All Blacks start Fifita at six
The hulking mass of athleticism that is Vaea Fifita has been handed the biggest opportunity of his young test rugby career to show that New Plymouth’s highlight reel breakout was less a flash in the pan and more a harbinger of what’s to come.
The All Blacks are banking on the latter by naming him to start on the blindside flank in the first test of their northern tour against France at their national stadium here on Saturday night (Sunday morning NZT).
‘‘It’s a big test for him,’’ said coach Steve Hansen, no doubt eager to see how the 1.96m, 25-yearold Wellingtonian copes in the cauldron of nearly 82,000 fans at the Stade de France.
Fifita is the notable selection in an All Blacks starting XV containing three changes to that which ran out for the 23-18 Bledisloe defeat in Brisbane, though the reality is he gets there by default.
Liam Squire missed Tuesday training through illness and wasn’t considered, and Jerome Kaino will head back to New Zealand post-test after suffering a posterior cruciate ligament injury.
In related team news, replacement loosie Luke Whitelock will only stay as long as the game against the French XV in Lyon next Tuesday. Auckland’s Akira Ioane will join the All Blacks to cover at loose forward after his match with the New Zealand Maori against the French Barbarians in Bordeaux on Friday (Saturday NZT).
The other two changes to the starting group from Brisbane sees Beauden Barrett return at No 10 and hard-nosed Cantabrian Luke Romano replace Scott Barrett in the second row. Barrett drops to the bench, as does Lima Sopoaga, and they are joined there by openside flanker Matt Todd who has again nudged Ardie Savea out of the backup spot, but will be hoping this time he can see it through. In Brisbane he was a late withdrawal with a groin strain.
Rieko Ioane is also named on the left wing, having made a dramatic recovery from a bout of the mumps. On Tuesday assistant coach Ian Foster had referred to the emerging star, who has eight tries in eight tests in 2017, as being down on energy.
Hansen bristled at that. ‘‘He’s not down on energy, he’s fine. We wouldn’t be picking him if we didn’t think he was right. He’s had the mumps and he’s fine.’’
The coach confirmed Squire’s illness was not mumps-related.
‘‘He’s been sick all week with a virus, but he’s coming right, so will train tomorrow (Thursday local time).’’
It is clearly a bonus opportunity for Fifita, who wouldn’t have been involved had Squire not fallen ill. But Hansen was not hiding his interest in putting the young man further under the microscope, after he followed his first test start against Argentina, and two vivid expressions of his inordinate talent, with a less impressive outing in Buenos Aires and a mostly positive effort against the Baabaas last weekend.
‘‘It’s another opportunity for him to display his wares, be the player he can, and learn from the last games,’’ said Hansen.
‘‘He’s still in that learning phase, and we’ll see how far he’s
come in a short time.’’
Hansen said the raw-boned Tongan had improved ‘‘massively’’ and was starting to add to his game.
‘‘He’s getting more physical, he’s a good lineout forward, his defence against the Baabaas was pretty good, and he’s coming along nicely. He’s not the finished product but he’s very talented, and if we get him to where we think we can he’s going to be fairly handy.’’
Hansen said Romano deserved his starting second-row spot (in Brodie Retallick’s continued absence) on form as they continue to address a defensive hitch or two in Scott Barrett’s game. Expect some fluidity in that spot over coming weeks.
Likewise Todd nudges Savea out for the bench No 7 backup role because he’s playing better. Giving the big-haired Wellingtonian more minutes in the second-string lineup also appealed as they looked to get him ‘‘more physical’’ in the tackle.
Kaino was ‘‘philosophical’’ about another setback in what has turned into a horror year.
‘‘It’s not the end of his test career,’’ said Hansen. ‘‘He now has to go home and play well in the Super season and we’ll start again.’’