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All Blacks ready for another set-piece onslaught from Alun Wyn Jones' Wales
While their opposition will be without some crucial personnel when the All Blacks square off with Wales in Cardiff this weekend, there’s one man that has undoubtedly been a key focus during the week for the tourists.
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Alun Wyn Jones will notch up his 149th test cap this weekend, lifting him above Richie McCaw as the most capped player of all time for one nation (though Jones also has 12 appearances for the British and Irish Lions) and is unsurprisingly one of the best exponents of the lineout in the game.
While the 36-year-old may not necessarily be as dynamic in the air as he was during his formative appearances for Wales, he’s made up for it in his twilight years with his brilliant strategising and reading of the opposition.
While the All Blacks have welcomed Sam Whitelock back into their midst – who will reclaim the lineout calling duties from Brodie Retallick, the experienced stand-in NZ captain still gives up over 30 test appearances to Jones. Their battle at the set-piece will prove crucial to the fortunes of the two sides.
“If you look at Alun Wyn Jones and you look at Sam Whitleock, they’ve been battling it out against each other for a long period of time. They probably know each other very well,” All Blacks forwards coach John Plumtree said this week.
“Certainly, having Sam on board this week – obviously coming in last week but having him on board this week – [with] his experience around preparing for this test with the forwards is great. And his knowledge of what we’re about to face is certainly a bonus for us and I’m sure Alun Wyn Jones is the same for Wales.”
Whitelock will combine with his usual partner in crime, Retallick, to form an experienced second row. Jones and his locking partner, Adam Beard, will boast a similarly strong connection, with both tight forwards representing Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship.
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Will Rowlands will cover the second row off the pine for Wales while the All Blacks will be able to call upon the services of 21-year-old Tupou Vaa’i late in the match.
Vaa’i – along with last week’s debutant and fellow 21-year-old Josh Lord – impressed Plumtree in their performances against the USA.
“Both those boys, for me, are the future,” he said. “And isn’t it great, they’re like two apprentices, aren’t they? Working behind Sam and Brodie, they’ve got a great opportunity, both of them, to learn from those two – and they’re doing that.
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“Josh has been rooming with Sam and you can imagine all the chat and what’s he learned from that experience of being around a guy like Sam Whitelock. And that’s the nicest thing about Josh being here and Tups being here with those two boys, Brodie and Sam.
“But I thought they both did well. Tups is getting very comfortable at this level now. I know USA was probably not really the highest standard but we’ve seen him in that arena in Auckland, obviously, when we played against Australia. Tups, for me now, is starting to understand what test match rugby is all about and the pressure that goes with preparation.
“He’s been brilliant with me, he comes to me and chats about the lineouts, and he comes to me and want to help out and he wants to get involved in all the leaders’ meetings and his growth is just going to be awesome.
“And now he can see Josh is jumping on that wagon as well and Tups is looking after Josh, putting his arm around him and [saying] ‘Follow me’ and it’s really, really, really good to see.
“They’re four big men, big locks, all mobile, have all got fantastic skill-sets and all pretty tough. So it’s great for the future.”
Wales host the All Blacks at the Principality Stadium on Saturday at 5:15pm GMT (5:15am on Sunday morning in NZ). The two sides last met in the bronze playoff of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, with the All Blacks triumphing 40-17.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo 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!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 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
13 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.
13 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.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 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?
13 Go to comments