Socceroos v New Zealand LIVE updates: Irankunda, Toure start as Australia aims to retain Soccer Ashes

The team news is in – and I’m officially excited.

Coach Tony Popovic has made six changes from Friday night’s clash in Canberra. The big news is that Nestory Irankunda is starting for just the second time in his international career, alongside striker Mohamed Toure and midfielder Max Balard. All three of those guys came off the bench and the latter two, of course, combined for the goal.

I asked Popovic yesterday about the budding combination between Toure and Irankunda, who grew up together in Adelaide and played for Adelaide United in the A-League, and whether that was something the Socceroos could build on.

Possibly. They’ve got a really good, close bond off the field, which I didn’t know prior to camp, but I see the two of them always together and always in each other’s company, so that’s already a bond off the field.

The time that they had together on the field, you could see they’re trying to link up together and trying to combine, so that’s maybe something we can see for the future, depending on how they progress and whether they’re there or not will be determined. We’re always searching for that.

I guess it’s determined now.

It’s great to see Balard earn a start – richly deserved, for me – and it’s also very cool to see Alessandro Circati handed the captain’s armband at the age of just 21.

The other changes see Lewis Miller come in for Sam Silvera at right wing-back, Kye Rowles for Jordan Bos at left wing-back, and Aiden O’Neill in midfield for Patrick Yazbek – while Martin Boyle, Ryan Teague and Ajdin Hrustic are the ones who drop out of the starting XI for Irankunda, Toure and Balard.

Meanwhile – and this is slightly troubling – but Adrian Segecic isn’t in the match-day 23 at all. Two had to drop out like in Canberra, because Popovic has named a 25-man squad, so he and Jack Iredale won’t be involved. And he’s not injured.

Bummer.

For our Kiwi friends, here’s your starting XI.