All Blacks eager to numb pain
Steve Hansen’s All Blacks are clearly still hurting as they trudge a little disconsolately into tomorrow night’s bronze medal match against Wales at this Rugby World Cup. And the departing coach wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hansen unveiled a predictable lineup yesterday in Tokyo featuring the core of the side toppled 19-7 by England in last weekend’s semifinal, with a sprinkling of fresh faces, including a quartet of departing All Blacks on their last lap of the track.
There are seven changes to the starting XV and another three on the bench.
In the tight five Dane Coles starts at hooker, with a bruised and battered Codie Taylor rested, and Scott Barrett shifts from the blindside flank to lock, with Sam Whitelock also spelled for similar reasons. It’s a big statement test for a group physically battered last week by the English.
In the loose Sam Cane returns from his surprise semifinal benching to start at No 7 and Shannon Frizell gets a deserved crack on the blindside flank. They too have plenty to prove as a unit after being bested by Eddie Jones’ men last week.
In the backs, the departing Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty get the start in midfield while veteran Ben Smith (another heading for the exit door) and Rieko Ioane come on to the wings for a tragically belated
All Blacks No 8 Kieran Read will captain the side for the final time in his last test, against Wales, in tomorrow’s World Cup bronze medal playoff.
crack at this tournament.
Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett remain in their respective ‘‘playmaking’’ roles, and Aaron Smith stays at halfback with TJ Perenara nursing stitches and a sore shoulder.
Prop Atu Moli, departing loosie Matt Todd and speedy halfback Brad Weber are the new faces on the bench.
Hansen confirmed star loosie Ardie Savea, who has a torn meniscus (knee) that will take a couple of months to heal via rehab, was the only player left out
because of injury.
It was a lineup picked with multiple purposes in mind. The All Blacks are desperate to finish this tournament on a positive note; they want to give their departing players the chance to bow out in the middle; and, as the coach noted, there is a lot to be banked from the way this tournament has concluded.
Hansen drew on a rather severe analogy in talking about the potential spinoffs moving forward from this World Cup experience.
‘‘It is different and you can’t sidestep that,’’ he said of a match that carries a lot of emotional baggage. ‘‘There’s a lot of pain and hurt involved. But you’ve got to make that work for you.’’
Meanwhile, outgoing Wales coach Warren Gatland has made nine changes to his starting side.
Gatland, who like Hansen is in his last game in charge of his international side, has named a team significantly different to the one that lost its semifinal to South Africa 19-16.
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