All Blacks: ABs to juggle backline injury woes

Bok lock Bakkies Botha received a nine-week ban. Photo / Getty Images

It was a great test performance, but Saturday's win over the Springboks came at a high cost.

Wings Joe Rokocoko and Richard Kahui are unlikely All Black selections for round two against the Springboks, giving rise to intriguing questions about whether local favourite Hosea Gear will be called up for this Saturday's test in Wellington.

Kahui will go for scans today on a damaged shoulder with fears he could be out of the game for some time while Rokocoko tweaked a hamstring and was replaced during Saturday's comprehensive 32-12 opening Tri-Nations victory against South Africa.

Halfback Jimmy Cowan has also strained a stomach muscle which may force a switch to set another local favourite Piri Weepu into a starting role.

The All Black selectors mulled over the injury reports and possible replacements last night with Gear, Zac Guildford, Ben Smith and Rudi Wulf all specialist wing options although they could use the utility talents of Rene Ranger who is in the squad.

Cowan's injury may let the selectors test their theory that five-eighths Aaron Cruden could cover as halfback on the strength of some experience at schoolboy level.

The Boks have all sorts of selection ideas to mull over after their heavy defeat but need a new lock after the recidivist Bakkies Botha was banned for nine weeks for his headbutt on Cowan inside the opening two minutes at Eden Park. Sanzar judicial officer Dennis Wheelahan described the offence as mid-range but noted Botha's growing rap sheet.

He was suspended for a month this year for a dangerous charge and a fortnight ban for a similar charge last season. Botha also sat out three weeks last year for striking and in 2003, was banned for eight weeks after an attack on Wallaby hooker Brendan Cannon.

"I am not surprised, he has got a history, he is probably lucky he did not get more than nine weeks," All Black coach Graham Henry said.

Henry said his side would take their time to recover, review the test and look at what plans they needed to tweak ahead of the rematch at Westpac Stadium in the capital.

He expected a massive Bok response. The Tri-Nations champions would be hurting, he said, and they were a strong side who were well coached and would show that this week.

"We expected to play well, 32-12 was a bit of a 'wow' and we were surprised by the magnitude of the result," Henry said. "I am sure things will be more realistic next week.

"The expectation from the coaches was that they were going to play well and the scoreline got blown out of proportion from our point of view, like we were surprised at the scoreline but we thought we'd play well."

Botha's Company

Bok lock Bakkies Botha received a nine-week ban. Others have fared worse.

* LIFE: Toulouse's Irish forward Trevor Brennan saw red mist when warming up for a 2007 match with Ulster. The fiery forward waded into the crowd and thumped a spectator after some reported chanting that his pub in Toulouse, De Danu, was "a load of rubbish". Brennan was banned for life and fined £17,000 for the assault.

* THREE YEARS: Last August, Dean Richards, Harlequins coach, was banned for three years for his part in the "Bloodgate" scam that saw a systematic attempt to fake blood injuries on five occasions.

* TWO YEARS: Wendell Sailor's rugby career ended in shame in 2004 with a two-year ban after testing positive for cocaine. Colomiers prop Richard Nones was banned for two years for eye-gouging in the dying seconds against Pontypridd.

* 18 MONTHS: Springbok prop Johan le Roux was sent home in disgrace from New Zealand and banned for 18 months after biting All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick's ear in 1994. "For an 18-month suspension, I probably should have torn it off. Then at least I could say, 'look, I've returned to South Africa with the guy's ear'."

* 70 WEEKS: Stade Francais prop David Attoub got a 70-week ban for eye gouging against Ulster last December. His teammate Julien Dupuy landed a 24-week ban for the same offence in the same match.

* 26 WEEKS: England hooker Dylan Hartley was banned for six months after eye gouging three separate opponents when playing for Northampton against London Wasps in 2007. All Black Richard Loe was banned for six months after gouging the eyes of Greg Cooper in a Waikato v Otago match.