The All Blacks’ 24-22 victory over England at Twickenham could have come at a major cost, with the pair of Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor now in doubt for Saturday’s test against Ireland.
With coach Scott Robertson already having to contend with a shorter, six day turnaround before Saturday’s grudge match at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, the two senior players will both be racing the clock to prove their fitness after failing head injury assessments (HIA).
Taylor, 33, was forced from the field in the opening five minutes at Twickenham, necessitating Asafo Aumua shouldering the rest of the match in his place. Meanwhile, 33-year-old Barrett was taken from the field in the second half after a display that saw him start at No 10, kick two conversions and have a try disallowed.
As per World Rugby’s protocols, the pair will need to be assessed by All Blacks medical staff to determine the severity of their respective head knocks no later than 48 hours after Sunday’s (NZ time) result, Robertson confirmed.
Should Taylor be ruled out, he would likely be replaced by Aumua – as was the case at Twickenham – while George Bell would come on to the bench as the third hooker.