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Ian Foster provides update on All Blacks' late injury set-backs

By Tom Vinicombe
Scott Barrett. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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.

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The first and final 20 minutes of the opening Bledisloe Cup test of 2021 weren’t pretty viewing for All Blacks fans.

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The first and final 20 minutes of the opening Bledisloe Cup test of 2021 weren’t pretty viewing for All Blacks fans.

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.

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j
john 49 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

14 Go to comments
A
Adrian 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

14 Go to comments
T
Trevor 5 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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