Northern hemisphere tour

Star midfielder Levani Botia, who captained Fiji against the All Blacks in July, will undergo a knee operation this month and has been replaced by Apisai Naqalevu.

Hooker Peni Narisia has been replaced by Zuriel Togiatama after suffering a calf injury, while veteran lock Api Ratuniyarawa has been called in to replace flanker Peceli Yato, who injured his knee playing for Clermont at the weekend.

Biarritz back-rower Johnny Dyer has also pulled out of the tour for personal reasons and the coaching staff is still weighing up whether to call in another player.

The side is a mix of young and experienced players from 10 countries with 10 new caps.

Tonga Rugby Union CEO Peter Harding said the Head Coach Toutai Kefu and Manager, Lano Fonua, "have done a great job putting this squad together" for the games against Scotland, England, French Barbarians, and Romania.

However, Toutai will not travel with the team and will remain in Australia to continue recovering from a violent home invasion in August.

Forty players are in the squad, but not all will play in the four games.

Players:

The team, named the All Blacks XV, will play three matches in the last weekend of October and first two weekends of November.

NZR chief rugby officer Nigel Cass said the team will provide a new national team aspiration for current professional players, and a career step towards the All Blacks for many.

It follows in the footsteps of similar teams which have assembled throughout New Zealand recent rugby’s history, including the Junior All Blacks, New Zealand A and Emerging Players.

Tonga opened their account by beating the French Barbarians before a 74-24 drubbing by Wales and a 20-9 defeat against Georgia.

Kefu said a host of injuries didn't help their cause but he still believed the team was on the right track.

"If you look at the Wales game the score got away from us probably in the last 20-25 minutes but we were head-to-head up until about the 50 minute mark," he said.

Siale Piutau will captain the side with Toutai Kefu as head coach. Debuting players include Sione Vailanu and Shinnosuke Tuumotooa.

The ‘Ikale Tahi will play their first game against the Barbarians on 11 November in Limerick, Ireland and will play Japan in Tolouse, France on 19 November. Their last fixture will be against Romania in the Romanian capital Bucharest on 26 November.

The team is as follows: