Rieko Ioane has described himself and new midfield partner Jordie Barrett as the “two misfits”, but that backline adjustment was the most predictable of those made by head coach Ian Foster as the All Blacks seek to wrap up the Rugby Championship at Eden Park on Saturday.
It was forced by the injuries to David Havili (concussion due to head clash with Sam Cane) and Quinn Tupaea (knee wrecked by Darcy Swain’s reckless “cleanout”) suffered in the dramatic 39-37 win over the Wallabies in Melbourne last week.
Other changes have been forced – such as Scott Barrett’s unavailability due to an Achilles/calf issue which flared up again at Marvel Stadium, Shannon Frizell’s delayed return from a rib injury and skipper Cane’s concussion which means Akira Ioane starts at No.6 alongside the returning No.8 Ardie Savea and openside Dalton Papali’i.
Hoskins Sotutu, who had a mixed performance in Bledisloe I, is the loose forward cover, with Tupou Vaa’i the lock reserve.
Foster’s conservatism this year made the backline relatively easy to pick – he clearly doesn’t yet have full faith in Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (named on bench), which accounted for Jordie's selection at No.12 and brother Beauden’s at fullback – and yet the head coach’s decision-making around his forward pack is genuinely surprising.
Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, the player of the match last Thursday with two tries – and a real find for the All Blacks this year – has been dropped to the bench in favour of Codie Taylor, who hasn’t been sighted since his mistaken-ridden cameo against Argentina in Christchurch.
Read more - All Blacks: Jordie Barrett into midfield, Savea back at No.8
There is no sign either of props George Bower and Fletcher Newell – success stories off the bench recently. They have been replaced by Ofa Tuungafasi and Nepo Laulala, who are returning from injury.
Tuungafasi has had his scrummaging issues this year and Laulala has struggled to make positive impacts away from the set piece, so there is an element of dice rolling from Foster here as the All Blacks attempt the big victory over Australia which will give them a chance to beat the Boks for the Rugby Championship.
As for the Ioane/Barrett combination in the midfield, no one is more pleased than Jordie, a 25-year-old who has started at first-five, left wing, right wing and fullback during his Test career, but never at No.12.
“It is exciting,” he said. “It’s another fresh challenge but a challenge I’ve been waiting for for a wee while now.
“It’s another Test against an Aussie side that will be hurting. I’m expecting a bit of traffic.”
Ioane said of the partnership: “It’s been pretty good. We’ve got two misfits lining up in the midfield… he’s a good talker so it makes my job a lot easier.”
Ioane, a convert from the wing to his favoured centre position, explained away his “misfit” reference by saying neither he nor Barrett entered the squad initially as midfielders but it was probably also a veiled comeback to the many critics who still don’t see him as a natural centre.
And while Jordie has has finally got his wish, Foster made it clear the selection was only due to injury.
“I was a No.10 until I was 15 years old then was slowly shuffled out to 12,” Barrett said. “Once I got into the professional level I was too skinny so I had to go out the back. Hopefully now I’ve got more size on… I’m enjoying playing there.”
Foster said having watched Jordie and Beauden play three quarters of the game at second-five and fullback respectively, it was best for them and the team to start that way this week.
“He went pretty good – he was a bit rusty on a few calls and he was too eager in some ways… but there were some nice lessons there,” Foster said of Jordie.
“He is a strong carrier, an aggressive defender, he can kick and he’s a good communicator.”
Foster, meanwhile, appeared sanguine about the six-week ban for Swain, who ruptured Tupaea’s MCL knee ligament in a clearly illegal and dangerous act last week and for which he was only yellow carded at the time.
“It is what it is,” Foster said.
“Our people will always review decisions to make sure we learn from processes, but it seems to me that they [judiciary] came up with a pretty satisfactory answer.”
Referee Matthieu Raynal’s late intervention last week to sanction the Wallabies for time-wasting, which allowed the All Blacks to win an attacking scrum and then a late try for Jordie Barrett contained a lesson for all players, Foster said.
“Players have to learn to listen to referees…
“If you look at the last decision, the biggest issue out of it wasn’t time wasting. The biggest issue is that when a ref gives you clear instructions then at some point you have to listen to him, otherwise what’s the point in having a referee out there?
“Every team will find ways to slow momentum down at different times. But if there is a mood by World Rugby to speed up the game and have less time wasting then we’re 100 per cent in because that’s what we want.”
All Blacks vs Wallabies, Saturday 24 Sept, Eden Park, 7:05pm
All Blacks: 15. Beauden Barrett, 14. Will Jordan, 13. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jordie Barrett, 11. Caleb Clarke, 10. Richie Mo'unga, 9. Aaron Smith, 8. Ardie Savea, 7. Dalton Papalii, 6. Akira Ioane, 5. Sam Whitelock [C], 4. Brodie Retallick 3. Tyrel Lomax, 2. Codie Taylor, 1. Ethan de Groot
Reserves: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Ofa Tuungafasi, 18. Nepo Laulala, 19. Tupou Vaa'i, 20. Hoskins Sotutu, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 23. Sevu Reece
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