All Blacks ponder changes for Argentina
Steve Hansen will have a bit to think about in New Plymouth this week as the All Blacks look to extend their Rugby Championship winning streak when they run out against Argentina for the first time in 2017.
Hansen looks set to have a pair of forced changes to make, with Ben Smith’s sabbatical creating a vacancy on the right wing and flanker Sam Cane in the doubtful category ahead of the All Blacks assembling in New Plymouth on Sunday. They have won eight straight championship matches, since their last defeat to Australia prior to the 2015 World Cup.
Israel Dagg, Nehe MilnerSkudder and Waisake Naholo – probably in that order – form a capable queue of right wing contenders who are all part of the squad; though the situation is not quite so rosy on the No 7 front behind in-form Wellingtonian Ardie Savea who would be the logical starter in Cane’s absence.
Both Cane and midfielder Ryan Crotty suffered head knocks during the dramatic 35-29 Bledisloe Cup-clinching victory over the Wallabies in Dunedin, with Cane’s the most serious.
Hansen confirmed Crotty had made a good recovery and was expected to be available for selection this week. But there remained uncertainty over Cane’s status which would be fully assessed when the group gathers.
The All Blacks were considering bringing in a replacement openside flanker, though their depth has been seriously eroded with the hand fracture suffered by Canterbury’s Matt Todd. That could see them look at the likes of young Aucklander Blake Gibson or Otago No 7s James Lentjes and Dillon Hunt who both played so well for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.
Beyond that, Hansen and his selectors will also ponder the wisdom of a discretionary change or two as part of a longer-term plan to spread the load where possible and keep some petrol in the tank of the heavy-hitters for November.
Hansen would not discuss potential selections ahead of assembly, but there is certainly an opportunity there to introduce one or two other new faces for an Argentina side that has already lost back-to-back tests to the reenergised Springboks.
The coach has made no secret of his desire to see the workloads of key forwards such as locks Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock and prop Joe Moody managed.
Already Hansen has lost tighthead prop Owen Franks to long-running Achilles tendon problems and veteran blindside flanker Jerome Kaino (who will remain absent from the team this week and is set to return via the Auckland team at an undisclosed time) to personal issues, and seen their replacements – Nepo Laulala and Liam Squire – make a fine fist of their opportunities in relief.
Hansen said the continued emergence of wing Rieko Ioane and the performances of new faces Squire, fullback Damian McKenzie and scrum powerhouse Laulala against the Wallabies had been real positives to emerge from the twin Bledisloe victories in Sydney and Dunedin.
‘‘We were very happy first and foremost to keep it,’’ he said of the big trophy that has taken up permanent residence in the NZ Rugby cabinet. ‘‘We played well in the first one. In the second one, when you give them a gift in the first seconds of the game and another two gifts after that, you are behind the eight-ball.
‘‘But we showed a lot of composure to come back and some real composure in the last three minutes to pull the try out from what was a pretty impossible situation. There were some good positives there.
‘‘Rieko did well through the Lions series and is playing very good football, Liam has played two good tests and we’re excited about where he’s at, and Damian had a really good first one and was probably not as buoyant in the second one but overcame his early [intercept pass] and is growing all the time.
‘‘And Nepo in his first start scrummed really well. We’ve just got to get him more agile around the park, but we’ll get there.’’