After four years, Asafo Aumua has finally earned his All Blacks start
Asafo Aumua made his first appearance for the All Blacks in a 31-22 win over the Barbarians on the 2017 end of year tour. Almost four years later, the wrecking ball is finally set for his run-on debut.
Aumua, who had originally been selected as an apprentice and wasn’t necessarily expected to earn any minutes, clocked up one further appearance on that tour. He was recalled into the All Blacks in 2019 ahead of the Rugby World Cup but never took the field, and earned one more cap off the bench last year.
2021 loomed as the first opportunity for Aumua to really start to accrue some minutes in the black jersey, as the nation’s third-best hooker, but ahead knock suffered against Tonga in the opening match of the international season meant he was set for a short stint on the sidelines, with Samisoni Taukei’aho called into the All Blacks as injury cover.
Taukei’aho has looked every bit a test-level hooker since earning his first cap against Fiji in late July – and that’s presented a new challenge for Aumua.
“Samisoni, I think, has been outstanding in his introduction to test rugby,” said Ian Foster on Friday after naming Aumua in the starting role and Taukei’aho as bench cover. “Certainly, he’s made every post a winner, the way he’s played.”
Now, however, is the right time for Aumua to prove his credentials, Foster said.
“I just felt, for Asafo, he’s been out for quite a while but he’s done a lot of training and he’s really confident in his body now and he knows the systems.
“I think, in some ways it’s just getting a read on and it gives him a full week to really just get calm and do what he needs to do so we’ve erred on that side. I think it’s just reward for him and [this game] gives him the best chance to succeed.”
Aumua’s knock – coupled with a niggly calf injury for Dane Coles – has seen Taukei’aho clock up five straight bench appearances for the All Blacks.
Sunday’s match with Argentina presents as the perfect opportunity for Aumua to remind the selectors – and the world – what the barnstorming hooker is capable of.
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“It’s his first start and he’s jumping out of his skin,” Foster said. “He had an unfortunate July series where through injury he wasn’t able to get [many minutes] on the park. We said we wanted to get him back into NPC to give him a few runs on the board and we got one, but we couldn’t get anymore, unfortunately.
“He’s ready to go. He was ready to go last week, he was disappointed he wasn’t in the group last week but I think we made a decision to go with the most recent battle-hardened players last week, so this is his time and really excited about how he’s going.
“He might take a little while to get used to it. It’s not easy in your first test start and you’re playing against a team that probably scrums differently to what he’d be used to and there’d be a lot of pressure at lineout time. He’s a quality young man and it’ll be a great experience for him.”
The 24-year-old first burst onto the scene when he scored seven tries over two seasons with the New Zealand Under 20 side in 2016 and 2017.
Sunday’s match with Argentina kicks off at 5:05pm AEST from Australia’s Gold Coast, before the Wallabies take on the Springboks at the same venue in the first of four Rugby Championship double-headers.
Comments on RugbyPass
No surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to comments