All Blacks: Five ways Scott Robertson can handle Caleb Clarke’s absence against England
All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland (inset) and star winger Caleb Clarke in action against Scotland.
All Blacks boss Scott Robertson will be weighing up his replacement options for star winger Caleb Clarke, who has been ruled out of their clash with England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
The men in black kept their 2025 Grand Slam dream alive when they clinched a 25-17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield over the weekend.
This follows their 26-13 triumph over Ireland in their tour opener in Chicago and after this Saturday’s eagerly anticipated encounter with the Red Rose, they will face Wales in Cardiff on November 22.
In their clash against Scotland, the All Blacks raced into a 17-0 lead at half-time before Clarke was forced off the field due to a head knock.
Scotland did well to fight back and draw level at 17-17 by the hour-mark but Robertson’s troops sealed their win in the final quarter courtesy of a try and a penalty from Damian McKenzie.
Clarke sidelined after a failed HIA
However, Clarke’s head knock was a big talking point after the game and All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland confirmed on Monday that the speedster had entered the mandatory 12-day stand-down period for such injuries after he failed his HIA.
This is the latest setback for the speedster in 2025 as he has battled ankle injuries which restricted him to just three Test appearances so far this year.
“It’s unlucky for him,” said Holland. “He’s been good. He’s come back in the second half of this year really fit and strong, and enjoying his footy.
“He’s playing, he’s having a crack, he’s offloading, and he’s loving the contests in the air.”
Holland also revealed that All Blacks captain Scott Barrett is “tracking well” to be in the reckoning for selection for the England Test after missing the Scotland clash due to a laceration on his leg which he sustained against Ireland.
“A decision will be made on that in the middle part of the week,” he added.
All Blacks have several replacement options
Despite losing Clarke’s services for the clash with England, New Zealand have several options to replace him on the left wing.
Rieko Ioane and Sevu Reece are the obvious replacements in the number 11 jersey but the All Blacks could also change the entire make-up of their backline with Billy Proctor, Anton Lienert-Brown and McKenzie also coming into the reckoning for a promotion to the starting line-up.
Apart from bringing Ioane or Reece in as a direct replacement for Clarke on the wing, the former, Proctor or Lienert-Brown could start at outside centre with Leicester Fainga’anuku, who ran out in that position against Scotland, shifting out wide to wear the number 11 jersey.
Meanwhile, they could shift Will Jordan from full-back to the right wing, switch Leroy Carter to the left and bring McKenzie in to wear the number 15 jersey – not a bad option after he shone off the bench in that position against the Scots and eventually proved to be the All Blacks’ match-winner in that encounter.