Exiled from the All Blacks, Hoskins Sotutu has joined the ranks as the newest star for the AUNZ Invitational XV, set to face the British and Irish Lions in Adelaide on July 12.
Despite being named New Zealand’s Super Rugby Pacific player of the year in 2024 and having played his last of 14 Tests in 2022, Sotutu has been notably absent from the international stage.
The 26-year-old No. 8 will team up with his Blues colleague AJ Lam in the first Australia-New Zealand combined squad since 1989.
Hoskins Sotutu at Marvel Stadium, 2022. Getty
Rugby Australia also announced former All Blacks, Queensland Reds props Aidan Ross and Jeff Toomaga-Allen on Friday, growing the squad to 13.
Former Wallabies stars Marika Koroibete, Pete Samu, and Brandon Paenga-Amosa are part of coach Les Kiss’s team, alongside Kiwi talent such as Shannon Frizell, David Havili, Ngani Laumape, Shaun Stevenson, Folau Fakatava, and Joshua Fusitu’a.
Coaching responsibilities include ex-All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, with assistance from Simon Cron and Zane Hilton.
More player announcements are on the horizon, likely to include members from the Wallabies squad, as the team gathers in Adelaide this weekend.
“The All Blacks bring that additional strength you need—power and speed,” Kiss remarked.
“It’ll be a brief preparation, but these players know how to play the game. We don’t want things to become overly complicated. We’ll stick to a core plan and let them express themselves on the field.”
NEW PODCAST! Star flanker Fraser McReight joins the gang live from Wallabies camp as they gear up for their match against Fiji on Sunday.
In other news, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt acknowledged that the Lions are meeting his pre-tour expectations as a formidable opponent.
Following the announcement of his team to face Fiji in Newcastle on Sunday, Schmidt reflected on the tourists, who have recorded 50-point victories over both the Western Force and the Reds.
The Lions have yet to concede a second-half point in Australia, with their next match against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.
“They have been quite impressive,” stated Schmidt.
“In both of their games, they haven’t started brilliantly in the first 20 minutes. Yet, even with that said, they’ve missed a few chances. The more they work on their cohesion, the more dangerous they will become when finishing those opportunities.
“I noticed they created several chances in the first match that they didn’t capitalise on, and in the second match, they displayed a strong competition for places due to their depth and strength.
“As they face the Waratahs, the ACT Brumbies, and the AUNZ side, I expect them to refine their combinations.”
“That will be crucial for us to monitor after this Fiji clash—how those combinations are developing and whether they provide insights into what might be Test configurations. At this moment, it appears they’re mainly focusing on managing player minutes while trialling different strategies in their initial games.”
The Lions are coached by Andy Farrell, Schmidt’s former assistant with Ireland.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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