Barrett to return, Lomax to miss Northern Tour for All Blacks

As the Rugby Championship finishes for another season, attention can be turned to this year’s end-of-year Northern Tour for the All Blacks, which includes a grand slam of Ireland in Chicago, Scotland in Edinburgh, England in London and Wales in Cardiff.

With the All Blacks set to depart for Chicago in a couple of weeks, head coach Scott Robertson has provided an injury update from camp in Perth, after a busy Rugby Championship campaign.

The All Blacks were without first-five Beauden Barrett in Perth, but Robertson tells reporters he will travel on the end-of-year tour.

“He’ll be fine for the end of the year,” Robertson said.

Robertson also confirmed that Tupou Vaa’i will miss the tour with a knee injury, maybe requiring surgery when the team get back to New Zealand.

“But it was tough, you know, he clicked his knee the week before and got through training, and then just stood up and then locked on him, and obviously, we’ll see the surgeon.”

All Blacks Prop Ethan de Groot and winger Caleb Clarke will both overcome their injuries to be available on the end-of-year tour, with both progressing well during the week.

The long list of injured players for the All Blacks will also force the coaching staff to bring in some replacements, with Tyrel Lomax, Emoni Narawa and Noah Hotham all confirmed to be missing the tour with injuries.

“Yeah, we’ve got a good understanding [of replacements] and obviously we have the All Blacks XV team to select, along with Jamie Joseph and their crew.

“So we did with on the background, and they’ve been watching NPC and all the players, and he’s informed there. So that’s a tough team to pick as well because there’s been some great performances.”

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When asked about this year’s tour, Robertson is excited to coach an All Blacks team in a grand slam, as he explains that it doesn’t come round too often.

“Yeah it’s pretty cool. We noticed it’s not often you talk to some of the old All Blacks have been on it and had a crack at it.

“The last time I looked at the stats, there’s only been a couple and a few decades from memory that was Wayne Smith’s chipping away, and it’s very difficult, but it’s a great opportunity for us, and we’ve got an exciting squad to go over there and play some good footy.

“Obviously, going through Chicago on the way, some Kiwis have managed to find a few business trips in Las Vegas as well. It’s beautiful, the gift of touring, so it’ll be great to have a lot of Kiwis in Chicago and then follow us up north.”