ABS ponder Retallick return

As the All Blacks prepare to cause Namibia maximum discomfort in Tokyo, the question as to whether one of their most potent weapons will be unveiled remains unanswered.

Towering lock Brodie Retallick’s role at the World Cup has so far been limited to grafting on the training fields to cautiously allow the shoulder he dislocated against the Springboks on July 27 to heal.

Retallick, arguably the world’s best second rower, hasn’t played since that date but could potentially make his comeback prior to the quarterfinal stage of the global tournament in Japan.

Despite some sloppy execution and only getting decent flow into their attack during the first and third quarters of the game against Canada at Oita Stadium on Wednesday night, the All Blacks triumphed 63-0.

It should be enough to make Namibia shiver, despite the humid temperatures. So imagine their reaction if Retallick is also wheeled out to play them in Tokyo Stadium on Sunday.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was cagey when asked if Retallick would get some time on the track against Namibia.

‘‘We don’t pick the team tonight. So you can assume what you like,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘But there’s no point telling everyone what we are doing.’’

Hansen got good mileage out of his starting locks against Canada, retaining Scott Barrett for the full 80 minutes and replacing Patrick Tuipulotu with Sam Whitelock when only nine minutes remained.

The fact he asked Barrett and Tuipulotu to register big minutes suggests there is little chance of them being asked to back-up against Namibia four days later. That could result in Retallick being asked to partner Whitelock in the second row.

Canada never looked like beating the All Blacks, but they had a near-capacity crowd at Oita Stadium rooting for them whenever they made rare line breaks.

Namibia face a familiar predicament. They will huff and puff but the All Blacks will eventually blow them away with their power and speed.

Hansen is expected to make mass changes, to keep legs and bodies fresh. He will need a new captain, with No 8 Kieran Read likely to be given a break and Whitelock is one candidate to take over that job.

Midfielder Ryan Crotty, who replaced Sonny Bill Williams at halftime in Oita, said the All Blacks shared a quiet beer with the Canadian players but there was no chance of prolonging their post-match chats.

Preparing for a quick turnaround in games takes priority.

The All Blacks coaches swapped Crotty for Sonny Bill Williams, and Rieko Ioane moved off his wing to replace centre Jack Goodhue who was hooked at halftime to manage his workload following a hamstring complaint.

With only four days between fixtures, Crotty didn’t expect the coaches to push players at training.

‘‘Obviously recovery is crucial. Most of the guys who didn’t play that game tonight will play the Namibia game and quite a few guys will back up as well.

‘‘Recovery is key.’’