Five All Blacks released ahead of Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia
Jordie Barrett and Anton Lienert-Brown during the Rugby Championship game between the All Blacks and the Wallabies in Perth, Australia.
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has released five players from his squad ahead of next Saturday’s Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia.
The quintet will be available to their respective NPC sides, who are in action in pre-season encounters.
Five All Blacks released
Centre Anton Lienert-Brown, and forwards Luke Jacobson and Samipeni Finau will all be available for Waikato for the pre-season Chiefs Country Centurion Cup competition.
Meanwhile, lock Josh Lord, who started against Argentina in Round One of the Rugby Championship, is available to Taranaki, while scrum-half Cam Roigard is free to play for Counties Manukau.
All five players could be in action at the same ground, with the three aforementioned teams clashing in a four-team tournament of 50-minute games also involving Bay of Plenty.
They will all rejoin the All Blacks squad on Sunday and with Saturday’s games used to keep them match-fit, with only Lord getting game time with the national side in the opening two rounds.
Lienert-Brown missed the Tests against Los Pumas and the Springboks through suspension after his citing in the Super Rugby Pacific final but will be free to face the Wallabies after serving his three-game ban.
On the mend
Waikato could have another All Black on show with Quinn Tupaea back to near full fitness.
The centre sustained an ACL injury in the clash against the Wallabies last September. Australia lock Darcy Swain hit the 14-Test cap midfielder around the knee at a ruck, with the injury ruling him out for the entire Super Rugby Pacific season.
Speaking to Stuff, Waikato coach Ross Filipo said that Tupaea was “in amazing shape” ahead of his return to action as he looks to make a late claim for a spot in the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup squad.
Meanwhile, All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan provided an update on veteran lock Sam Whitelock earlier this week.
“Sammy is coming along nicely now,” Ryan said on Sky Sports New Zealand’s The Breakdown. “It’s done him a world of good to get the best work into his Achilles possible.
“He’s selectable; we know that. What we’ve shown is that we’ve got depth in locks, and there is genuine competition in this team right now, and that’s exciting.
“We had a catchup this morning as selectors, and there’s some headaches, and that’s how it should be with the All Blacks.”
He also added that the likes of props Fletcher Newell and Joe Moody and utility back David Havili are still in the selection frame for the World Cup.
READ MORE: Bledisloe Cup: Everything to know about the trans-Tasman rivalry
