Injury hits All Blacks on eve of French Test
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, June 14, 2013 (AFP) - Injury forced the The All Blacks into a late reshuffle on Friday as they prepared to mark their 500th Test, with coach Steve Hansen warning his side to lift their game against a rejuvenated France.
Lock Brodie Retallick was ruled out of Saturday's second Test in Christchurch with a hamstring strain, meaning a call up for seasoned middlerower Sam Whitelock, who had sat out the first match because of a fractured finger.
Apart from the forced change, Hansen has remained loyal to his starters in the 23-13 first Test win in Auckland while French mentor Philippe Saint-Andre has injected four new players. The inclusion of flyhalf Freddie Michalak brings a 65Test veteran into the crucial playmaker role and the addition of Nicolas Mas, Christophe Samson and Bernard Le Roux will strengthen a scrum that was under pressure a week ago.
Hansen warned his own players he wanted a noticeable lift in quality to justify their second chance.
Several players are under the spotlight, particularly fullback Israel Dagg who is struggling to recapture his best form, while flankers Sam Cane and Liam Messam allowed France to dominate the breakdown in Auckland.
Whitelock, who has been training with the team, was not initially considered because of his fractured finger.
Although it continued to cause him some discomfort, Hansen said it was “good enough for him to play” and he never considered promoting uncapped lock Jeremy Thrush off the bench.
“No. Not when Sammy was made available. He's a world class lock so we wouldn't lose the opportunity to use him if he's fit and available.