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All Blacks issue promising injury update on Tyrel Lomax
The All Blacks will likely be at full strength when they take the field against Ireland in this weekend’s quarter-final in Paris, with injury-troubled prop Tyrel Lomax given the green light for selection availability.
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Lomax was taken from the field in the eighth minute of action in New Zealand’s 73-0 win over Uruguay, having played just 32 minutes in the Rugby World Cup prior to the match due to a deep cut sustained in a World Cup warm-up match.
The 27-year-old rose through the ranks to claim the No 3 jersey under new forwards coach Jason Ryan last year, forming a formidable front row with Ethan de Groot and Codie Taylor.
All three are on track to be available for selection for the first time this tournament in the quarter-final, after Ryan revealed Lomax would be available for selection on Tuesday.
“Yeah, he’s trained really well today, got through what he needed to and definitely he will be considered for selection,” he said.
No other players are reported to be on the injury list, and de Groot’s return from a two-game red card suspension clears all players for the decisive match.
That’s more than their opponents can say, Ireland have five Ireland players nursing injuries.
Three of those five however have been participating in training ahead of the box office bout, with James Lowe, Keith Earls and Robbie Henshaw tracking well after a demanding pool schedule.
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James Ryan and Mack Hansen however were not active at training and while no players have been ruled out of the clash, doubts persist ahead of the team naming.
“If you’re heading to a final, which this is, it’s important you have got the luxury of picking from a squad that is fully available which is what we want to be,” Ryan added.
“You’re always going to get niggles but it’s great in this player’s point of view and in regards to Lowy [Lomax] it’s great he has got through today. We have a pretty high intensive training on Thursday so he’ll have to tick that off as well.”
Ireland coaches have demanded a lot of their team in the tournament to date, with very little player rotation to ease the physical toll on preferred players.
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New Zealand on the other hand has rotated throughout the entire 33-man squad, handing each player an opportunity to put their hand up for selection at the business end of the tournament.
“We like to keep everyone hungry. I think it is important that everyone is competing in training and we have given everyone a crack in this World Cup.
“We are really clear on who our starting line-up is and it is full steam ahead for this final. This is where you want to be. It’s where the players want to be, in a final. It’s where you want to be as a coach and it’s where the All Blacks want to be.
“That is an opportunity we are looking forward to against the number one team in the world.”
Having fallen to Ireland in a historic home series last year, there is plenty of extra motivation beyond the World Cup stakes for the All Blacks.
This World Cup caps off a tumultuous four years for the team and specifically for head coach Ian Foster, the relatively poor record of the team has resulted in is as close to an underdogs tag that the All Blacks have ever got heading into a World Cup quarter-final.
With the match likely to play a definitive role in the legacy of the coach and numerous retiring players, pressure is palpable. But, pressure is not foreign to this team.
“The All Black jersey means a lot to us. We have talked a lot over the last few months over the legacy of the black jersey and what it means.
“You talk about someone like Sean Fitzpatrick, he properly set the All Blacks legacy alight with what he did. Are we scared of failure? No. But do we want to embrace the legacy and what we want to achieve? Yes, and we want to walk towards it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Sorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
7 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
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