All Blacks provide injury update ahead of Ireland showdown
The All Blacks are sweating on the fitness of two key players ahead of their penultimate test of the year against Ireland in Dublin on Sunday [NZT].
The New Zealanders are tipped to field a full-strength side at Aviva Stadium after a team of second-stringers and injury returnees scrapped to an ugly 47-9 win over Italy in Rome over the weekend.
That will likely see the return of most of those who featured in New Zealand’s 54-16 thumping of Wales a fortnight ago, although there are some who remain in doubt to take to the field in the Irish capital.
One of those players is halfback Brad Weber, who left the match against the Azzurri after just nine minutes due to a head knock, which he didn’t return from following a failed head injury assessment.
However, All Blacks defence coach Scott McLeod told media on Monday [NZT] that the 30-year-old, who rivals TJ Perenara as the squad’s first-choice No 9 in the absence of Aaron Smith, remains a chance to play in Ireland.
“Brad went through the normal protocols this morning and he’s woken up symptom-free, but he’ll need to go through an independent concussion specialist process this week at some stage, so he’s a wait-and-see, really,” McLeod said.
It’s a similar situation for wing Sevu Reece, who, alongside Weber, was a star replacement for the All Blacks against Wales and scored his second try in as many outings on this end-of-year tour at Stadio Olimpico.
Reece appeared to injure his leg in the process of scoring against Italy, though, but could still find himself in contention for this weekend’s clash after emerging relatively unscathed in the wake of his side’s victory.
“I think Sevu was the only other one. He got a bit of bone bruising, but he seems to have been okay today,” McLeod said.
Together, Weber and Reece join prop Angus Ta’avao as the only injury concerns in the All Blacks squad as they head into their final two tests of 2021.
Ta’avao dislocated his elbow during a training session in the lead-up to the Welsh test, and All Blacks head coach Ian Foster said last week that he won’t be considered for selection until next week’s season-ending test against France.
In more positive injury news, McLeod confirmed that veteran lock Brodie Retallick is fit and firing after missing the test against Italy due to a shoulder injury he sustained during the win over Wales.
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“Brodie trained fully last Thursday, so he’s good to go,” McLeod said.
Primed to start in the second row alongside captain Sam Whitelock, Retallick could be joined in the match day squad by Dane Coles and Sam Cane, both of whom impressed McLeod with their outings against Italy.
The match was the first test the pair had started following lengthy sideline spells, with Cane having been ruled out between March and October with a serious pectoral injury.
Coles, meanwhile, missed the entire Rugby Championship with a persistent calf complaint, but both caught McLeod’s eye as two of the few standouts in a messy All Blacks win last Sunday [NZT].
“Two guys that have come back, though, Dane and Sam have both pulled up really well, so we’re really happy with that.”
The All Blacks will name their team to face Ireland on Friday [NZT] ahead of a 4:15am kick-off on Sunday [NZT].
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to comments