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Ian Foster provides update on All Blacks' late injury set-backs
While the All Blacks may have named their team to take on the Wallabies on Thursday morning, the actual team that ran out on Eden Park on Saturday night wasn’t confirmed until right before kick-off.
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First, Scott Barrett was scratched early on Saturday evening, with Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu called into the 23 as a replacement.
Then, late in the All Blacks’ warm-up, experienced hooker Dane Coles was also cut from the bench with young Chiefs rake Samisoni Taukei’aho taking Coles’ place.
The second change was so last-minute that Taukei’aho took his spot on the bench wearing the No 26 jersey, and Coles was still named as the reserve hooker by the Eden Park ground announcer.
Some onlookers would have found it curious that despite having already been nixed from the side at the time, Barrett was still a full-time participant in the All Blacks warm-up ahead of the match.
Following the match, Ian Foster gave an update on the two absentees and explained why Barrett was training with the side, despite being pulled from the line-up.
“Scott’s good,” the All Blacks coach said. “He just had a really disrupted 48 hours before the kick-off and so we made a late decision to pull him – but he still warmed up for the test and he’s good as gold, fit and available.
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“It was more of a trust thing in the squad and we felt that Patty prepared well and with the disruptions for Scott, it just made it an easy decision really.”
Foster refrained from providing details on Barrett’s ‘disruptions’, simply suggesting that it was “nothing serious”.
In Coles’ case, Auckland’s infamously bad traffic potentially had a part to play, with the 34-year-old suffering from a fast-tracked warm-up.
“Basically, the bus was late for the game,” Foster revealed. “We got stuck in traffic and we probably had a quicker warm-up than what we needed and [Coles’] calf’s just tightened so we’ll look at that in the next few days.”
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Tuipulotu and Taukei’aho performed solidly in Barrett and Coles’ absences, with both players entering the fray early in the final quarter.
Tuipulotu finished the match with six tackles while Taukei’aho, in just his second test appearance, ensured the lineout continued to run smoothly following the departure of Codie Taylor.
The Chiefs hooker might be counting his lucky stars that his Waikato side were kicking off their NPC campaign on Sunday this weekend. Asafo Aumua – who is third in NZ’s hooking totem pole – was released to play for Wellington on Saturday, while Taukei’aho remained with the squad.
Had the NPC not kicked off this weekend, or had Waikato’s game been playing in one of the early matches, it could have been Aumua who’d taken Coles’ spot on the bench.
Barrett’s withdrawal, meanwhile, prevented the All Blacks from playing with three Barrett brothers on the bench for the first time in the team’s history, with Beauden and Jordie both named in the reserves for the opening Bledisloe Cup clash.
With Richie Mo’unga and Damian McKenzie having strong games at first five and fullback – Beauden and Jordie Barrett’s respective preferred positions – and Scott seemingly fit and available, the triple Barrett injection could come in the second of the Bledisloe tests next weekend.
The disruptions to Saturday’s night game ultimately weren’t too impactful, however, with the All Blacks recording a 33-25 win over their trans-Tasman neighbours.
Comments on RugbyPass
1 week for two cynical and dirty plays? Absolutely pathetic punishment. He should’ve at least received 2 weeks - 1 week per trip. The guy is a cheating moron and liability. He should go back to league.
2 Go to commentsTest rugby is different level Some players are just big time players when the stakes are high they play better. The boks often lost to AUS on tour as they wanted to beat AB. Even at school level this is the case where some guys play better in tough games.
41 Go to commentsLet’s hope he misses more than just the Force game or the Reds won’t get very far in the finals.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick. I’m looking at the other 7 options in Australia and they don’t seem to be close behind Fraser at the moment? Even before reading this I thought he was well ahead. A random one - Slipper and Allalatoa seem to be getting well beaten in the scrum. I can’t remember this happening often before. Is it a technique/teamwork issue or are their bodies finally past it?
12 Go to commentsNZ is now entrenched in Div 2 of womens rugby. Canada would be thrashed by the likes of France or England. Europe are Div 1, with massive competitions, massive money…
2 Go to commentsBlackadder dies not deserve selection. He has not played enough games. Finau is just better. Kaino's replacement at Blindside On form TJ should be the starting 9 .
128 Go to commentsThe difference is Cotter..
6 Go to commentsThey can’t handle the level of comp in the NH. Pollard was a complete waste at Montpellier - and was the backup 12 when he left. Kitschoff was stealing his paycheque every week at Ulster,- getting absolutely rinsed by backup THs in the URC. There is a reason all the Boks go to Japan - they don’t have it in them to be able to compete. And yes, they won the RWC. Where Barnes and O'Keeffe were the direct reason for that tragedy occurring.
41 Go to commentsTrouble with Jones is he has so many impractical innovations. Kemeney wasn't good enough in any position for top level test rugby. I like how Vern has Papalii playing. He's always had the workrate when in form, although I'm not sure that he quite has Cane's mongrel.
12 Go to commentsPut those results on the old CV and send it in to the crusaders bro.
1 Go to commentsJust go with a top 6 system where the top 2 teams go straight to the semi-finals and the other 4 teams fight it out for the other 2 semi-final spots.
8 Go to commentsIt’s a shame that Baxter wasn’t nominated for DoR of the season. what he did is more impressive than McCall imo
1 Go to commentsSeveral boks said during World Cup they play so hard to give people back home hope. As an Englishman the Springboks Captain’s life story is an inspiration which should give us all hope and inspiration. Rather like that other great South African, Nelson Mandela
41 Go to commentsFox News, Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan? Yikes.
1 Go to commentsThat is harsh though. Messi has/had a reputation for trying to keep his feet and keep dribbling for goal. Many of his brethren were the histrionic divers but not him.
2 Go to commentsMcReight is certainly one of the first picked. He’s going to be the glue, a Wallaby with some rugby IQ and the everywhere man for the Wallabies.
12 Go to commentsSophie De Goede is one of the best players we’ve ever produced. Kicked all the points, 2 try assists, line out takes, carries, tackles, charge downs… what a player
1 Go to commentsThe guy had just beasted himself in a scrum and the blood hadn't yet returned to his head when he was pushed into a team mate. He took his weight off his left foot precisely at the moment he was shoved and dropped to the floor when seemingly trying to avoid stepping on Hyron Andrews’ foot. I don't think he was trying to milk a penalty, I think he was knackered but still switched on enough to avoid planting 120kgs on the dorsum of his second row’s foot. To effectively “police” such incidents with a (noble) view to eradicating play acting in rugby, yet more video would need to be reviewed in real time, which is not in the interest of the game as a sporting spectacle. I would far rather see Farrell penalised for interfering with the refereeing of the game. Perhaps he was right to be frustrated, he was much closer to the action than the only camera angle I've seen, however his vocal objection to Rodd’s falling over doesn't legitimately fall into the captain's role as the mouthpiece of his team - he should have kept his frustration to himself, that's one of the pillars of rugby union. I appreciate that he was within his rights to communicate with the referee as captain but he didn't do this, he moaned and attempted to sway the decision by directing his complaint to the player rather than the ref. Rugby needs to look closely at the message it wants to send to young players and amateur grassroots rugby. The best way to do this would be to apply the laws as they are written and edit them where the written laws no longer apply. If this means deleting laws such as ‘the put in to the scrum must be straight”, so be it. Likewise, if it is no longer necessary to respect the referee’s decision without questioning it or pre-emptively attempting to sway it (including by diving or by shouting and gesticulating) then this behaviour should be embraced (and commercialised). Otherwise any reference to respecting the referee should be deleted from the laws. You have to start somewhere to maintain the values of rugby and the best place to start would be giving a penalty and a warning against the offending player, followed by a yellow card the next time. People like Farrell would rapidly learn to keep quiet and let their skills do the talking.
1 Go to commentsThe name “Kwagga” came to mind while I was reading this. And there’s another Sevens convert roaming the wide open kant at the Lions now - JC Pretorius. Keep an eye on him.
12 Go to comments2024 Rugby Championship: Sat, 10 Aug 2024 – Sat, 28 Sept 2024. Looking forward to watching the All Blacks coached by Scott Robertson, with or without the ‘dynamic’ qualities of Shannon Michael Frizell - see his display against South Africa at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium on July 15.
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