Sawt Falasteen - Injury rules All Blacks wing Ioane out of third France Test

New Zealand team management said Ioane was ruled out of Saturday's match in Hamilton because of a tight hamstring and had been replaced by Will Jordan.

Regular fullback Jordan is promoted from the bench to the right wing, with Sevu Reece switching from the right to the left wing to take Ioane's spot. Jordie Barrett is added to the replacements.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson had already made 10 starting changes to the side that won the second Test 43-17 in Wellington last week to clinch the three-match series.

Ioane was to be the only back who retained his starting spot in an overhauled backline. That status now goes to Jordan.

Captain Ardie Savea didn't expect all of the changes to be problematic, including the late shuffle to the outside backs.

"One man falls down, another steps up so you know, so the next person just steps up and does his job," Savea told journalists on Friday.

"The way this team is moving forward and the way we connect off the field, I think when people come in and out it's just seamless.

"If you're an All Black, you're an All Black and you put on that jersey, you're here to do your job."

Back-rower Savea, standing in as skipper for the injured Scott Barrett for a second week, has been among the best performers in the series.

He said while France had chosen not to bring their strongest team on tour, he had been impressed by their quality, particularly in the first Test, which New Zealand narrowly won 31-27 in Dunedin.

He noted French coach Fabien Galthie had selected a team based on size and power in Hamilton, with six forwards on the bench and two specialist locks -- Joshua Brennan and Mickael Guillard -- in the starting back row.

"Obviously they're a physical team and they've got big ball carriers, big bodies that want to bully you," Savea said.

"So it's a great challenge for us to turn up on Saturday and match that and even be better."

R.AbuNasser--SF-PST