Squad revamp on the cards for All Blacks
SPOTLIGHT: Assistant coach Jason Holland said on Sunday that the All Blacks will ring the changes when they select their side for the third and final Test against France, but added there was “no lack of motivation” to complete a series clean sweep.
An improved All Blacks outclassed a depleted France 43-17 in the second Test in Wellington to seal the series with a game to spare.
New Zealand made only two changes to the starting team who scraped to a 31-27 win in the first Test in Dunedin.
Speaking the day after the victory, Holland said a new-look line-up will be fielded on Saturday in Hamilton, staying true to a pre-series pledge to give all 35 New Zealand squad members game time.
#REPORT: @AllBlacks make under-strength @FranceRugby pay.
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“The general mindset was to make sure that everyone gets a taste of some Test footy in these three games, so I don’t think anything will change there,” Holland told reporters on Sunday.
Next week’s team is set to include uncapped hooker Brodie McAlister, loose forwards Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson, and backs Noah Hotham, Ruben Love and Anton Lienert-Brown.
Holland was delighted with the improvement shown in Wellington as the All Blacks opened up a 29-3 half-time lead over a vastly inexperienced France side, who left most of their first-choice players at home.
“We know we’ve got lots and lots of areas we still need to be better,” said Holland.
– Coaching challenge –
“There’ll be no lack of motivation to keep getting better and I’m sure the boys will add something when they get their opportunity.”
Tighter French defence forced New Zealand into mistakes in a second half that saw France and New Zealand both score 14 points.
“We felt in the last 20 minutes we could have finished better than we did and really put them away,” said Holland.
“We’ve just got to have variations that don’t over-complicate things. That’s the challenge in coaching these days, I reckon.”
Holland said Tupou Vaa’i was a doubt for the third Test after the back-row forward failed an initial head injury assessment after being substituted in the second half.
Vaa’i has been a standout performer in the series, scoring tries in both Tests to justify a decision to convert the athletic 25-year-old to the back row from lock, where he won his first 38 All Blacks caps.
“It’s exciting I reckon, obviously Tupou gives you another big man in your lineout, but also he’s a mobile man and he’s quick around the park,” Holland said, indicating Vaa’i would continue in his new role.
“He likes to put a shoulder on defensively in there and has all the good attributes of a number six so I reckon it’s really exciting.”
Holland said wing Caleb Clarke, who was replaced in the second Test starting line-up after suffering an ankle injury in training, will be out for “five to six weeks”.
It means Clarke is ruled out of the opening two Rugby Championship Tests in Argentina on August 16 and 23.
