All Blacks forced to make late changes to squad for trip to Argentina

David Skippers 01 Jul 2023 7:45 AM

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster believes that selecting overseas-based players would be detrimental to New Zealand Rugby

All Blacks selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have announced that they have made two injury-enforced changes to their squad for next weekend’s Test against Argentina in Mendoza.

Chiefs utility back Shaun Stevenson and Hurricanes front-row Tevita Mafile’o have been promoted to the squad on Sunday after Crusaders duo Leicester Fainga’anuku and Will Jordan were forced to withdraw.

Jordan sidelined again

Fainga’anuku, who is joining Top 14 outfit Toulon after the World Cup in France later this year, is struggling with a calf injury while Jordan is managing an ongoing “migrainous condition”.

Jordan missed most of the Crusaders’ Super Rugby Pacific campaign due to his migraine-related illness and only made his first appearance for the Christchurch-based outfit during their Round 11 victory at home against the Western Force on May 6.

Prior to that, the 25-year-old was out of action since the All Blacks‘ last match of the 2022 Rugby Championship, against the Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland last September.

“Will has been going really well, but in order to make sure he keeps tracking that way, we’ve decided to withdraw him from the long-haul trip to Argentina,” said Foster.

“This is more of a precautionary measure that we’ve put in place with the bigger picture of 2023 in mind.”

Jordan and Fainga’anuku’s absence opens the door for Stevenson to make his Test debut after he shone for the Chiefs during their run to the Super Rugby Pacific final – which they lost to the Crusaders – while Mafile’o has been added to the squad as cover for Crusaders prop Fletcher Newell, who sustained a foot injury earlier this season.

All Blacks travelling squad to Argentina

Forwards: Codie Taylor (Crusaders, Canterbury), Dane Coles (Hurricanes, Wellington), Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs, Waikato), Ethan de Groot (Highlanders, Southland), Fletcher Newell (Crusaders, Canterbury), Nepo Laulala (Blues, Counties Manukau), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Blues, Northland), Tamaiti Williams (Crusaders, Canterbury), Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes, Tasman), Tevita Mafile’o (Hurricanes, Bay of Plenty), Brodie Retallick (Chiefs, Hawke’s Bay), Josh Lord (Chiefs, Taranaki), Samuel Whitelock (Crusaders, Canterbury), Scott Barrett (Crusaders, Taranaki), Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs, Taranaki), Ardie Savea (Hurricanes, Wellington), Dalton Papali’i (Blues, Counties Manukau), Luke Jacobson (Chiefs, Waikato), Sam Cane (Chiefs, Bay of Plenty, c), Samipeni Finau (Chiefs, Waikato), Shannon Frizell (Highlanders, Tasman)

Backs: Aaron Smith (Highlanders, Manawatu), Finlay Christie (Blues, Tasman), Cam Roigard (Hurricanes, Counties Manukau), Beauden Barrett (Blues, Taranaki), Damian McKenzie (Chiefs, Waikato), Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders, Canterbury), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs, Waikato), Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes, Taranaki), Rieko Ioane (Blues, Auckland), Braydon Ennor (Crusaders, Canterbury), Dallas McLeod (Crusaders, Canterbury), Caleb Clarke (Blues, Auckland), Emoni Narawa (Chiefs, Bay of Plenty), Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs, Waikato), Mark Telea (Blues, North Harbour)

Internationals Shaun Stevenson Will Jordan