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Major changes expected for All Blacks' final Bledisloe Cup showdown
Now that the All Blacks have locked away the Bledisloe Cup for another season, head coach Ian Foster has the luxury of experimenting with his lineup somewhat in the third and final test against the Wallabies for the season.
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While there’s still more than a week to go before the two neighbouring nations square off in Australia on August 28, the big involvement of some All Blacks coupled with a number of physical upcoming matches against the Springboks and the Pumas means Foster way well consider resting some of the men who’ve shouldered heavy loads over the past two weekends.
With a squad of 36 at his disposal, Foster could easily rotate his entire starting XV, should he choose. That likely won’t happen, with the All Blacks expected to maintain at least some continuity – but there will inevitably be at least a handful of changes, especially in positions where the depth is mouth-watering.
Chiefs among those positions is the key playmaker role, where Richie Mo’unga has showcased his world-class talents in two excellent performances against the Wallabies. Waiting in the wings, however, is two-time World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett, who’s had minimal chance to prove his capabilities since returning from Japan earlier this year.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, former All Blacks hooker James Parsons suggested that it’s about time Barrett gets a second bite at the carrot, after last starting for the national side in their 57-23 over Fiji in July.
“Someone like Richie doesn’t want to have a break, I understand that, but I’d love to see Beaudie get a crack at 10 and see what he can do there,” said Parsons.
Parsons also mooted changes to the forwards, including potentially giving inspirational stand-in skipper Sam Whitelock the week off.
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“In and around the forward pack, you could potentially look at giving the skip a rest,” he said. “There’s quite a few more tests to come. He’s playing outstanding as well but making sure he’s managed a little bit and there’s some pretty quality locks that are sitting waiting for an opportunity as well.”
Whitelock and Brodie Retallick started both Bledisloe Cup tests with Patrick Tuipuluto and Scott Barrett each earning a handful of minutes off the bench. 21-year-old Tupou Vaa’i, meanwhile, hasn’t yet been sighted for the All Blacks this year, such is the depth.
A slightly more left-field request from Parsons was for the All Blacks to bring wrecking ball rake Asafo Aumua back into the mix.
Richie McCaw, Sir Michael Jones and Zinzan Brooke have been named as the greatest All Blacks loose forwards of all-time by a panel of rugby experts and the Kiwi public. #AllBlacks https://t.co/PnJQatc8Jy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 17, 2021
The 24-year-old has notched up just 33 minutes of action for the men in black this season, in their opening game of the year against Tonga. A head injury has seen the Hurricane limited to some provincial rugby for Wellington since that first test, but the third Bledisloe looms as the perfect opportunity for Aumua to make his return.
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“I’d love to see Asafo Aumua get a crack at some stage,” he said. “I don’t know where he’s at with his concussion and that but even if it’s not in the Bledisloe, at some stage – end of year tour or whatever – I’m just really keen to see his development progress.
“If you look at Samisoni Taukei’aho [Aumua’s injury-cover in the squad], how much he’s grown and developed by having continuous weeks in the side in those preparation environments, he just looks at home at that level. He looks so comfortable and I just think, imagine if we could string a couple of weeks together with Asafo Aumua [it] would be great as well.”
Bryn Hall, Parsons’ co-panellist, suggested the All Blacks are certain to make changes in the loose forwards – another position of exceptional depth.
“There might be a few changes in the loose forward trio as well,” Hall said. “The possibility of a Shannon Frizell [coming in], Luke Jacobson, who’s been probably talked around probably having a start, whether that be 8 or 6 – probably at 8. Even Hoskins [Sotutu], who had a great performance for Counties Manukau on the weekend.”
“I think we can consider Blackadder at 7 as well,” added Parsons. “Dalton [Papalii], he’s made a lot of tackles the last two weeks and he’s hit a lot of rucks. There’s nothing he’s not in. There’s some pretty big, physical matches coming against South Africa and Argie.”
While both Parsons and Hall acknowledged that no player wants to be rested when they’re putting in strong performances, they also agreed that with the long season ahead, there’s no point pushing players beyond their limits at this early stage, regardless of their form.
Listen to the full episode below:
Comments on RugbyPass
Beaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
2 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
2 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
10 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
10 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
14 Go to comments