New Zealand All Blacks head coach Ian Foster looks on during the Australian Wallabies v New Zealand All Blacks Bledisloe Cup rugby union test match at Marvel Stadium. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
New Zealand All Blacks head coach Ian Foster looks on during the Australian Wallabies v New Zealand All Blacks Bledisloe Cup rugby union test match at Marvel Stadium. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
By Liam Napier in Melbourne
In the wake of the captivating and chaotic Bledisloe escape in Melbourne the All Blacks will be forced into a backline reshuffle that could leave Jordie Barrett starting at second five-eighth for the return test against the Wallabies at Eden Park next week.
All Blackscoach Ian Foster confirmed Wallabies lock Darcy Swain will front the judiciary for his ugly cleanout attempt that earned him a yellow card for rupturing Quinn Tupaea's knee, leaving the second-five contemplating months on the sideline and possible surgery.
"He's been cited for it so we'll just let the process happen now," Foster said one day after the All Blacks' knife-edge 39-37 victory that secured the Bledisloe for a 20th straight year. "That's the game and rules are rules so we'll sit back and watch with interest."
The All Blacks also lost captain Sam Cane and David Havili to head knocks before the incident that claimed Tupaea.
Despite not returning to the field, Foster indicated Cane passed his HIA later on Thursday night and is therefore a chance to feature next week. Havili, though, has effectively been ruled out which robs the All Blacks of their two favoured second-fives.
"David Havili failed an HIA last night at the ground so he'll go into the normal 12-day protocol," Foster said. "Quinn Tupaea has got a ruptured medial ligament and a partial rupture of the ACL. It's probably a two-to-three-month injury and we will wait to see if it's operable or it rehabs.
"I haven't had a good talk to him this morning but they're always disappointing."
With Havili and Tupaea out of action Barrett shifted from fullback to second-five, where he spent time this season for the Hurricanes, during the first half at Marvel Stadium. Foster will now consider whether to start Barrett there next week or inject Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who turns out for much-needed game time with Auckland against Tasman at Eden Park on Saturday.
Asked to assess his backline reshuffle that involved Beauden Barrett slotting in at fullback, Foster said: "I liked it through to the 60th minute and then I thought we lost our way a little bit. That sort of stuff is on the cards. It's not every test you lose two in the same position within such a short time period which was a little bit niggly but I thought the guys adapted well.
"Jordie at 12 we know he's really competent there. We know he's keen to play there at some point. I thought he did the job pretty well. I see him as a 15 who can cover 12 so the rest we will ponder."
Ardie Savea, after remaining at home for the birth of his third child, and Shannon Frizell, who sat out the Melbourne test with a minor rib injury, will rejoin the All Blacks in Auckland on Sunday to give them ample loose forward cover.
Sam Cane of New Zealand celebrates with the Bledisloe Cup during the Rugby Championship match between Australia and New Zealand at Marvel Stadium. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
As for the never-seen-before decision from French referee Mathieu Raynal to penalise Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley for time wasting at the death, Foster maintained his stance that it was the correct call.
"He was very clear in his communication as were a number of the Wallaby players who were encouraging Foley to speed up and kick the ball out because they knew what he was doing. I think it was a very clear decision.
"When a ref warns a player two or three times and they don't listen then you put everything in your own hands. Let's not forget all we won out of that was a scrum – we didn't win the game. We won the game with our next play.
"Do you feel for them? Course you do. It's the first time that's happened in some ways.
"That's the nature of the beast. It's nice being on the winning side of it. Overall in the match I feel we deserved to come out on the right side. We just did it the hard way."
In terms of sparking a broader conversation about the need to crack down on the proliferation of time wasting in test rugby – from faking injuries at lineouts and scrums to water messengers running on the pitch – Foster welcomed that spinoff.
"You can only stop the clock so many times. The game is under pressure from broadcasters to keep the clock ticking. It's easy to point the finger at refs but they do try to speed the game up. Quite frankly we're fully supportive of a game being played fast with less time wasting."
When the euphoria of Jordie Barrett's match-winning try gives way to the review some stark realities will emerge about the All Blacks poor defending that allowed the Wallabies to surge back from an 18-point deficit to steal the lead for the first time late in the second half.
"I loved the tenacity at the end. It was an important win for us to get. The trophy means a lot to us and now we've got that locked away it's a massive focus on the Rugby Championship. To win over here is really pleasing. The way we set ourselves up in that game was pleasing but it was a bit frustrating in that last part. We just missed a couple of tackles we shouldn't of. It's probably as simple as that."
