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Ian Foster reveals plans for All Blacks surplus for final Tri-Nations match - including suspended prop
This week’s training camp could be the last of the year for some members of the All Blacks squad, with coach Ian Foster indicating the team’s plan to send players home.
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There are two tests left on the All Blacks calendar for the 2020 season, closing out the Tri Nations with matches against Argentina this weekend and in a fortnight, with a bye separating them.
The All Blacks took a squad of 36 across the Tasman for the four-test tour, so there is room to send players home early should they choose to.
“We’re looking at the potential choice of maybe sending a few players home earlier, maybe early next week,” Foster confirmed. “Once we get through this game and actually give people the chance to have a bigger break before Super Rugby and with the size of the squad we’ve got.
“It’s always been our plan with the squad that we’ve got, if we had an opportunity to without injuries. If we didn’t have a lot of injuries then there was a chance that we could send a small number back a week or 10 days earlier so they could commence their quarantining and have a bigger break. We’ve still got Super Rugby starting at the end of February and we’re very cognizant of that.”
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Foster didn’t indicate who the team might look to send home outside of prop Ofa Tuungafasi who is suspended for three games after being shown a red card in last weekend’s loss to the Wallabies.
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However, the decision to send players home, or which players will be offered the chance to go home early, could be dependent on how the side performs against the Pumas on Saturday night.
Foster has named a strong outfit to take on the Argentinians in their first test of the year, with Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith, Joe Moody, Patrick Tuipulotu and Jack Goodhue all returning to the starting side after missing last week’s outing.
Scott Barrett, TJ Perenara and Karl Tu’inukuafe were the key exclusions from this weekend’s side, while test rookies Will Jordan, Cullen Grace, Asafo Aumua and Akira Ioane all missed out on a spot as well.
Smith, who had to watch one of the more chaotic tests in recent memory unfold from the sidelines, said those selected we focused on turning around that defeat at the hands of the Wallabies.
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When asked if any players had put their hand up to volunteer to come home early, Smith said it wasn’t something the playing group had given much thought to.
“We’re pretty focused on what we’ve got to do,” he said.
“We’re all here preparing to play and if you get that conversation mentioned to you, I guess you go down that road – but that’s next week. Especially after the game we had in the weekend, all our focus is on Argentina on Saturday, trying to play a brand of rugby we’re proud of, and put it right.
“You can get lost in the energy around what ifs and could bes…you’re not doing your job and adding to the environment and adding to our training. It would be a disservice to the jersey.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
5 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
4 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments