Fifita fits the bill at No 6 again
As Vaea Fifita receives a second straight chance to prove he’s the real deal as a starting test No 6, his coach has provided the ultimate endorsement of his raw, young loose forward.
Hansen confirmed at yesterday’s team naming press conference that he considered reinserting rugged blindside Liam Squire to the run-on XV to face Scotland at Murrayfield tomorrow, even just four days after his star turn in Lyon for the midweek team.
But in the end he has elected to bring Squire back off the bench, and retain every fit and available player who started the 38-18 victory over France in Paris last weekend. The only change is Codie Taylor in at hooker for the injured Dane Coles, with Nathan Harris and Squire the new faces on the bench. Scott Barrett gets this week off and Matt Todd continues to hold off Ardie Savea as cover at No 7.
Skipper Kieran Read is also good to go after uncertainty with a minor hip flexor problem.
‘‘We just needed to make sure we had enough time after the game on Tuesday to analyse what we wanted to look at, then make some decisions. And with some of the sore boys we wanted to make sure they trained OK,’’ said Hansen.
‘‘Reado has been sore and we just wanted to see how he was, and he’s come through training today good. I wouldn’t be playing him if we weren’t confident.’’
But it was in confirming that Fifita was a reluctant lock cover for them for Murrayfield, with no specialist second row on the bench, that Hansen revealed how highly they think of their raw young blindside who has just four tests (and three starts) to his name.
He confirmed that backup lock was not something they’re viewing as a longterm option for the 25-year-old, who has been a regular in the second row at the Hurricanes.
‘‘For me he’s got the capability of being a world-class No 6, and you don’t want to be mucking him around playing two positions at once.’’
But Squire looms large in the meantime. The 26-year-old physical beast missed Paris only because of a virus, put in an excellent shift in Lyon and must be odds-on to start the year-ender against Wales in Cardiff next weekend.
Hansen cautioned against counting out veteran Jerome Kaino (already home with a knee problem), but admitted his current No 6 contenders were stepping up to the mark.
‘‘They’re making good progress and are growing, both on and off the field. I’m really happy with where they are at.’’
Hansen has rewarded his victors from Paris en masse, even if a sublime first half was undone by second-spell wobbles. That means Luke Romano remains as Sam Whitelock’s lock mate and Waisake Naholo gets another chance to impress on the right wing.
Hansen conceded his second-string crew were applying pressure to their more lauded squadmates. ‘‘The stats haven’t told any lies, they’re putting enough heat on the boys. The older guys understand that the other team has set the standard defensively.’’
The Scots, meanwhile, have made two injury-enforced changes to their starting XV, both in the pack. Prop Zander Fagerson and loose forward Cornell du Preez have been promoted from the bench in place of injured pair of WP Nel and Ryan Wilson. It will be du Preez’s first start for Scotland.