‘Diamond’ to replace Moody
Hansen’s rare find Tu’inukuafe into front row, Goodhue partners SBW in test midfield
JRUGBY
oe Moody’s lacerated eyelid has forced the only selection surprise to an otherwise strong, full-strength All Blacks team. Nothing else would be expected for a high profile test against England at Twickenham.
In a freak training incident, Moody required three layers of stitches to his eyelid and will be sidelined for six weeks after copping a wayward finger during a routine lineout lift in London earlier this week.
Moody’s misfortune opens the door for the big-scrummaging Karl Tu’inukuafe to make his fifth start of the year, with Ofa Tu’ungafasi providing cover from the bench.
Jack [Goodhue] has trained the house down so you’ve got to trust the medical people. They say he’s ready to go, so he’s ready to go. Steve Hansen
Tu’inukuafe, described as a diamond, has been the find of the season for the All Blacks. No doubt he will relish the prospect of locking horns with the English front row.
Elsewhere the All Blacks have picked what they, for now, consider their strongest team. That includes the return of Jack Goodhue, the Crusaders centre partnering Sonny Bill Williams for only the second time in the midfield after last appearing for the All Blacks seven weeks ago.
Blood tests cleared Goodhue of any lingering glandular fever, an illness which kept him out of the Bledisloe Cup victory in Yokohama two weeks ago. His return pushes Crusaders teammate Ryan Crotty to the bench.
“Jack has trained the house down so you’ve got to trust the medical people,” Hansen said. “They say he’s ready to go, so he’s ready to go.
“It’s a bit tough on Alby [Anton Lienert-Brown] because he’s been doing the job for us off the bench but we’ve got to find out if someone else can do that job. People say this is a big test but that’s the best time to find out.
“We’re blessed with some very good midfielders at the moment. It doesn’t matter which one you play, we’ve just got work out what