Braydon Ennor could make All Blacks debut against Argentina
The All Blacks will depart for Argentina on Friday, leaving behind a number of Crusaders players to continue their recovery from last weekend’s Super Rugby final.
That means we probably won’t see the likes of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock or Richie Mo’unga.
Those four, in particular, have fielded a heavy workload in 2019. Owen Franks spent much of the season injured so could still be looking for more game-time (though the All Blacks have plenty of coverage at prop) whilst Kieran Read only entered the fray late in the season after taking time away from the sport. Jack Goodhue is another that has regularly featured for the Super Rugby champions this year, but his services may still be needed in Buenos Aires.
Backs Seve Reece, George Bridge and Braydon Ennor all travelled to Auckland this week to spend time preparing for the Rugby Championship with the rest of the All Blacks. The rest of their Super Rugby teammates will join them today.
With Ryan Crotty not included in the squad, the All Blacks will be pushed to cover the midfield in Argentina unless they bring in some of the Crusaders contingent.
Sonny Bill Williams is also unavailable at present due to a hamstring issue.
“Sonny was running up and down the side of the field and got involved in training,” said All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster. “He can’t go hard off the mark just yet, but the fact he’s running freely without a lot of acceleration is a good sign, so we’re told.
“Hopefully by the end [of the week] he’s striding out properly and then we’ll make a decision. The initial plan was to take him. Now it’s whether we take him to rehab or to play, and we’ll figure that out.”
Williams’ and Crotty’s absences leaves the selectors with a gap to plug in the midfield.
Ngani Laumape and Anton Lienert-Brown will likely pair up for the game against the Pumas, resuming the partnership that started in the final match of 2018 against Italy. The only other dedicated fit midfielder in the squad is Goodhue, whilst Ennor and Jordie Barrett can also cover there.
In all likelihood, one of Ennor or Goodhue will need to travel with the team to Argentina, although the selectors will want to leave behind as many players in New Zealand as is feasible.
The match against Argentina could be an excellent chance to blood Ennor, who had a stand out Super Rugby season both on the wing and at centre. With Mo’unga an almost certainty to be left in New Zealand, young Highlanders pivot Josh Ioane could also see action from the bench.
Potential All Blacks team to take on Argentina:
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Karl Tu’inukuafe. Reserves: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Atu Moli, 18 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 19 Jackson Hemopo, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Braydon Ennor.
Travelling reserves: Asafo Aumua, Angus Ta’avao, Vaea Fifita, Luke Jacobson, Brad Weber, George Bridge
WATCH – Players may be fitter, faster and stronger now than ever before – but that doesn’t mean the old brigade didn’t have any tricks up their sleeves:
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell 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.
14 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?
7 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.
7 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 🤐
19 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….
19 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!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 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
14 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.
19 Go to comments