All Blacks head coach Ian Foster and Italy's Kieran Crowley clash over claims that the NZ side will 'intimidate' and 'bully' the Italians in the upcoming match. Video / NZ Herald
By Liam Napier in Lyon
The cavalry returns in contrasting capacities, and the pecking order shifts in notable instances, as the All Blacks enter World Cup statement territory in Lyon.
Welcoming back four influential figures - Shannon Frizell, Jordie Barrett, Sam Cane and Tyrel Lomax - provides timely injections for the All Blacks’ make-or-break World Cup pool contest with the improving Italians this weekend.
Frizell hasn’t featured for two months - since the victory over the Wallabies in Melbourne - after injuring his hamstring at training. He’s been sorely missed, too. His return to reclaim the blindside role he seized through brutal simplicity earlier this year significantly bolsters the All Blacks’ ball-carrying and defensive physicality.
After overcoming a niggly knee knock that sidelined him for the World Cup thus far, Barrett’s size and irreplaceable direct, powerful presence from second five-eighth changes the complexion of the All Blacks backline.
Captain Sam Cane, Jordie Barrett, Tyrel Lomax and Shannon Frizell all return this weekend for the All Blacks against Italy. Photo / Getty
“I’ve been lucky enough over the course of my career to not miss too much footy. I’ve had an injury-free year so for something little to pop up at this time of the year is frustrating but also grateful to be back in the middle of pool play and come up against a good Italy side,” Barrett said.
While Frizell and Barrett are propelled straight into the starting side, Ardie Savea retains the All Blacks captaincy and Dalton Papali’i the openside role with Cane returning from his back issues from the bench.
Cane and Lomax, the latter playing his first match since having 30 stitches in his thigh after a nasty gash at Twickenham, are expected to regain starting duties in the coming weeks.
For Italy, though, All Blacks coach Ian Foster has adopted differing approaches to his comeback quartet.
Cane’s back concerns that first flared three weeks ago, on the eve of the All Blacks opening World Cup defeat to France, are clearly more troubling than first feared.
Shannon Frizell in action against the Wallabies. Photo / photosport.nz
“We’re really confident with Shannon and Jordie we’ve been able to get them in the starting lineup,” Foster said.
“With Tyrel, it’s a good chance for him to get some time off the bench. We all know how much we rate him. With Sam, he needed to tick a few boxes in the first two trainings this week which is why we gave him time to do that and why we’ve started him off the bench.”
In the strongest indication yet that Scott Barrett and Brodie Retallick are now the All Blacks’ preferred locking combination, sentiment is firmly set aside with Sam Whitelock poised to break Richie McCaw’s 148-test record off the bench.
“It’s the order that we have for this game. I won’t commit to saying it’s the absolute pecking order but we feel right now it’s right,” Foster said.
“We’ve got four locks and we’re pretty happy with their form. Brodie has come back from injury, played a little bit in that France game and had 55 minutes against Namibia so we feel he needs more time. It’s a look at that, and let’s see what happens in the next week or so.”
The pecking order has definitively - albeit belatedly - shifted in the halfback ranks where Cam Roigard, following his man of the match performance against Namibia, usurps Finlay Christie to deputise Aaron Smith.
Samisoni Taukei’aho’s absence is another telling selection. Last year the dynamic Chiefs hooker forced his way past veterans Codie Taylor and Dane Coles largely through his destructive ball carrying.
For the passionate Italians, though, the familiar, reliable Taylor-Coles one-two punch returns. A clear message is sent to Taukei’aho in the process.
“I’ve been really impressed with Colesy. He’s leading really well on the training park. A lot is made of Dane and his fiery attitude but he brings a lot of composure to this group because he’s passionate, he talks well,” Foster said.
“We’re expecting a lot of emotion out there so to have the two Sams [Cane and Whitelock] and Dane to bring a level-headed approach in the last part is going to be important for us.”
Damian McKenzie’s inclusion on the bench points to the All Blacks needing vastly improved second-half impact, too.
Carrying three playmakers is somewhat of a luxury, though, with Leicester Fainga’anuku ultimately missing out at McKenzie’s expense.
This is the first time since the All Blacks’ season-opening win in Mendoza that McKenzie, Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga will feature in the same match-day quad.
While Italy have improved under Kieran Crowley, their 0-16 record against the All Blacks underlines expectations.
Italy will challenge the All Blacks with their breakdown work and ball movement but with their World Cup future hanging in the balance, and after two weeks to prepare for this match, Foster’s men must deliver a performance that leaves no doubt they remain contenders in this tournament.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Foster said. “This was always a game we knew we had to get excited about and play well in. We’re playing a team that’s confident so there’s no surprises. They’ve earnt that. The last two years we’ve seen a lot of growth in their game. They were one of the highlights of the Six Nations with the way they played and the competitiveness of all their games. We’re expecting a tough battle.”
