SECOND ROW BRODIE Retallick has been named in New Zealand’s final 33-man squad for the Rugby World Cup, despite picking up a knee injury last weekend.
Among those to miss out on All Blacks selection are back row Samipeni Finau and Chiefs wing/fullback Shaun Stevenson, who both made impressive debuts against the Wallabies on Saturday, while centre Braydon Ennor is also missing after being injured in that game.
Prop Joe Moody and back row Ethan Blackadder are absent, having had injuries this season, but centre David Havili is included after making a comeback for Tasman in the NPC last weekend.
103-times capped Retallick – who carried a shoulder injury into the 2019 World Cup – was forced off in the first half of Saturday’s dramatic 23-20 win over Australia with a knee injury, but Kiwi head coach Ian Foster has included him in the hope that he will be back in action in around six weeks’ time, meaning he is likely to miss the tournament opener against France in Paris on 8 September.
The All Blacks will also face Italy, Namibia, and Uruguay in Pool A at the World Cup. They could meet Ireland in the quarter-finals if both sides make it to that stage.
The All Blacks squad is largely along expected lines and includes a huge amount of experience. Indeed, this is the All Blacks’ most-capped World Cup squad ever with a combined 1493. Sam Whitelock is heading into his fourth World Cup, while Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Retallick, Codie Taylor, Dane Coles, and captain Sam Cane are set for their third.
The All Blacks’ official squad list includes Beauden Barrett as one of three out-halves but he has been playing at fullback for the Kiwis. Foster and assistant coaches Joe Schmidt and Jason Ryan have opted for a split of 18 forwards and 15 backs.
The Kiwis will play their last World Cup warm-up game against South Africa at Twickenham in London on 26 August, with Finau, scrum-half Brad Weber, and hooker George Bell set to travel with them as injury cover.
New Zealand’s World Cup squad:
Loosehead props: Ethan de Groot (Highlanders) Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Chiefs), Tamaiti Williams (Crusaders)
Tighthead props: Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes), Fletcher Newell (Crusaders), Nepo Laulala (Blues)
Hookers: Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs), Dane Coles (Hurricanes), Codie Taylor (Crusaders)
Locks: Scott Barrett (Crusaders), Brodie Retallick (Chiefs), Samuel Whitelock (Crusaders), Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs)
Back rows: Sam Cane (Chiefs, captain), Ardie Savea (Hurricanes), Shannon Frizell (Highlanders), Luke Jacobson (Chiefs), Dalton Papali’i (Blues)
Scrum-halves: Aaron Smith (Highlanders), Finlay Christie (Blues), Cam Roigard (Hurricanes)
Out-halves: Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders), Damian McKenzie (Chiefs), Beauden Barrett (Blues – also plays fullback)
Centres: Rieko Ioane (Blues), Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes), Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs), David Havili (Crusaders)
Back threes: Mark Telea (Blues), Leicester Fainga’anuku (Crusaders), Caleb Clarke (Blues), Emoni Narawa (Chiefs), Will Jordan (Crusaders).
I don’t think they’re anywhere close to the strength of previous years. They’ll be relying on Ardie’s and Jordan’s magic this tournament I reckon.
surely stephenson can dig up (not literally) an irish ancestor…we could take him off their hands…what a player he is…
@Patrick Kennedy: Rory McIlroy might just b bringing him to Ulster .. watch this space. . he’s like a clone of Damian penaud isn’t he !!
Looking at the squad, centre is the real area of weakness.
@kieran horgan: Lock as well. Retalick and Whitelock are not what they were in 2015. I think Ireland”s licks are better.
@Conor Lynott: maybe, but they have to get close enough to lick them…
@kieran horgan: jordie Barrett and ioane are arguably better than Robbie and Garry pal
@Gary Galligan: Very arguably. As in, you could argue it and you’d be wrong!
The opening WC match will tell all! .. btw has anyone noticed that with the way the matches are scheduled, the outcome of pools A,C and D could well be decided on the opening weekend? Fr/NZ for 1/2 in A, Eng/Arg for 1/2 in D and Wales/Fiji for 2nd spot to Australia in C. That can’t have been intentional, but it does give these teams space to rotate and refresh before the QFs. Which would of course be a complete contrast to the journey facing Ireland. So all eyes on our group then and a crazy Scotland/SA result is not impossible.
All blacks still the team to beat