Boks seat Hames gets shock start for All Blacks
Big-time risk or calculated move? Either way, we are about to get a cast-iron indication whether Tasman prop Kane Hames is as good as Steve Hansen suspects he is.
Life is about to get suddenly very real for Hames, who not so very long ago did not even merit a full Super Rugby contract and now will run out for his first test start at loosehead prop for the All Blacks. Against the Springboks, no less.
The 29-year-old late bloomer has been whistled up from the provincial fields of Mitre 10 Cup rugby straight into the All Blacks’ starting XV in the one major surprise in Hansen’s matchday 23 to face the Springboks in Saturday night’s Rugby Championship clash in Albany.
All told there are eight changes from the XV that ran on to start the 39-22 victory over Argentina in New Plymouth last Saturday, with Hansen largely returning to his best available lineup for the first test of the year against the Boks.
But the decision to start Hames is one few would have seen coming. The injury replacement for Joe Moody (dislocated shoulder) has played two previous tests (both off the bench) in similar circumstances, against the Wallabies in Sydney in 2016, and the same opponents a few weeks back in Dunedin when he came in to cover for Wyatt Crockett’s head knock.
Most expected veteran backup man Crockett to be promoted to starting duties and Hames to be introduced off the bench. But Hansen backs Hames to get the job done from the start, and has left the 34-year-old Crockett in the supersub spot he has made his own.
It will be a huge test for Hames, who is not a renowned scrummager. Going against the Wallabies is one thing, but that gnarly Boks front row is sure to ask a few hard questions of the new chum.
That is likely part of Hansen’s motivation for throwing him straight in. They are going to know a lot more about his capabilities in the test arena after Saturday night at QBE Stadium.
The rest of the starting XV is predictable, with Nehe Milner-Skudder getting a second straight start on the wing, this time slotting in on the right side for Israel Dagg who continues to be bothered by his knee problems.
The in-form Rieko Ioane returns in the No 11 jersey, while a fit-again Ryan Crotty comes in for Anton Lienert-Brown at centre and Aaron Smith regains the No 9 jersey after sitting out the Pumas match.
Up front, Sam Cane is back at No 7, with Ardie Savea dropping into his more comfortable impact role off the bench, Liam Squire gets the nod at No 6, and Sam Whitelock returns to the second row to partner Brodie Retallick.
Squire won the hotly contested battle for the No 6 jersey over Vaea Fifita, though the latter’s shoulder injury that kept him out of training on Tuesday contributed to that.