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.
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.
“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.”
Richie Mo'unga is stepping up to the plate as an international first five. #AllBlacks #NZLvAUShttps://t.co/qhJvSrtPzs
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 7, 2021
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
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood 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?
9 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.
9 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.
28 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….
28 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….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments