All Blacks to send 11 players on to Europe ahead of USA test
While the bulk of the All Blacks squad are buckling down ahead of this weekend’s clash with the United States, a small contingent of players will shortly be preparing themselves for what’s to come in Europe.
Eleven players who are surplus to requirements for the clash with the Eagles will head to London 24 hours ahead of their teammates due to restrictions with travel which would prevent the entirety of the touring group from travelling on the same flight.
Brodie Retallick, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody, Shannon Frizell, Ethan Blackadder, Ofa Tuungafasi, Akira Ioane and Jordie Barrett.
Codie Taylor, Joe Moody, Nepo Laulala, Ofa Tuungafasi, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell, Ethan Blackadder, Akira Ioane, David Havili, Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett make up the 11-strong contingent of players who, by and large, have shouldered a heavy workload throughout the test season to date.
Taylor, Laulala, Retallick, Havili, Barrett and the Ioane brothers have all made no fewer than eight appearances for the All Blacks throughout the season, with Rieko Ioane featuring in every single game to date.
View this post on Instagram
Moody and Tuungafasi, meanwhile, are still on the comeback from long-winded injuries that saw them make their returns to action in the latter stages of the Rugby Championship and head coach Ian Foster has evidently decided that they’ll benefit from another week off before likely lining up to take on Wales in Cardiff in a week’s time.
Frizell, who only linked up with the All Blacks last weekend, is on the mend from an injury of his own and was unavailable for this weekend’s fixture.
That leaves Ethan Blackadder, who has probably taken on a bigger role than he or the selectors envisaged at this stage of the year, clocking up seven appearances in his debut season with the All Blacks.
Just five players who weren’t selected in the matchday 23, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ardie Savea, Brad Weber and Sevu Reece, have remained with the team in Washington.
Foster made it clear on Thursday that while some players will make the move from the USA to the UK, that’s entirely due to external forces and that the side is very much focused on this weekend’s fixture.
Despite kicking off their rivalry in 1913, before coming up against the likes of Italy, Argentina or even South Africa, this weekend’s match will mark just the fourth time the #AllBlacks and @USARugby have gone toe to toe. #USAvNZL
?? @TomVinicombehttps://t.co/Fx6r1iCTeh
— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) October 20, 2021
“We can’t get the whole squad over on Saturday night so we’ve had to send 11 players a day early,” he said. “That’s the number one and only reason why we’re doing it. International flights are a little bit harder to organise than they used to be.”
It would come as no surprise if all 11 of the players were to take part in next weekend’s clash, the first of four games in Europe.
After taking on Wales, the All Blacks travel to Italy and Ireland before finishing up their season in France.
The USA vs All Blacks is available to watch live in the US, Canada and Mexico on FloRugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
I’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
139 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
139 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
139 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
139 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
139 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
139 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
139 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
139 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
139 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
139 Go to commentsHo hum.
139 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
139 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
139 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
139 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
139 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
139 Go to comments