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'We talked about it': More nerves for All Black Samisoni Taukei'aho

By Tom Vinicombe
Samisoni Taukei'aho. (Photo by Andrew Cornaga/Photosport)

While Saturday’s clash with the Wallabies looms as All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho’s third test match, it will also mark the first time the 24-year-old enters an international fixture knowing well in advance that he’s in line for some playing time off the bench.

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Taukei’aho debuted for New Zealand in their third test of the July series, coming off the bench and scoring a try in the 60-13 win over Fiji.

The Waikato and Chiefs hooker had only been called into the squad barely a week earlier, however, after Asafo Aumua took a head knock against Tonga and was ruled out of the games against Fiji.

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What does All Blacks loose forward Dalton Papalii expect from the Wallabies this weekend?

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What does All Blacks loose forward Dalton Papalii expect from the Wallabies this weekend?

He also wasn’t initially named in the All Blacks’ lineup for that test debut – but when Dane Coles went down with a minor injury during the captain’s run on the Friday before the match, Taukei’aho suddenly found himself in the match-day 23.

It was a similar story in his second test, with Coles tweaking his calf in the pre-game warm-up and Taukei’aho being rushed onto the bench in the No 26 jersey.

 

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It’s been a remarkable rise for the young rake, who many wouldn’t have expected to be in the All Blacks’ frame at the beginning of the year, but has now found himself in line to earn a third cap off the bench against the Wallabies this weekend.

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Senior prop Karl Tu’inukuafe – who spent one season playing alongside Taukei’aho at the Chiefs in 2018 – has witnessed first-hand how quickly the Tongan-born front-rower has adjusted to the high-pressure All Blacks environment and was full of praise for Taukei’aho following his naming in the squad for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup battle.

“He’s done an amazing job,” Tui’nukuafe said on Thursday.

“The first time he came on, he got told on our captain’s run day, the day before [the test]. [The coach] was like, ‘Colesy’s out, you’ve got to play’. He was like ‘Oh sweet’. So he still had that night and then the morning of [the match] we have [our] walkthrough and stuff.

“But then last week, all the way until I think we were warming up to get out there and do our thing… Colesy went down again and [Taukei’aho] had even shorter time to prepare so what [he’s done over] the last two weeks has just been unreal.

“For him to be named fully in the squad for the whole week, I think it will be a good chance for him to show what he can really do.”

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Given that Taukei’aho was only told late in the piece that he was was set to play international rugby both weekends, the young hooker likely didn’t have time to get too nervous ahead of his first two matches. Tu’inukuafe said he and Taukei’aho had spoken about whether this week would be more of a challenge, given the early notice.

“We talked about it,” revealed Tu’inukuafe. “He said he’d probably be more nervous now that he’s had the whole week to prepare and doesn’t know what to do with all the time and all that stuff.

“When you’re thrown under the bus, you kind of step up to the plate but when you’ve got the whole week, it’s a whole other mental challenge and everything. It’s going to be up to him to see how he does.”

Head coach Ian Foster was also complimentary of the work that Taukei’aho has done since joining the squad.

[He’s] settled in well, done what we’ve asked him really, really well,” Foster said on Thursday.

Aumua, now fit and able, spent last weekend representing Wellington in the NPC and is set for a similar role this week. Foster suggested that Taukei’aho’s stint in the No 16 jersey was a product of both wanting to keep Aumua clocking up minutes after a few weeks absent from the game, as well as maintaining continuity in a side that gelled relatively well against the Wallabies in last weekend’s 33-25 win.

“We had a strategy with Asafo to send him back and play for Wellington,” said Foster. “He did that and I think that was really positive for him and we just felt that, again, the desire to keep the combinations going, to really grow … our game was the reason behind keeping Samisoni there.”

Altogether, the All Blacks have made just three personnel changes to the 23 that featured at Eden Park last weekend, bringing in Will Jordan to the starting lineup and replacing Patrick Tuipulotu and Brad Weber on the bench with Scott Barrett and TJ Perenara.

This weekend’s clash will also take place at Eden Park – the site where the Wallabies haven’t triumphed against the All Blacks since 1986.

The match is set to kick off at 7:05pm NZT.

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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