Coles, Crotty boost for All Blacks
Hooker Dane Coles and centre Ryan Crotty will rejoin the All Blacks squad for their final match in the Rugby Championship against South Africa on Saturday.
Coles missed New Zealand's Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires at the weekend, after returning home for the birth of his first child.
The All Blacks beat Argentina 34-13 to clinch the Championship title with one round remaining.
Crotty has recovered from a broken cheekbone, suffered during New Zealand's 51-20 win over Australia earlier in the tournament and played last weekend for his Canterbury province.
Keven Mealamu stepped up in the place of Coles as hooker for the All Blacks and rookie Nathan Harris made his debut from the bench in La Plata.
Coles will now board another long haul flight to Johannesburg and arrive a few hours after the team on Monday.
"Dane Coles [is] coming to South Africa," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen told the New Zealand media before the team departed Argentina.
"The baby has been born. He had a wee boy."
It now seems likely Coles, after establishing his presence as first choice hooker, will start against the Springboks at Ellis Park, with Mealamu providing back-up.
"We haven't decided about that yet," Hansen said.
Brodie Retallick's head knock will be assessed on arrival in South Africa, but the All Blacks will not bring over additional locking cover, even if he is ruled out.
Sam Whitelock and Jeremy Thrush are the only other second row options with blindside flank Steven Luatua offering a contingency plan.
"I can't tell you any more than last [Saturday] night," Hansen said of Retallick.
"He got a smack in the back of the head at one of the rucks. He didn't feel 100 percent so we took him off.
''The doc will assess him tomorrow [Monday] once we get there and see how he copes with the travel. They'll go through the normal concussion stuff.
"We're only allowed 30 players. At this stage Steven will cover him and Ryan Crotty is coming over so we can't bring anyone else."
After watching the Boks run over the Wallabies in the final 10 minutes of their flattering 28-10 bonus point win in Cape Town at the weekend, Hansen felt the South African's fitness levels had lifted.
"It was a pretty intense Test match and they hung in there," he said.
"They belted each other for a long time and right at the end the Aussies caved in. You'd have to say they are [getting fitter]."
Source: stuff.co.nz
