All Blacks players during a training session. Photo / Photosport
OPINION:
The under-fire All Blacks retained the same starting team for the first time in four years last week but after falling to their maiden home defeat to the Pumas in Christchurch, selection changes seem imminent for a must-win Rugby Championship match.
While the dominant front-row should remain, Liam Napier runs the rule over where others changes may come in the return test against the Pumas in Hamilton this week.
First five
Beauden Barrett appears to have recovered from the knock to the neck he suffered during a cleanout drill at training that ruled him out of last week's loss to the Pumas.
"A few more shoulder-on tackles, and I'd say I'm just about ready to go," Barrett said at training on Tuesday. "I've realised that I've got to get a neck like a front rower to be able to handle these knocks so I've been working hard on it in the gym."
After Barrett's nasty fall onto his neck in Mbombela, further issues in that area sparked concern.
"I guess it all adds up," he said. "It's another knock. You try and treat everything in isolation. Maybe it did have a compounding effect, but I'm feeling pretty good this week, just working on it each day, rehabbing, strengthening."
Barrett's probable return leaves the All Blacks with a familiar selection conundrum at first five-eighth.
Richie Mo'unga delivered an influential starting performance in the Ellis Park triumph where his territorial control, depth on attack and passing width, ignited the All Blacks. At home last week, though, Mo'unga endured a shaky start off the tee and was then among those Foster criticised for the All Blacks failure to kick more during their final quarter collapse.
Despite the marker Mo'unga laid down at Ellis Park, Foster has long favoured Barrett so his return at No 10 would not surprise. Either way, Stephen Perofeta seems destined to wait for another chance to add to his 50-second test debut off the bench.
Midfield
Faith has been afforded to the David Havili-Rieko Ioane midfield through the past three tests. While you could argue their combination remains a work in progress, Havili's presence increasingly lacks conviction. His primary role is to help provide another playmaking option, to use his kicking and passing skills to create for others. Yet after a strong performance at Ellis Park, Havili offered little of those touches in Christchurch.
With Anton Lienert-Brown and Jack Goodhue injured, the All Blacks have no one applying genuine pressure to Rieko Ioane at centre. Quinn Tupaea, used off the bench in the last three tests, could be injected for a more direct presence from second-five on his Chiefs home ground this week.
And if the All Blacks are not going to use Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, they should send him back to the Auckland NPC team at the end of the week. After 10 games for the Blues, and 11 minutes off the bench for his debut in the third test defeat against Ireland in mid-July, Tuivasa-Sheck desperately needs game time to enhance his development.
Fullback
The reluctance to hand Will Jordan a start at fullback fuels discontent with the All Blacks, particularly from those in staunch red-and-black country. It's not that Jordie Barrett has played poorly – he was sound under the high ball at Ellis Park and last week ran off Rieko Ioane's shoulder to send Caleb Clarke in at the corner.
At this point, though, with the All Blacks' ongoing attacking issues proving a major source of frustration, there appears nothing to lose by starting Jordan in his favoured role, the one he dominated throughout Super Rugby.
Observing the wide angles from the Orangetheory Stadium stands last week, the connection between Barrett and Jordan seemed off. Barrett threw Jordan one inside ball that led to him being isolated and turned over.
On another occasion, with the All Blacks under advantage, Jordan felt he had space on the outside but Barrett opted for the grubber that was easily defused, leaving Jordan shaking his head.
While Jordan's strike-rate - 19 tries from 18 tests – suggests he remains lethal from the right wing, his touches there are limited. There is no doubt his evasive talents would be more potent from fullback where he is yet to start for the All Blacks.
Halfback
Finlay Christie must be pressing for a start. Aaron Smith, following his 100th test start last week, remains the incumbent but his box kicking has slipped of late and it's difficult to shake the sense the All Blacks would greatly benefit from a running threat at nine. At present it is too easy for fringe ruck defenders to slide off Smith and fix their attention on pressing off the line towards the All Blacks forward runners.
Christie was a dynamic threat for the Blues this year, with his support play and speed featuring prominently. He is also a tenacious defender, someone whose commitment to contact belies his size. Injecting Folau Fakatava off the bench is another option in terms of embracing a noted running threat.
Lock/loose forward
Brodie Retallick's expected return – after 50-odd minutes in his comeback match for Hawke's Bay last weekend – could assume two forms.
A bench role seems likely, given his lack of game-time since suffering a broken cheekbone against Ireland in July, in which case the All Blacks would be favoured to retain their Scott Barrett-Sam Whitelock locking partnership.
If Retallick is immediately promoted to start, though, that raises the prospect of Barrett switching to the blindside for the first time since the opening Irish test at Eden Park.
Despite ranking among the best performing second-rowers in Super Rugby this year, the All Blacks have shown minimal faith in Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i, who also performed strongly from the blindside. He's appeared three times off the bench for the All Blacks this season but didn't get on last week in Christchurch.
On that basis, it's difficult to see a sudden change of heart.
Dalton Papalii's ongoing absence from the squad to this point also remains baffling. The influential Blues captain hasn't been sighted for six weeks - since starting at blindside in the fateful second test loss to Ireland when the All Blacks copped a red card after 30 minutes.
If you haven't yet clocked Ruby Tui's interview with former Wallabies lock Justin Harrison after the Black Ferns victory in Adelaide last week, go check it out. You won't be disappointed. Tui's on-field talents are matched by her refreshing personality off it. Her authenticity, heart, honesty, passion, confidence to be real shine a ray of light into traditionally dull, cliché-filled post-match interviews. Long may it continue.
Will never get sick of @rubytui interviews 🥰😂
— Black Ferns (@BlackFerns) August 28, 2022
We bet you enjoyed that one @googharrison!@skysportnz | #LikeABlackFern pic.twitter.com/4EnuW895A6
Record: 11/25 (+$2)
You could say The Sauce showed the All Blacks the way by bouncing back from a recent slump to tip the Auckland-Canterbury NPC multi that paid $2. This week I fancy the Wallabies, paying $2.10, to go two-from-two against the Springboks after they made six injury-enforced chances following their blowout in Adelaide.
The former All Blacks coach has been made a companion of the NZOM.