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Ian Foster explains the four changes to the bench including Codie Taylor
By Ben Smith
Ian Foster’s starting side for the second test against the Pumas is unchanged but the bench has had a makeover after a disappointing second forty minutes in Christchurch.
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The All Blacks only managed a lone penalty goal in the second half after having the lead 15-6 at one point in the first half.
A number of substitutions failed to deliver, particularly when hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho was taken off early for Codie Taylor.
The Crusaders No 2 has been replaced this week by Dane Coles in one of four changes to the bench made by the All Blacks.
“I think there is a little bit of that,” Foster said when queried about whether the changes were made as a result of the finish last week.
“I don’t think Codie was at his best, he’d admit that,” Foster said.
“We’ve got a lot of faith in him, he’s a quality rugby player but sometimes the right thing is to take him out and work hard on things behind the scenes.”
Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick has been named to make his return on the bench after suffering a broken cheekbone in third test against Ireland.
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He replaces his club teammate Tupou Vaa’i who failed to get onto the field in Christchurch.
“In Brodie’s [Retallick] case, it is a return to play more than anything,” Foster said.
“It’s tough on Tupou [Vaa’i] because he didn’t get on the field so he’s a guy we’ve got a lot of time for. We see this as a chance to play NPC and get some minutes.
After calls for Blues No 7 Dalton Papalii to start this week in place of Sam Cane, Foster resisted the pressure and named the same starting back row for the third test running.
Papalii has been named on the bench in place of Akira Ioane who drops out of the game day 23.
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“Dalton, we’ve been desperate to give him some game time. He’s clearly a guy we’ve got a lot of confidence in, we’ve given him a chance to get some minutes.”
Last week’s debutant Stephen Perofeta will have to wait to add to his 50 seconds of test rugby action, with Beauden Barrett returning to the bench after recovering from injury.
“Beauden [Barrett], is also coming back from injury and Colesy, well he’s Colesy really,” Foster said.
“He’s hitting people hard during clarity sessions and doing all sorts during the week so he’s ready to go.”
Akira vaai all dropped while the incompetent Sam cane gets to soldier on just shows you how arrogant and short sighted foster is his emotional attachment to cane and the rest of the old boys club is stopping him from making the tough decisions. If Sam cane cared about this team he’d do the right thing and drop himself
3 sevens in the team again I think it’s foster who’s incapable of learning
Foster is an idiot how can you say your team is rebuilding when you just replaced all your youth with guy’s that have been there post 2015
GO show your fans and yourselves that you CAN AND WILL DO IT!!!