Squire returns to play for Tasman
Tasman will unfurl the welcome mat for All Blacks flanker Liam Squire.
Squire, who asked All Blacks coach Steve Hansen not to include him in the 39-man squad named for the Rugby Championship this week, is poised to play in the Mitre 10 Cup for the first time since 2015.
‘‘My understanding is he will be available for the Mako season for 2019,’’ Tasman chief executive Tony Lewis said.
‘‘And what happens after that in regards to the All Blacks will be up to the All Blacks.’’
Squire’s manager Bruce Sharrock also confirmed the 23-test blindside flanker would be available for his province before leaving New Zealand to play in Japan for two years.
Hansen had planned to list Squire, who had been promoted to the role as the All Blacks’ top No 6 in 2017, in his squad but scratched him after the player said he wasn’t ready to return to the international stage.
‘‘I said ‘OK’, and we had a bit of a chat about that which I won’t repeat,’’ Hansen said on Tuesday night.
‘‘At the end of it we agreed and I said ‘righto, that’s a pretty courageous conversation, well done, you get back on the park and play some footy and we’ll make a decision from there’.’’
Squire, 28, endured a horror run of injuries during the Highlanders’ Super Rugby campaign and didn’t travel with the squad to South Africa towards the end of the regular season after requesting not to be considered for personal reasons.
Hip and knee problems restricted him to three appearances in his final season with the Highlanders, and he was yellow carded for a no-arms tackle on Whetukamokamo Douglas in the loss to the Crusaders in the quarterfinal.
Tasman are scheduled to play Canterbury in a pre-season game in the resort town of Hanmer Springs on July 27, but it’s uncertain whether Squire will be involved.
Tasman’s first Mitre 10 Cup is against Wellington in Blenheim on August 10.
Squire’s most recent appearance for the All Blacks was during the 16-9 loss to Ireland in Dublin last November when he was forced to retire early because of injury.
Although Hansen said Squire could still be considered for the World Cup squad, he will, in the short-term anyway, have to rejig his back row.
Shannon Frizell, Vaea Fifita and the uncapped Luke Jacobson are options to start at blindside flanker for the first Rugby Championship test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on July 21.