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.
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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
— The XV Rugby (@TheXV) 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
No Nick, they did not, in fact, justify any ‘probables’ label. At no time did they seriously compete for the championship. Ireland led from start to finish and in the end, as a result of glaring referee errors, were never under serious pressure to lose their crown.
28 Go to commentsMoney for him, and his family, has been the sole motivator since he signed for Queensland aged 17. Why else sign for Melbourne. Tupou is poorly advised. If he’d stayed and developed in NZ he would have had a long Test career. If Leinster offer him a few more coins than he’s currently earning, he’s goneburger.
4 Go to commentsFinn. No one would say Ford had played well up until the last game. One standout performance in 5 is hardly in form . It should be a given that a 10 will control play . Not in Fords case be praised for suddenly doing so. Where was he against Scotland ,Italy. The pundits were saying how far away from play he was standing and one even said that the Ireland game was his last chance saloon to perform . Not exactly top form catching anyones eye. If he can play like this game after game then great. Keep him in . But after 90 odd caps we all know he just doesnt keep it going . By all means keep him there but the issue is that Borthwick will persist even when he plays poorly. Which is more often than not. Thats why i am concerned that Smith ,despite fab form , cannot get a game at his preferred spot. Can you imagine Ford at full back .
5 Go to commentsI do not really get why put Ollivon at 6 when he’s a 7, while Cros was the best Frenchman of the tournament, playing at…6. His only game replacing Aldritt at 8 doesn’t change much in terms of his impact. Lamaro was also outstanding in that brilliant Italian side, probably better than Reffell. So putting 2 Welsh players from the wooden spoon holders, and none of the 4th nation (Scotland) is also strange. Is it about showing that in this harsh transition Wales is, there were some standouts…?
6 Go to commentsThe events at this year’s six nations should undermine many of the arguments made against promotion and relegation between the six nations and the REC. If Italy had been allowed to yo-yo between divisions it conceivably could have really hurt their development, but if Italy, Wales, and Scotland are all at risk of relegation, with none of them being relegated more often than once every 3 or 4 years, you’d have to back all of them to muddle on through it, especially when you factor in the likelihood they’ll still be guaranteed world league matches against tier 1 opponents. Another way of looking at italys resurgence would be to say that the development model of adding an extra team to the six nations has worked, and now must be done again. Georgia could join to make it a 7 team round robin, and if and when Georgia demonstrate an ability to consistently win games, Portugal can also be added to make it an 8 team 2 conference competition. Frankly at this point I think it falls to world rugby to demand that the 6N act in the interests of the game. If the 6N won’t commit to expansion then the 6N teams should be handicapped in world cup draws (i.e. world cup seedings would not be based on their ranking points, but on their ranking points minus a 5 point penalty).
5 Go to commentsSteve Borthwick deserves credit for releasing the shackles on his England side and letting them play in a manner that somewhat resembles the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership. Will they revert to type in New Zealand in July.?
28 Go to commentsJames Lowe wouldn't get in any other 6N team. He's a great example of Farrell’s brilliance, and the Irish system. He is slow. His footwork is poor. But he fits perfectly in that Irish system, and has a superb impact. But put him in another team, and he'll look bang average.
6 Go to commentsCrusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
2 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
4 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
4 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
6 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
28 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
21 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
16 Go to commentsOutstanding article, Graham. Agree with all of it. And enjoy the style of writing too (particularly Grand Slap!).
3 Go to comments