Liam Squire makes decision on World Cup availability for All Blacks
Expect Liam Squire to be included in the All Blacks‘ 31-man World Cup squad at midday on Wednesday.
According to Stuff, the 23-test star has notified All Blacks management that he has made himself available for selection for next month’s tournament, making him a frontrunner to be included in what should be a five-man loose forward group.
Squire had earlier imposed an exile from the national team on himself, becoming unavailable for the All Blacks’ 39-man Rugby Championship squad last month after injuries and personal issues ruined his Super Rugby campaign.
He had told All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen that he “didn’t feel ready” to play test rugby following just three matches for the Highlanders this year, and has instead been plying his trade in the Mitre 10 Cup with Tasman.
While playing for the Mako, Squire has impressed onlookers with a string of commanding performances in Tasman’s opening three matches of the season.
With two tries to his name, the 28-year-old’s physicality and abrasiveness from the side of the scrum have been noticeable as his side remains unbeaten with spellbinding victories over Wellington, Canterbury and Manawatu to kick-off their 2019 season.
Those displays from Squire has led to calls from many for the NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes-bound loose forward to be included in the World Cup squad, but that was always going to come down to whether he felt ready to make the step back up to international rugby.
After letting selectors Hansen, Ian Foster and Grant Fox know that he is willing to return to the test arena, it is now up to them to fast track him back into the national set-up, and it’s difficult not to envisage them doing so.
Squire has been a valued member of the All Blacks since the decline of veteran No. 6 Jerome Kaino two years ago, and has been regularly deployed as the team’s starting blindside flanker.
His self-imposed omission from test rugby has seen Vaea Fifita, Luke Jacobson, Shannon Frizell and Ardie Savea all tried on the short side of the scrum, but none – aside from Savea – have really filled Squire’s boots.
Even with a comprehensive outing at No. 6 against Australia at Eden Park a fortnight ago, the in-form Savea doesn’t possess the same brutality on defence and attack that Squire provides, which is what the national coaches rate so highly about him.
Those coaches can now equip their side with those benefits that Squire brings in two days’ time.
He will be supported by Savea, Sam Cane and Kieran Read, all of whom are certainties to be selected in the loose forwards, while openside flanker Matt Todd should earn himself a place on the plane as the back-up out-and-out openside behind Cane.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Just came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
4 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
4 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
4 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
4 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to comments