All Blacks still waiting to unleash 'young Brodie Retallick'
The All Blacks won’t be rushed into selecting 21-year-old locking sensation Tupou Vaa’i to run out against the Wallabies this weekend – but forwards coach John Plumtree has suggested that the second-rower has a massive future in the black jersey.
Vaa’i, who made his test debut last year after a run of injuries to more experienced options ahead of him in the queue, is yet to have an opportunity to don the black jersey in 2021. The young Chief was the sole member of the All Blacks’ July squad to not accrue any minutes against Tonga or Fiji, while the selectors opted for close to a first-choice lineup in both their Bledisloe clashes against the Wallabies.
With Sam Whitelock remaining in New Zealand while the rest of the team travelled to Australia for the final Bledisloe Cup match in Perth, Vaa’i is now one of just four second-rowers in the squad.
Ahead of him, however, is the experienced trio of Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu – all three of who are also in need of some minutes under the belt, given the relative disruptions of recent weeks, and the understandable preference for the All Blacks to field interim captain Whitelock in the second row in all but one match this year.
With Whitelock out of action this weekend, as well as regular halves pairing Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga, the All Blacks will be bolstering new captain Ardie Savea with as many experienced players around him as possible, and that doesn’t bode well for Vaa’i.
But, while the 21-year-old may not have the opportunity to run out against the Wallabies on Sunday, All Blacks forward coach Plumtree is confident that Vaa’i will still have a big role to play on this epic 10-game tour – and likely sooner rather than later.
“We’ve only got four locks on this trip and it takes one lock to go down and then bang, he’s in,” Plumtree said on Wednesday. “If you look at seniority, the other three are ahead of him, yes, but Tups has been with us through the Steinlager series. He was training with us the whole time and we were leaking him back to play for Taranaki, which was great for him, getting some game time.”
Vaa’i featured twice for Taranaki in the NPC, helping the side to handy victories over Hawke’s Bay and Northland, before the season was postponed due to New Zealand’s latest Covid outbreak.
Plumtree was complimentary of Vaa’i’s form but also suggested that we’re certainly yet to see the best of the hulking lock, who really came out of nowhere last year to thrust his way into the national selection frame.
“He looks fit and strong and we’re really excited about him and what he can bring to the All Blacks,” Plumtree said.
They may not be lining up alongside one another this weekend, but there's no doubting that Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock are the formative lock pairing in world rugby right now. #AllBlacks #AUSvNZL
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“He’s probably one of the best natural locks I’ve seen in terms of playing around the park. He’s like a Brodie Retallick, a young Brodie Retallick around [how] he can play with ball [in hand], what his feet are like before contact. He’s getting tougher all the time and the set-piece work is getting better. He’s been under some good coaching at the Chiefs so really, really impressed with him.”
The upcoming tests against Argentina loom as Vaa’i’s best shot for some game time before the trip to the USA, with the All Blacks likely to call on their top trio for this weekend’s game against the Wallabies, as well as the two upcoming grudge matches with the Springboks.
The All Blacks will name their side to take on the Wallabies on Friday afternoon.
Comments on RugbyPass
I think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe 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 getting 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.
8 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.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 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.
61 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.
8 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
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to comments