Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett retaining their places from the victory over the African nation.

New Zealand, who lost their opening Pool A match to France, have never failed to make it out of the group stages at a World Cup and are seeking a victory which would make them strongly favoured to reach the last eight.

Italy will reach the knockout phase for the first time if they beat New Zealand, or if the game ends in a draw and Italy earn a bonus point but the All Blacks do not.

Coach Kieran Crowley has made three changes to the Italian matchday 23 from the side which beat Uruguay 38-17 last Thursday.

Dino Lamb, Stephen Varney and Luca Morisi come into the starting XV as Niccolo Cannone moves to the bench and Alessandro Garbisi and Lorenzo Pani drop out of the squad.

Tommaso Allan returns to full-back after starting at fly-half last week, while Paolo Garbisi moves from the centres to fly-half.

Allan has not missed a shot at goal at this World Cup, kicking all 13 attempts. He requires five more points to surpass Diego Dominguez as Italy’s all-time leading Rugby World Cup points scorer.

Line-ups

New Zealand XV: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea; Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ofa Tuungafasi, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea

Replacements: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Tyrel Lomax, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane, Cam Roigard, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown

Italy XV: Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Luca Morisi, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Marco Riccioni, Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro, Lorenzo Cannone

Replacements: Hame Faiva, Ivan Nemer, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Toa Halafihi, Martin Page-Relo, Paolo Odogwu