All Blacks heading to the #RWC with second row concerns
REACTION: The All Blacks’ already fragile second row stock suffered another major setback during their 7-35 defeat to the Springboks on Friday.
The All Blacks named four locks in their 23 to face the Springboks at Twickenham but may have just two available for their next test against France.
Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett lined up for the test in the No. 4 and 5 jerseys respectively, and the All Blacks finished the game with Josh Lord and Tupou Vaa’i in the second row.
Whitelock left the field in the 50th minute to make way for his replacement but Barrett was sent off just before the halftime break, having received his second yellow card of the match.
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The first card came in the 13th minute as a result of New Zealand giving up 12 penalties in that period. Barrett’s offence was an innocent enough breakdown infringement, but the high penalty count had already seen the All Blacks warned and Barrett’s indiscretion was the final straw.
The lock returned to the field for another 15 minutes before a poorly executed clearout was picked up by the TMO. The reckless dive into the body of Malcolm Marx warranted another yellow and thus, a red.
News on any punishment for the red card will be delivered in the coming days.
While recent bans handed to the likes of Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola were the result of single, red card-worthy offences, namely contact to the head, Barrett’s card being the result of two yellows makes the disciplinary action more unpredictable.
Not helping Barrett’s case is a previous red card back in 2019, when the lock became just the fourth All Black to see red for a dangerous hit on Michael Hooper.
Regardless of the outcome, Barrett has the backing of his roommate Dane Coles.
“Obviously Scooter will be disappointed,” said Coles. “He’s his own [harshest] critic.
“I feel for the big fella. He never goes out with the intention of getting yellow-carded. [We’ll] get around him. I’m not sure what the process is with the red card.
“He’s still an important part of this squad going forward, and he’s a great man. We’ll get around him.
“He’s my [roommate], actually. I’ll have to check on him and make sure he’s alright.”
That potentially rules out two of the four locks in Ian Foster’s 33-man World Cup squad, while of further concern is the injury to Shannon Frizell, who is the only other player in the squad to cover lock.
If Barrett’s suspension is confirmed, Sam Whitelock and Tupou Vaa’i will be the only locks left standing for the World Cup opener against France.
By Ned Lester, Rugbypass
#REACTION: “We got exactly what we wanted out of this game.”#Rugby #sports @Springboks @AllBlacks #RSAvNZL https://t.co/tohTgR8JXu
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) August 26, 2023
