Ardie Savea's decision to sport goggles for the first time during a Rugby World Cup was quick to be questioned after this morning's announcement but the All Blacks were just as fast to defend it.
Savea announced this morning he would wear World Rugby-approved goggles in the All Blacks' World Cup fixture against Canada in Oita tomorrow night after being named on the bench for the Test earlier this week.
Assistant coach Ian Foster told reporters this afternoon it is the first time Savea's eyesight has been addressed.
"Not to my understanding, no," Foster said when asked if the loose forward had previously worn contact lenses or other aids.
"He's had a lack of vision in one eye for a while and he just feels this is the right time to protect the other one."
Foster also confirmed the goggles were purely for protection and had no corrective lenses in them.
That led the reporter to question why Savea would debut the goggles on such a big stage as the World Cup, which Foster responded swiftly to.
"Why's that?"
The reporter tried to argue a "fundamental change" like that is best tried anywhere other than a World Cup but Foster was quick to quash that point.
"When a player comes and says that his eye is getting worse do you not think it's the right thing to do the right thing for the player?
"I think it's a very natural time."
A press conference co-ordinator then stepped in to move the press conference on to a new topic.
In May this year World Rugby approved the use of the goggles at all levels of rugby to allow those who are visually impaired to play the game.
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