Rennie buoyed by return of key All Blacks players for Bok Test
REACTION: All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie was upbeat about welcoming back some of his star players for the opening Test of the Greatest Rivalry against the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
*Also read: All Blacks bring in star trio for Bok showdown
Rennie, who said it was tough picking the side, will be banking on the matchday 23 to cause an upset and get their series off to a winning start.
He’s named an experienced side that boasts over 400 caps in the forwards department and 271 in the backline.
Leading up to the Test, the All Blacks were sweating over the availability of key players Will Jordan, Cam Roigard, and utility back Damian McKenzie.
Jordan was struggling with minor back pain, while Roigard had a calf issue, and McKenzie hurt his ankle against the Sharks in one of the mid-week matches.
All three, however, have made timely recoveries ahead of the first Test, with Rennie confident they are raring to go.
“He did a big chunk of training on Tuesday; he’s come through really well, so we’re really confident,” he said when asked about Damian McKenzie.
“It’s good to have them back; they are really good players and important to us.
“Both Will and Cam had a big impact in the Nations Championship; that means they’re fresh and keen to rip in.”
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The side will be captained by Ardie Savea, who is set to earn his 110th Test cap for the All Blacks.
Savea’s last competitive appearance came against Ireland in the Nations Championship last month, before he was given a short break following a demanding 12 months of rugby.
He returned to the All Blacks camp a week ago, and Rennie is confident the skipper is ready to rise to the challenge that will be posed by the Springboks.
“He’s come back full of beans,” Rennie revealed.
“Obviously, it was good to get his head out of footy for a few days and spend a bit of time as well with family.
“I know he really missed it; he’s trained really hard. He’s come back in and connected quickly; he’s been in for almost a week and a half, so he’s ready to go.”
The All Blacks’ mentor admitted they were forced to make some tough selection decisions.
Veteran lock Patrick Tuipulotu is one of the players who was left out, with Rennie opting for Josh Lord and Fabian Holland as his lock pairing.
With four Tests to play, however, the 62-year-old coach believes every player will have a role to play.
“There’s been a lot of guys in good form and massive competition for places. There’s a handful of spots that took a fair bit of discussion.
“The second row especially, the two guys we’ve chosen with Tupou Vaa’i at No.6, we’re really excited about that group.
“You look at how good Patrick [Tuipulotu] was against Ireland; Sam Darry has been excellent for us as well, a big man with a really good skill set and massive engine.
“We believe we will use more than 23 on this tour; such is the intensity of a Test. So, we think other guys will get their opportunities.”
When asked about the importance of winning the first Test to set the tempo, Rennie didn’t downplay the importance of starting on a high note.
“It will help, wouldn’t it?
“I guess whoever doesn’t win the first Test will say it doesn’t matter because we’ve still got three to go.
“I’m sure both sides want to start well; we see this being a really tough tour, so drawing first blood would help.”
