AUNZ Invitational Adds Wallabies, All Blacks for Lions Match in Adelaide

The AUNZ Invitational XV, a combined Australia-New Zealand rugby team, has added several high-profile players including Australians Marika Koroibete, Pete Samu, and Brandon Paenga-Amosa, as well as New Zealanders Ngani Laumape and Josh Fusitu'a, ahead of their match against the British & Irish Lions at Adelaide Oval on July 12. Koroibete, a two-time John Eales Medal winner, and Samu, who recently signed with the NSW Waratahs after playing in France, bring extensive international experience. Laumape, who debuted for the All Blacks during the 2017 Lions tour, and Fusitu'a, a rising Blues prop, join a squad that also includes other notable Kiwis like Shannon Frizell and David Havili. This match marks the first combined Australia-New Zealand team facing the Lions since 1989, with Les Kiss coaching the side. Some players such as Richie Mo'unga and Michael Hooper were unavailable, and several wider training members have returned to their Super Rugby clubs. The AUNZ squad will assemble in Adelaide to prepare for the highly anticipated fixture, the final match before the Lions' Test series against the Wallabies.