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How the All Blacks XV are suffering from their big brother's injury toll
By Ned Lester
Challenges are mounting for the All Blacks XV as the team’s debut approaches while more players become unavailable for the already reduced squad.
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Ian Foster revealed his initial plan was to have some of the younger, less experienced All Blacks squad members join the XV side for more international game time. Injuries and personal matters have since forced changes, impacting both sides.
Sky’s The Breakdown panel tallied the losses for the XV team and shared concern for the productivity of the tour given the circumstances.
Ex-All Black Jeff Wilson was the first to express worry.
“For Leon MacDonald and Clayton McMillan and his team, for the All Blacks XV, it’s got really challenging all of a sudden,” Wilson said.
“So, after the Japan game, six days later they’ve got to play Ireland A, and so a number of the players I’m sure who are going up to Japan will then cross back, surely – because they haven’t announced any replacements and there’s been a huge number of injuries.
“(Brodie) McCalister and (George) Bell, they got banged up in the (NPC) final yesterday. Oli Jager’s out, he’s out for a significant amount of time. No Angus Ta’avao, no Bryn Gatland.
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“Then you’ve taken Patrick Tuipulotu, Brad Weber, Damian McKenzie, (Asafo Aumua), integral parts out of that group, as they’re preparing for their game.
“I look at this right now and I think about this All Blacks XV group – and I’m sure there’s a number of aggrieved Wellington players who would have liked to be a part of that – but all of a sudden that group’s got really small, and trying to prepare is going to be very very difficult.
“Once again, I’m not sure this All Blacks XV tour, after being four games reduced to two and with the circumstances we’re facing, is any easy task.”
The All Blacks XV squad was initially named with 28 players, of which four have been injured and another four called into the All Blacks as cover.
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The remaining 20 will meet for training camp this week before heading to Ireland for their clash against Ireland A in Dublin on November 4 and the Barbarians at Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Nov 13.
“It’s going to be interesting to see those selections and who’s going to be actually making those selections,” Ex-Black Fern Chelsea Semple said.
“Is it going to be the All Blacks XV coaches? Or is it going to be Ian Foster and the team because they want to make the selections that they want to see, to be the backup players for the All Blacks in case of any injuries leading into a World Cup?
“The thing that’ll be hard for that All Blacks XV team, is you’ve lost your nine and ten.
“When you’re preparing for a test, they’re running the show.
“You’ve still got Perenara there, he’ll be disappointed to miss out on the callup, but you’ve lost Brad Weber and Damian McKenzie who as a combination have been tried and tested and true.
“So, their preparation is not going to be as good, because flying from Japan to (Europe) with a six-day turnaround after potentially playing a test match as well, it’s tough on the body.
Mils Muliaina questioned how much care is going into the XV team with the priority clearly so heavily on the premier side.
“What does it actually cater for? I mean let’s be honest, the All Blacks coaches named the All Blacks XV, so when you’ve got those guys coming over, isn’t this tour catered around the All Blacks? It’s not catered around the All Blacks XV.”
