All Blacks team winners and losers as ‘ruthless’ Scott Robertson makes big calls but key pack decision could ‘prove costly’
All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane and flanker Ethan Blackadder alongside head coach Scott Robertson.
Following Scott Robertson’s team announcement for the All Blacks’ first Test against Argentina, here are our winners and losers from the 23 named for the Rugby Championship clash in Wellington.
New Zealand have made a few changes from the team that faced England. Some are enforced, such as at lock, while the head coach has made some bold choices at centre and flanker.
We unpack the matchday squad and pick out our winners and losers from Robertson’s selections.
Winners
Anton Lienert-Brown
The beneficiary of Robertson’s ruthless decision with the skilful centre coming into the team alongside Jordie Barrett. Lienert-Brown has been a consistent performer for the All Blacks over the years as he has pace, balance and, most importantly, good hands.
He is naturally more gifted in the playmaking department than Rieko Ioane and the head coach will hope that his passing game allows them to find the space out wide, which is what they failed to do against England in July.
Trust in TJ
TJ Perenara only lasted 40 minutes on his return to the side before picking up an injury, but he is back in the XV after recovering ahead of the Rugby Championship. With two young half-backs selected in the wider squad, Perenara was always likely to start and so it has proved.
Perenara endured a mixed first half in the opening Test against England but the 32-year-old has had a fine season for the Hurricanes and deserves an extended run. He also gets a chance to begin his goodbyes to the Wellington crowd, with the half-back set to end his international career at the end of the season after signing a deal in Japan.
Ardie Savea
After Scott Barrett succumbed to a finger injury, which required surgery, Savea has been handed the captaincy responsibility. It is only for the two Tests against Argentina, with Barrett due to be back for the Springboks encounters, but it is a good chance for the boss to see how he fares.
Robertson effectively had a choice between Barrett and Savea for the leadership role, and duly opted for the former with their Crusaders connection swaying the decision. The latter was therefore the obvious choice in the absence of the second-row and the number eight will look to show that he is also capable of taking on the responsibility.
Youngsters backed
Injuries have somewhat forced the All Blacks boss’ hand but it is interesting to see the rise of Sam Darry. The lock was on the periphery in July but was handed a call-up after Blues team-mate Patrick Tuipulotu was rested. Darry then made his debut against Fiji, impressed off the bench in San Diego and now starts after Tuipulotu picked up a calf issue.
Another injury-returnee is Josh Lord, who is also highly rated by the New Zealand coaching staff despite often struggling to get out on the field. The 23-year-old has only played seven Super Rugby Pacific matches over the past two seasons and hasn’t featured at all since March of this year, but Lord is a talent and the backroom team evidently like what they see.
The second-row is joined on the bench by Wallace Sititi as the number eight gets another shot after having a good 25 minutes against Fiji. Sititi doesn’t have the versatility of Luke Jacobson, but it could mean that we see Savea at flanker should the 21-year-old come onto the field.
Crusaders favourites
There were concerns that the All Blacks would be Crusaders-centric under Robertson, but that has absolutely not been the case so far. However, he does make an exception for Ethan Blackadder and, to a degree, Will Jordan, who have both been named in the 23.
Jordan would be selected by every coach, regardless of their team background, but Blackadder is a big call. The back-row is an outstanding player but injuries have hampered his career, much more so than Jordan. Robertson has always been a fan, though, and he therefore starts on Saturday.
Losers
Rieko shock
Robertson has shown that he is willing to make the tough decisions by taking Ioane out of the XV and putting him among the replacements. Quite simply, the centre struggled with England’s rush defence where his skills were exposed by the tourists.
Billy Proctor was given a chance against Fiji but the All Blacks boss has gone with the more experienced Lienert-Brown for this encounter. Ioane could still make an impact off the bench but Robertson’s call to remove him shows what he really wants from his centres in those outside channels.
Young powerhouse axed
Blackadder’s inclusion comes at the expense of Samipeni Finau, who has been axed altogether. Granted, the big flanker failed to really impose himself in the July series but, given time, he could well be the long-term answer at blindside.
Finau’s extra height and athleticism makes him an excellent lineout option and, although that didn’t go well against England, you wonder whether the coaches are reading too much into the Fiji clash. Forwards guru Jason Ryan was pleased with how that functioned – without Finau – in San Diego, but the Fijians’ lineout defence is hardly better than the Red Rose’s, or what they will face in South Africa.
Another couple of matches for the inexperienced Chief to get used to the calls might have been the better option. It is a brave move but one that could prove costly when they face the Springboks in rounds three and four.
Injury denies lock duo
The second-row stocks are looking a bit bare for New Zealand at the moment. As mentioned, Darry and Lord are highly regarded but, make no mistake, having both Barrett and Tuipulotu on the sideline is a blow.
Tupou Vaa’i has plenty of Test experience but the majority of his caps have come off the bench. The onus therefore falls on him to take the responsibility with those two key players absent. Fortunately for the All Blacks, these games against Argentina should be their least challenging of the Rugby Championship, but the lack of Barrett and Tuipulotu could put them under pressure.
Key call at scrum-half
Cortez Ratima and Noah Hotham were battling for the reserve scrum-half spot and Robertson duly settled on the former, who did well in the second Test against England and then started versus Fiji a week later.
Hotham appeared off the bench in San Diego and Robertson appeared mightily impressed by the 21-year-old, but Ratima is quite rightly seen as second choice at the moment given his performances so far in the Test arena.
Billy Proctor
There would have been a temptation to give the rookie centre another go after his fine display against the Flying Fijians, but ultimately Lienert-Brown has understandably got the nod. Proctor’s time will no doubt come, but the Hurricanes star will have to wait until later in the year for that to happen.
The 25-year-old seems to have the right skills to fit into that All Blacks midfield and, as his performances with the ‘Canes showed, he complements Jordie Barrett nicely, but he has not quite moved up that pecking order just yet.
Ex-captain left out
While Jordan came straight back in, another long-term absentee did not. It has been deemed that Sam Cane, captain of the team at the Rugby World Cup, is not quite ready to return to Test action.
Cane is currently on 95 caps and, like Perenara, is ending his international career at the end of 2024, but there is little time for sentiment when so much is on the line. The flanker can still get his chance to reach a century of caps before he retires, but the 32-year-old quite rightly has to prove himself first.
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