All Blacks v Argentina: Predicted line-up as ‘forgotten’ back makes return for New Zealand
Caleb Clarke is set to return to the All Blacks squad this weekend
The All Blacks head to Eden Park on a revenge mission, and could look to shake things up following last weekend’s disaster against Argentina.
Scott Robertson’s charges were nowhere near the level we had seen of them against Fiji, and struggled to show the same grit that got them over the line against England; and this could lead to several changes.
New Zealand media is reporting Blues wing Caleb Clarke is in line to come into the staring team, but could there be any other changes to the squad that fell to a 38-30 defeat last week?
Here is our best bet at a potential All Blacks line-up to face Argentina in Auckland this weekend.
Predicted All Blacks team
15 Will Jordan
A bold call to kick things off, but this is mainly to get the best out of Beauden Barrett. Barrett has been good in the Razor era, don’t get us wrong, however he didn’t quite have the same impact in the starting side as he did off the bench against England – where he changed the game – so using him in this role could allow New Zealand to keep their foot on the throat.
Also, it might actually be easier to start Jordan from the off and give him some decent minutes whilst everyone is fresh, as a true tester of where he is post-injury. He is also a brilliant full-back in his own right.
14 Mark Tele’a
Tele’a could line up on the other side, if (spoiler alert) Clarke returns to the starting side. The Blues winger is so hungry to get his hands on the ball and make a nuisance of himself around the park, and he was once again one of his team’s better players in the defeat to Argentina last week.
13 Anton Lienert-Brown
The Chiefs centre gave a decent account of himself at 13 last week, and he should retain his spot again for the upcoming Test. He came up with some decent touches in attack, notably scoring in the first-half, but he knows he will need to fix some of the defensive issues that crept into his game.
12 Jordie Barrett
Wasn’t the Jordie Barrett we have come to know last weekend, so he comes into the game with a huge point to prove. The centre is such a busy player in most areas of the game, but in the defeat to Argentina he just didn’t have his usual flashes of brilliance.
He often serves as a barometer for his side, and if he plays well the All Blacks usually win.
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11 Caleb Clarke
The forgotten man of New Zealand rugby could be in line for a return to the big time this weekend.
Blues ace Clarke is such a dynamic, powerful winger and when on song is potentially the deadliest finisher in the world. In his 21 All Blacks appearances, he has an impressive seven tries, giving him a strike rate of exactly one crossing every three games.
Despite his genuine quality, though, he hasn’t quite been able to establish himself as the first-choice winger for New Zealand since his debut; so a good performance against Argentina could put him at the front of Robertson’s list.
10 Damian McKenzie
He’s coming under some fire following the Argentina Test, but Robertson appears to be sticking by his man for the foreseeable.
McKenzie is a properly talented player, with a keen eye for a gap, but his desire to play into space can sometimes seem forced – like the crucial error which led to the Pumas’ vital late try.
Robertson has said he will stick by McKenzie, but the Chiefs back knows he will need a much-improved showing this weekend if he wants to keep his spot.
9 Cortez Ratima
A selection call that could help McKenzie might be the selection of Ratima at scrum-half. The pair play in the halves together at club level, so will know each other’s game inside and out and could add some continuity to the attack.
Ratima also made a decent impact when introduced against Argentina, particularly on the speed of ball from the ruck, and could leave the same sort of impression if selected in the starting team.
8 Ardie Savea
Savea is likely to skipper the side for the second week in the continued absence of Scott Barrett, and he should lead from the front again.
Despite setting the bizarre play in motion which ended up costing the All Blacks victory, he was one of his side’s better players against Argentina and got stuck into most facets of the game to good effect. We all know how good a player he is, and if the All Blacks want to get revenge over Los Pumas he will need to have another strong showing.
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7 Dalton Papali’i
Was well beaten by his opposite number last week, and cannot afford a repeat of this again this weekend.
Papali’i is a really busy flanker, and does put his huge frame to good use on both sides of the ball, but he will need to try and keep the Pumas back-row quiet next week if they want to avoid another defeat.
6 Ethan Blackadder
A mixed showing from the returning Crusaders flanker, so he will be wanting to iron out these inconsistencies this weekend.
In actual play, he got himself involved to good effect, but simply gave away too many penalties which eventually allowed Argentina a foothold back into the game. Penalties are always such a huge issue at Test level, and therefore he will need to try and get these out of his game quickly.
5 Sam Darry
Gave a really good account of himself in his first start, and should retain his place this weekend. He was great in the lineout – which proved to be an issue against England – and was overall very industrious across the park.
With the lock issues the All Blacks currently have, he is doing his chances of cementing a spot no harm at all.
4 Tupou Vaa’i
Only in this team due to the unknown return date of Patrick Tuipulotu, but like many in this team needs a big improvement at Eden Park.
He struggled to get himself into the game, which came back to haunt his side in the battle up front. Another poor performance could force Robertson to make a big call.
3 Tyrel Lomax
A bit of a weird one for Lomax last weekend, as he didn’t hit a single scrum during his shift. He made a good dent on proceedings without this, but his super strength is the scrum and he will be hoping he actually gets a chance to do this this weekend.
2 Codie Taylor
Fixed most of the lineout issues, but again couldn’t get a foothold into the contest on the park. Taylor is such a quality operator when at his best, and he will need to find some form close to that or else Robinson could look to pull him out of the team.
1 Ethan de Groot
Again went his whole shift without hitting a scrum, so will be hoping he can get a chance to do this at Eden Park. He is such an aggressive scrummager, and plays a big role in getting the team on the front-foot as he did against England.
