Rugby: Rieko Ioane improves, Liam Squire in doubt for All Blacks

All Black Liam Squire is in doubt for Sunday's clash against France. Photosport

One player recovers, another falls. It has been that sort of year for the All Blacks.

Rieko Ioane's chances of starting against France this weekend appear to be improving by the day after the star left wing took full part in a two-hour training run at the Suresnois club in central Paris.

While Ioane was down on energy after being isolated with the mumps last week in London, this run came on the back of a gym session yesterday, and his availability will now be determined by his recovery.

On face value, you would back Ioane to come right. If not, Seta Tamanivalu is favoured to take his place.

"The challenge for him is his professionalism from now on," All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said. "He doesn't have to be 100 per cent today but he's got to be on Saturday."

News is not so good for Liam Squire. The first-choice No 6 missed training with a virus - Foster saying it was unrelated to mumps cases which struck Ioane and rookie centre Jack Goodhue in recent weeks.

"He's a bit crook at the moment so he's been stuck in his room," Foster said.

Squire's absence leaves the All Blacks down two blindsides, with Jerome Kaino also sidelined due to a posterior cruciate ligament injury that is likely to end his tour. Kaino will be assessed further in the coming days, but his prognosis does not sound positive.

Canterbury captain Luke Whitelock has been called in as cover from the Barbarians, taking the squad to 43 players, but Vaea Fifita is expected to make his fourth start at blindside if Squire fails to recover.

Setbacks didn't stop there, either.

On a fresh two-degree morning in the French capital, a frosty field and cool air greeted the All Blacks at training. It felt like throwback to Saturday morning footy.

"That was the first time we've been thankful for the 30 minute bus ride," flanker Sam Cane said. "Every minute we were on the bus it gave the sun a chance to defrost the ground."

Those conditions always enhance the risk of injury. Ryan Crotty went for a skate towards the end of training and, during the warm-up, Tim Perry tweaked his hamstring. The rookie prop was not expected to be involved this week, but is now in doubt for the mid-week game against a French XV in Lyon on Wednesday (NZT).

If Perry's injury is deemed serious, the All Blacks may need to bring in a replacement for that match.

"It looked like he got shot there for a moment didn't it? It was a prop running fast," Foster said. "It was bad enough for us to pull him out. He got a bit of a fright and certainly his hammy tightened up so we'll know in the next 24 hours whether there's anything more than that."

These knocks add to a season in which the All Blacks have suffered an unusually high injury toll.

Prior to departing New Zealand they were already without seven front-line players.

Think back to the British and Irish Lions series and, at various points, the All Blacks lost Crotty, Dane Coles, Squire, Ioane and Ben Smith. Sonny Bill Williams also missed the final test through suspension.

Seemingly constant deflections have forced the All Blacks to accelerate promotion of fringe talent, which should eventually pay off, but for now it means they have struggled to build consistency.

This week offers another chance to do that but these significant disruptions don't help.