Kaino back for NZ but won’t face Boks

WELLINGTON: Loose forward Jerome Kaino, returned to training with the All Blacks yesterday but was unlikely to be selected for the Rugby Championship match against South Africa on Saturday.

The two-time World Cup winner, who had not been selected in the matchday squad, left the team on the day of the first Rugby Championship match against Australia in Sydney last month to deal with a personal issue.

Liam Squire played the first two games of the championship against Australia, while Vaea Fifita made his first start against Argentina last Saturday in New Plymouth. Kaino has played one provincial match for Auckland since he left the team.

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“He came in yesterday. We’ve had ongoing conversations with him and it’s a matter of bringing him back in,” All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said about Kaino’s appearance at training in Auckland. “He has had one (provincial) game, and we’re keen for him to have another. “He has been out of the game for a little while and he’s got to show us he is in the right sort of condition to come back. “But it’s great having him back,” Foster added. The 34-year-old, a virtual constant first-choice selection when available for the All Blacks since 2008, could face a battle to reclaim his Test spot as Squire and Fifita have stamped their own marks on the team.

Squire has a more hardedged element to his game, similar to Kaino, while Fifita impressed with a stunning performance in New Plymouth, where he scored a try from more than 35 metres out as he outpaced the Pumas’ backline.

Lock Sam Whitelock said Kaino’s presence with the team in Auckland had been a welcome one given the 81-Test veteran’s experience.

“He brings that harder edge to the environment,” he said.

“Whether it be walking through line-outs or doing the physical stuff, it’s good to have that older, experienced guy that demands we compete.”

Fifita sat out training yesterday with a sore shoulder but pundits say they expect the more experienced Squire to be recalled against a physical Springbok pack at North Harbour Stadium. – Reuters