Retallick to captain All Blacks as Moody returns for Los Pumas
Brodie Retallick will captain the All Blacks for the first time in his test career when they face off against Los Pumas on the Gold Coast this Sunday.
Retallick, who was named as one of two vice-captains for the Rugby Championship, takes the leadership duties off stand-in captain Ardie Savea, who has been left out of the clash at Cbus Super Stadium.
Savea’s absence paves the way for Luke Jacobson to earn his third international start this season, with the seven-test No 8 joining Dalton Paplii and last week’s man-of-the-match Akira Ioane in the loose forwards.
The inclusion of Jacobson in the starting lineup is one of six changes made by head coach Ian Foster to the run-on side from the team that defeated the Wallabies 38-21 at Optus Stadium in Perth last Sunday.
Two of those changes come in the front row, where Karl Tu’inukuafe replaces George Bower at loosehead prop to get his second start of the year in the black jersey, while Asafo Aumua will play his third test as Samisoni Taukei’aho stays put on the bench.
Bower doesn’t feature at all in the match day squad, as veteran prop Joe Moody returns from a five-month sideline spell caused by foot injury sustained during Super Rugby Aotearoa to start from the bench.
He will be partnered by Tyrel Lomax, who hasn’t played for the All Blacks since their clash against Fiji in Dunedin two months ago, as the two replacement props.
In the backline, TJ Perenara swaps in at halfback for Brad Weber, to has dropped to the bench, and will alongside former long-time halves partner Beauden Barrett for the first time since last year’s Bledisloe Cup defeat to the Wallabies in Brisbane.
After two appearances off the bench for the All Blacks following his return to the national camp from his sabbatical in Japan during the first half of the year, this week’s test will be the first time Perenara has started for the All Blacks in 2021.
It will also be just the 18th time he has started a test match in his 71-cap career, with five of those previous starts coming against Argentina.
The midfield of David Havili and Anton Lienert-Brown, meanwhile, remains unchanged, but there is a new look to the back three as both Rieko Ioane and Will Jordan have dropped out of the starting team.
Ioane, one of the standouts in last week’s win over Australia, will instead start from the No 23 jersey, while Jordan, who dotted down for his 11th try in just his seventh test against the Wallabies, has been given a rest in the wake of his try-scoring feats.
Quade Cooper will make a dramatic return to test rugby as Wallabies coach Dave Rennie rolls the dice to try to keep Australia’s forlorn Rugby Championship hopes alive. #Wallabies #AUSvRSA #RugbyChampionship https://t.co/nQtqSCYadA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 9, 2021
In their places on the left and right wings come George Bridge – who marked his return from injury with a try off the in Perth – and Sevu Reece, while Jordie Barrett retains the No 15 jersey after his red card was rescinded by SANZAAR earlier this week.
Moody, Lomax, Weber and Ioane act as the new faces in the reserves, where Damian McKenzie will provide cover as playmaker, and Ethan Blackadder and Tupou Vaa’i will be hoping for more extensive game time against Argentina.
Foster said in a statement that the rotation of his side is a necessity given the travel conditions they are working under as he looks to keep his players preserved and fresh for the upcoming matches against the Springboks.
“The key to selection this week has been about managing the player workload across the whole squad, which I think all teams will be doing in the Championship,” he said.
“We want to ensure we have a fresh, excited squad ready to play a physical and passionate Argentinian team.
“They’ve had a tough time on the road with matches in Europe and South Africa before coming to Australia. But we know from last year that when they spend a lot of time together it really unifies them, so we’re expecting a torrid game.”
He added the selection of Retallick as captain is indicative of his stature in the squad, which has grown immensely ever since his test debut back in 2012 against Ireland.
“Brodie is a great leader in this team and we don’t take his leadership for granted,” Foster said.
“We think this is a great honour for him, and he and his family can be hugely proud. He’s playing really well and leads from the front. He has come back into the black jersey this year and just picked up where he left off.
“He also has an experienced partner in Beaudy (Barrett) alongside him who is bringing a calmness to the team and a sense of direction and we’re seeing that in the way he plays.”
All Blacks team to play Los Pumas
1. Karl Tu’inukuafe
2. Asafo Aumua
3. Nepo Laulala
4. Brodie Retallick (c)
5. Scott Barrett
6. Akira Ioane
7. Dalton Papalii
8. Luke Jacobson
9. TJ Perenara
10. Beauden Barrett
11. George Bridge
12. David Havili
13. Anton Lienert-Brown
14. Sevu Reece
15. Jordie Barrett
Reserves:
16. Samisoni Taukei’aho
17. Joe Moody
18. Tyrel Lomax
19. Tupou Vaa’i
20. Ethan Blackadder
21. Brad Weber
22. Damian McKenzie
23. Rieko Ioane
Comments on RugbyPass
It 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.
25 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 🤐
13 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….
25 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….
13 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 💪
13 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.
13 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.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 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?
13 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 comments