All Blacks to make wholesale changes for third France test

Assistant coach Jason Holland said on Sunday that the All Blacks will ring the changes when they select their side for the third and final test against France, but added there was "no lack of motivation" to complete a series clean sweep.

An improved All Blacks outclassed a depleted France 43-17 in the second test in Wellington to seal the series with a game to spare.

New Zealand made only two changes to the starting team who scraped to a 31-27 win in the first test in Dunedin.

Speaking the day after the victory, Holland said a new-look line-up will be fielded on Saturday in Hamilton, staying true to a pre-series pledge to give all 35 New Zealand squad members game time.

"The general mindset was to make sure that everyone gets a taste of some test footy in these three games, so I don't think anything will change there," Holland told reporters on Sunday.

Next week's team is set to include uncapped hooker Brodie McAlister, loose forwards Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson, and backs Noah Hotham, Ruben Love and Anton Lienert-Brown.

Holland was delighted with the improvement shown in Wellington as the All Blacks opened up a 29-3 halftime lead over a vastly inexperienced France side, who left most of their first-choice players at home.

"We know we've got lots and lots of areas we still need to be better," said Holland.

COACHING CHALLENGE

"There'll be no lack of motivation to keep getting better and I'm sure the boys will add something when they get their opportunity."

Tighter French defence forced New Zealand into mistakes in a second half that saw France and New Zealand both score 14 points.

"We felt in the last 20 minutes we could have finished better than we did and really put them away," said Holland.

"We've just got to have variations that don't over-complicate things. That's the challenge in coaching these days, I reckon."

Holland said Tupou Vaa'i was a doubt for the third test after the back-row forward failed an initial head injury assessment after being substituted in the second half.

Vaa'i has been a standout performer in the series, scoring tries in both tests to justify a decision to convert the athletic 25-year-old to the back row from lock, where he won his first 38 All Blacks caps.

"It's exciting I reckon, obviously Tupou gives you another big man in your lineout but also he's a mobile man and he's quick around the park," Holland said, indicating Vaa'i would continue in his new role.

"He likes to put a shoulder on defensively in there and has all the good attributes of a No 6 so I reckon it's really exciting."

Holland said wing Caleb Clarke, who was replaced in the second test starting line-up after suffering an ankle injury in training, will be out for "five to six weeks".

It means Clarke is ruled out of the opening two Rugby Championship tests in Argentina on August 16 and 23.

KISS BACKS AUNZ TEAM TO CONTINUE DESPITE LIONS FLOP

Elsewhere, incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss says the concept of a combined Australia-New Zealand team should continue despite their 48-0 hammering by the British and Irish Lions.

The rugby powerhouses came together for the first time since 1989 to face the might of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales at Adelaide on Saturday.

But despite the match being billed as an unofficial fourth test, it fizzled with the tourists utterly dominant against a squad that boasted 17 internationals.

Kiss, who coached the side, said part of the problem was their lack of preparation, with barely a week together in the build-up not sufficient to fine-tune their combinations.

"Of course the scoreline can tell one story, but there are other stories within it that are important to recognise as well," he told reporters.

"I think I'd have the complete backing of the guys here that that concept should be something that we continue to work on and make it work whenever we can.

"I think that the quality of people that you have in the team and three or four weeks to build, I have no doubt that some of the things that probably caught us this week would not have caught us."

Their lack of cohesiveness was immediately evident when they were caught napping by a quick Lions' lineout throw that led to a sixth-minute try.

Further defensive lapses saw them concede two more tries to trail 17-0 after 20 minutes and there was no way back as the Lions hit their stride.

Despite the trouncing, co-captain David Havili also endorsed the concept continuing, with the 30-cap All Blacks centre saying it was a rewarding experience.

"I love the way the Aussie and Kiwi boys gelled and while we didn't get the performance, we can be proud of what we did this week as Australia and New Zealand," he said.

"Whenever the Lions come back to New Zealand, hopefully we can get the same concept and the Aussie boys can come over to New Zealand and do the same thing because it's great to be able to get teams like this off the ground.

"It's just been a great, enjoyable week and really refreshing for myself."