After a week of reflections and reviews, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has named a relatively straightforward 23-man squad to take on France in Wellington this weekend, to try and improve on a narrow, 31-27 victory in the first Test.
Robertson was forced to make two changes through injury, with All Blacks captain Scott Barrett ruled out of the rest of the Test series with a calf injury and Sevu Reece out with a category one HIA sustained in the first minute in Dunedin.
That means Rieko Ioane shifts to the right wing, with Blues teammate Caleb Clarke coming onto the left wing, while Patrick Tuipulotu starts at lock alongside the first Dutch-born All Black, Fabian Holland.
Ioane’s shift to the right wing showcases how versatile Ioane is, according to Robertson, who believes he deserves another shot.
“Obviously, with Sevu and his head knock, there’s an opportunity to play Rieko on the right and keep him going,” Robertson told the media in Wellington after the team announcement.
“He could play either wing as he said to us, so he can play either wing and or centre. So bit of continuity for him, we will give him another crack at it, and Caleb Clarke gets a chance on the left wing.”
The All Blacks head coach tells reporters that Ioane’s athleticism and ability to learn quickly are what impressed him the most.
“Oh, he’s a good athlete, he learns quickly, he’s been around for a long time as he’s played 82 tests, so it’s his opportunity to jump on the other wing.
“As I’ve mentioned before, players are going to play one or two positions, and he’s planning on getting the ball in his hands. He had some really nice touches last week, and he can also get better in some areas.
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When asked by reporters about whether there was a temptation to shift Will Jordan to the right wing and start Damian McKenzie at fullback, Robertson was not mucking around with his response.
“No.”
Robertson believes that continuing with a consistent squad will help in the long term, building cohesion and familiarity with combinations.
“We are really focusing on continuity, the series is still on, and we want to give them a chance to build their combinations, like I said, and with the guys in the positions they are playing, continuity is really big part of it.
“This is a three-Test series, and we got one done last weekend and a big one on Saturday, so we’re giving them every chance to have high cohesion.”
