All Blacks to closely monitor Owen Franks' Achilles

All Blacks prop Owen Franks. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Owen Franks' Achilles injury will be carefully monitored by the All Blacks as they seek to extend his career past next year's World Cup.

Franks, 29 and a veteran of 94 tests, didn't play in the second half of the Crusaders' Super Rugby victory over the Lions at Ellis Park or in the second 40 minutes the week prior in the semifinal over the Chiefs due to the problem which also affected him during the British & Irish Lions series.

Neither he nor any of his Crusaders teammates, who were scheduled to arrive home from Johannesburg late tonight, will be considered for Friday's "game of three halves" for the All Blacks against Counties and Taranaki at Pukekohe.

"We'll wait until we get him back," said coach Steve Hansen regarding the seriousness of Franks' injury. "The Achilles problem, we managed it through the Lions series, along with the Crusaders boys - they've been managing it as well. We'll see how we go - we might have to have a short-term plan and then a long-term plan after the Bledisloe Cup."

Franks, the cornerstone of the All Blacks and Crusaders packs, is out by himself in terms of his ability as New Zealand's top No3 now that Charlie Faumuina has left for France.

"If it doesn't look like it's going to come right obviously we'll have to give him a break," added Hansen of Franks. "If it is coming right we can continue to use him. If we want him to play in the World Cup we have to be pretty thoughtful there."

The All Blacks will call in props Kane Hames and Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, plus loose forward Akira Ioane and lock Patrick Tuipulotu, for the warm-up match on Friday, a fixture in which Sonny Bill Williams will serve the final week of his four-match suspension.
The All Blacks have been relatively lucky in terms of injuries since the drawn Lions series, and will seek to put a strong side on the pitch for their opening test of the Rugby Championship against Australia in Sydney a week on Saturday.

Nepo Laulaua is regarded as the next best tighthead prop after Franks, with Ofa Tu'ungafasi able to play on both sides of the scrum.

Chiefs player Laulala is back in the frame after a knee reconstruction last year and his teammate Atu Moli, impressive against the Crusaders in the semifinal, has been brought into the squad as an apprentice.