The good news for the All Blacks is that they are guaranteed a place in a World Cup quarter-final next weekend after a 73-0 victory over Uruguay in Lyon this morning. The bad news is both tighthead props Tyrel Lomax and Fletcher Newell left the field with leg injuries.
Lomax departed on nine minutes after hurting his right knee, already heavily strapped for the horrific cut he received in the warm-up match against the Boks. The fact he was icing it on the sideline suggests it wasn’t related to his original injury and does not bode well.
Afterwards, Ian Foster told Sky Sport he thought it was a medial ligament injury which could put Lomax in doubt for next weekend and potentially a week later if the All Blacks make it that far.
Newell, on as Lomax’s replacement, scored his first Test try but left the pitch with six minutes remaining with what appeared to be a knee or ankle issue. Foster said that replacement was more precautionary than anything.
While Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Tamaiti Williams, who also scored his first Test try this morning, can play both sides of the scrum, the injuries are concerning nine days out from a quarter-final in Paris.
Should the highly-rated Lomax and 23-year-old Newell be ruled out, it means Nepo Laulala is the only specialist tighthead in the squad ahead of what will be a heavy-duty clash against potentially Ireland or South Africa.
The injuries take away from what became a good performance by the All Blacks against a dogged Uruguay, who contested the breakdown far more fiercely than Italy last weekend.
“It was a tough test match, particularly in that first half,” skipper Sam Cane said afterwards. “We were really made to work for it.”
Ian Foster’s men scored 11 tries in total, with left wing Leicester Fainga’anuku scoring a second-half hat-trick, sparkling fullback Damian McKenzie scoring a double, and Will Jordan also scoring two. For Jordan it was his 26th and 27th tries in his 28th Test.
They had the all-important bonus point after 38 minutes but it took them 19 minutes to score their first try; McKenzie was the recipient from an attacking scrum, and while they had two earlier tries ruled out, the All Blacks, featuring nine changes from last weekend, were guilty of playing too loosely.
They went away from the way they started so impressively against Italy and were likely given a big reminder of that at halftime after they walked off with a 26-0 lead.
“It was actually what we expected… we thought [Uruguay] did a really good job over the ball in the early games and they did that again,” Foster said.
Cam Roigard was over early but ruled to have lost the ball in a tackle on the line before Anton Lienert-Brown was forced to make a try-saving tackle on flanker Manuel Ardao.
McKenzie also had one ruled out for an alleged neck roll in the build up by Richie Mo’unga but once the little fullback went over from an attacking scrum, and Mo’unga followed suit shortly after with a nice variation, the floodgates opened.
Jordan scored his first following a brilliant McKenzie in-flick as he tip-toed down the touchline and Roigard was rewarded with some good foot work from another dominant attacking scrum.
The gloss on a milestone Test for Sam Whitelock – celebrating his 150th – was truly established after the break.
Once Newell celebrated his own milestone five-pointer, and the changes were made – Tamaiti Williams and Samisoni Taukei’aho coming on for Tu’ungafasi and Codie Taylor – the points flowed as the Uruguayans struggled to stay with the pace of the All Blacks.
Read more: All Blacks seal spot in World Cup QFs with blowout over Uruguay
Jordan impressed with his finishing and inventiveness, Fainga’anuku with his workrate and ruthlessness near the try-line and McKenzie’s sparkplug performance all but guaranteed him a place on the bench next weekend.
Ethan Blackadder had a busy 27 minutes off the bench on his return, with Caleb Clarke, Scott Barrett and Beauden Barrett - the latter going to fullback after McKenzie went to first-five once Mo’unga was replaced – all having their moments.
After the polished Italy performance this was far clunkier by the All Blacks against a team ranked No.17 in the world.
But Lomax and Newell are their biggest worries.
All Blacks 73 (Leicester Fainga’anuku 3, Damian McKenzie 2, Will Jordan 2, Richie Mo’unga, Cam Roigard, Fletcher Newell, Tamaiti Williams tries; Mo’unga 5 cons, McKenzie 2 cons, Beauden Barrett 2 cons)
Uruguay 0
Halftime: 26-0
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