All Blacks France
and even if he is 100 per cent but there is still some grey area there, we won’t use him.
“That has been the case with most of the head injuries we’ve had.”
There will be other enforced changes to the 23, as Nathan Harris has returned home to be at the birth of his child, paving the way for Liam Coltman to come on to the bench.
Sonny Bill Williams, having trained last week, will be available and is likely to return at second-five and Hansen also hinted there may be some changes made that are not injury-related.
His hand was up to making a mistake in asking a group of undercooked forwards such as Joe Moody, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane and Squire to back up after the first test.
“The more I think about it, the more I think we probably did stuff that up, yeah,” said Hansen.
“You are asking guys who have not played for a long time to double up and they are still not getting over the first one. To use the race horse analogy . . . hard run the first time and then bring them back for the second race too early, they usually go no good. So that is part of it.”
So what about the third race? What strategy should be employed for that?
“Not too many options if they’re a prop,” said Hansen. “But other options . . . Sam Cane is an example, we have got options there.”
Cane looked a little off the pace and played with a touch of frustration which is not his usual style at all and may have been a reflection that he was short of energy.
That suggests either Ardie Savea or Matt Todd will start at openside this week and there could yet be one more surprise with the called-up Highlanders lock-cum-blindside Jackson Hemopo a strong possibility to be on the bench.
“When he first really came to prominence was in the game against the Lions last year. He’s got a hard- nosed attitude, he’s a good athlete and he can play lock and we think he can play six as well, which makes him a valuable option if you want to put him on the bench.
“He’s well and truly worthy of being selected. We won’t be conservative. This year, we have to establish more depth and we have to establish and bed down the new stuff we want to implement, and to do that, we are going to have to take some risks.