All Blacks call in more cover amid second-row injury woes

Hurricanes second-rower Isaia Walker-Leawere has joined the All Blacks in Auckland as the team deal with the absences of captain Scott Barrett and veteran Patrick Tuipulotu.

Barrett underwent a surgical operation upon return to New Zealand after sustaining a finger injury against Fiji and is expected to be sidelined for the opening two rounds of The Rugby Championship.

Tuipulotu’s timeline is unclear but it’s understood a calf injury is the latest issue the Blues captain has been dealing with, having recovered from an MCL surgery in time for the Super Rugby Pacific final just ahead of the July Series.

The All Blacks already required the services of their injury reserve lock Josh Lord off the bench in round one’s Test against Argentina, making it clear more depth was needed ahead of round two.

Walker-Leawere’s inclusion rewards one of New Zealand’s form locks in 2024, with the 27-year-old a powerful force in the Hurricanes’ impressive forward pack throughout their table-topping season. The lock also impressed during the Maori All Blacks’ recent Test series against the Japan XV.

The team shared a post on their social media channels on Tuesday evening announcing the call-up.

Isaia Walker-Leawere has joined the team as injury cover for Patrick Tuipulotu for the week in Auckland 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/8PHBbSNOZB

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 13, 2024

Test rookie Sam Darry celebrated his first start in the black jersey with a try on Saturday, and had a glowing report of his initial time with the squad during the Steinlager Series.

“Once you taste this environment, it’s quite addictive. You want to come back in and get back into the swing of things,” he told media on Tuesday.

Darry’s biggest learning can come as a lesson for Walker-Leawere as he adjusts to the higher intensity and pace of the international game, even in training.

“If you’re half a second too late, half a second too early, or you miss something in the flow-on and the repercussions of that.

“The importance of those moments in other games, you might be able to get away with it if you are slightly off but, as we saw, the ball bounces one way and you’re not there, they pounce on it and it is a try down the other end.”