All Blacks put rivals on notice with World Cup squad

9 months ago 79

The All Blacks person named their 33-man squad who volition alert to France for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The squad features 3 hookers, 4 locks, six props, 5 escaped forwards, 3 halfbacks, 4 midfielders, 3 fly-halves, and 5 extracurricular backs.

The squad was led retired by erstwhile skipper and All Blacks fable Richie McCaw successful Napier.

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Samipeni Finau and Dallas McLeod were among the omissions arsenic were Braydon Ennor, Joe Moody, and Ethan Blackadder, the second trio down and retired owed to injuries.

Of the 33-man squad, Super Rugby Pacific outfits the Blues, Crusaders, and Hurricanes each had 8 players named portion the Hurricanes had 5 and the Highlanders conscionable three.

Of peculiar interest for the All Blacks heading into the naming of the squad was Brodie Retallick, who suffered a genu wounded successful Saturday's constrictive triumph implicit the Wallabies.

New Zealand's Brodie Retallick receives attraction to a genu wounded during the Bledisloe Cup rugby Test match. (John Davidson via AP)

Retallick said he'll apt miss the archetypal lucifer against France and could conceivably beryllium retired for the 2nd against Namibia and the 3rd "at worst" against Italy.

Speaking with Sky Sports The Breakdown, which is besides disposable connected Stan Sport, caput manager Ian Foster elaborate Retallick's prognosis.

"Brodie's genu is astir apt astir a six-week (layoff) but we're not 100 per cent sure," Foster said.

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"Whether it'll beryllium circular 1 oregon circular 2 of the World Cup, we're not sure. We truly judge he's earned his enactment and we tin negociate that."

Asked astir the likes of Moody and Blackadder, Foster said they were some "very close" to selection.

"They've both, unfortunately, got re-injuries the past mates of weeks. That's acceptable them backmost a spot and we truly felt — peculiarly with Ethan, he's not owed to play for different 3 oregon 4 weeks.

New Zealand execute a haka during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup lucifer betwixt the All Blacks and Wallabies astatine Forsyth Barr Stadium. (Joe Allison via Getty Images)

"Moods is sooner than that. We deliberation he's successful astir 2 weeks' clip but with the compilation of his clip disconnected and our program, having to spell into that archetypal portion of this World Cup afloat loaded, we conscionable truly privation him to spell and get immoderate crippled clip successful the meantime.

"We've got a batch of religion successful him. He's a peculiar subordinate and he's done a batch successful this backmost jersey and hopefully there's going to beryllium an accidental aboriginal for him."

Foster confirmed they would beryllium taking 3 other players arsenic wounded cover, namely Brad Weber, George Bell, and Finau.

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"That was ever the plan, by the way, to person 3 much – conscionable for grooming reasons," helium explained.

"They can't articulation america erstwhile we spell to Lyon, but they tin conscionable for the 2 weeks earlier that.

"We're going to beryllium taking implicit Brad Weber arsenic a 4th nine. Samipeni Finau, who volition travel implicit and whitethorn adjacent beryllium progressive successful that South African crippled with Brodie's genu potentially.

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"George Bell is going to articulation america arsenic a 4th hooker. Asafo Aumua pulled his calf and is retired for 8 weeks, which happened connected the weekend. It's a large accidental for George for america to get to cognize him."

The All Blacks play their archetypal Rugby World Cup crippled successful France against the hosts connected September 9 astatine 5.15am (AEST).

The All Blacks volition past look Namibia, Italy, and Uruguay successful their remaining Pool A matches.

2023 Rugby World Cup All Blacks squad (alphabetical order)

Hookers: Dane Coles, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Codie Taylor

Props: Ethan de Groot, Nepo Laulala, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams

Locks: Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tupou Vaa'i, Sam Whitelock

Loose forwards: Sam Cane (captain), Shannon Frizell, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali'i, Ardie Savea

Halfbacks: Finlay Christie, Cam Roigard, Aaron Smith

First-fives: Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo'unga

Midfielders: Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown

Outside backs: Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Will Jordan, Emoni Narawa, Mark Telea

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