Luke Whitelock set to start for All Blacks
Luke Whitelock is set to start his first All Blacks match on home soil, while Karl Tuinukuafe shapes as the sole debutant in a ‘versatile’ first test team to face France at Eden Park. Scotty Stevenson takes a look at the All Blacks team list.
The All Blacks may be missing the experience of Sonny Bill Williams and Brodie Retallick for the first test match against the French at Eden Park, but all signs still point to the selection of a side that boasts formidable test match nous.
The biggest news in the forwards will be the naming of Luke Whitelock at number eight. Whitelock, who first played for the All Blacks against Japan in 2013, added a long-awaited second test cap in 2017 when he lined up against Wales in Cardiff. He also captained the midweek team in his only game for the All Blacks, against a French XV in Lyon during last year’s tour.
Whitelock’s inclusion in the starting lineup shows the All Blacks selectors still want specialists in the loose forward mix. Whitelock has been a defensive titan for the Highlanders this season, and has long been admired as a man who, game after game, churns through his tackle count. He remains firmly ensconced in the list of the top five tacklers in the Super Rugby competition, too. However there is more to his play than a set of teak-tough shoulders.
Whitelock’s biggest upside is his evolving attack game which has flourished this year under a fresh ball-running philosophy. While he may not be a camera-time highlights reel, Whitelock has developed an uncanny eye for a support line, and a safe pair of hands on both catch and pass. With Kieran Read still recuperating from hand surgery, the All Blacks have found in Whitelock a like-for-like replacement who is yet to reach full potential.
How Whitelock is deployed in this game will be interesting. Sam Cane is set to make his return to starting duties after almost a month out of action due to a stomach injury which flared up again during training last week, forcing his withdrawal from the Chiefs’ match against the Crusaders. A dominant tackler, and a key component of the All Blacks’ fringe defence, Cane does his work at close quarters. Does Whitelock assume some of that responsibility, freeing up Liam Squire to operate in more open space?
It is understood the All Blacks will look to implement a more streamlined attack pod pattern this weekend which will test the ball control and running games of all three loose forwards, but also place increased onus on the locks – captain Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett. Barrett has certainly simplified his play over the last three weeks (perhaps, coincidentally, because of the All Blacks foundation camp preparations) and has shown increased grunt for the Crusaders. He will need to show plenty of that this weekend as he fills the boots of Brodie Rettalick who has been sidelined with a pectoral injury.
Owen Franks, Codie Taylor and Joe Moody will cap off an all-Crusaders starting front five, while the night will be special for Chiefs’ powerhouse scrummager Karl Tuinukuafe who looks set to make his All Blacks debut off the bench. Tu’inukuafe’s story is quite incredible: from a life-threatening 170 kilograms to Chiefs ring-in, to All Black in-waiting. He was under doctor’s orders to shed weight and get fit. No doctor would have imagined a patient taking that advice quite so seriously.
The All Blacks backline largely chooses itself. Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett will combine in the halves while the midfield roles will be filled by the most experienced players available, Ryan Crotty and Anton Lienert-Brown. Waisake Naholo’s form for the Highlanders looks to have won him a starting place on the right wing, while Rieko Ioane’s party tricks have not cost him his favoured left wing spot.
Ben Smith had looked likely to be a chance on the right wing (and could still find himself there at some stage in the game) but is now favoured to start at fullback, leaving Jordie Barrett in a selectorial limbo given Damian McKenzie will be added to the bench as cover for both 10 and 15. With a five-three bench split the likely scenario, and with Perenara and McKenzie as good as inked in pen, the final back reserve will come down to a choice between a specialist midfielder – Jack Goodhue has proved adept at covering both 12 and 13 – and the versatility of Barrett who has slotted in the centres for the Hurricanes and has first class experience in the role.
Make no mistake, this is an All Blacks side that more than covers for its missing components, and one that will be expected to make a statement at Eden Park, regardless of the challenge offered by the French.
In other news, Scotty & Mils caught up with Leinster champ Isa Nacewa for a chat on The Short Ball:
Comments on RugbyPass
This 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….
12 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….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
12 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
12 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
12 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
12 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
12 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to comments