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Hansen says All Blacks playmaker experiment 'needs time'
By Online Editors
World Cup favourites New Zealand have have made 11 changes for their Pool B game against Canada at Oita Stadium on Wednesday but there is no rest for dual playmakers Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett.
Winger Rieko Ioane, at 22 the youngest member of the All Blacks squad, is among the fringe players getting a run-out but coach Steve Hansen is keen to take another long look at fly-half Mo’unga’s partnership with full-back Barrett.
“I just wanted to give them more time together,” said Hansen, whose side are aiming to make it 16 World Cup wins in a row. “I think it’s important.
“They haven’t had a lot of Test matches together so they just need some more time. I’m not saying they’re not clicking or anything like that. It’s just time.”
With Jordie on the wing and Scott in the second row, the Barrett brothers will become the first trio of siblings to start for New Zealand.
Captain Kieran Read said: “It’s exciting for them and great value for our team and so to put them all on the field at the same time, it’ll be just like their backyard out there at some point.”
Read and try-scorer Scott Barrett are the only other players to retain their starting spots from the team that began their campaign with a 23-13 victory over South Africa.
The All Blacks have won all three previous meetings but Hansen has pledged not to under-estimate the Canadians, who have made six changes to the starting XV which lost 48-7 to Italy in their opening game.
Hansen said: “Canada probably haven’t the strength they have had in the past but what they are is a very proud team, a very proud nation and they’re led by a very, very good rugby player Tyler Ardron.
“I think he’s established himself as good as anyone in Super Rugby and they’ll play with a lot of pride.
“I read (on Tuesday morning) that one of their players thinks he’s a ‘Joe Nobody’ and can’t wait to be tackled by Kieran Read so that tells you their attitude is they’re coming to the party. It’ll be physical as it always is against the Canadians.”
Canada coach Kingsley Jones said: “We totally understand what we’re facing on Wednesday but we look forward with excitement.
“For us to prepare to play against some of the best players in the world, for players it’s what they dream about.
“They want to measure themselves against the best. We want to come out in that game with a lot of respect, show the individuals playing good, the coaching staff too, for our country.”
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Latest Comments
BB can’t pass? Right…
Go to commentsEven the 20/30 cappers did too I reckon.
IDK, I think Jordan has a limited life span in this side unless he can develop more to his game. Like you go on to mention, I think theyres more important things to worry about than the effectiveness of someone's extra strings, or secondary components to their game.
Bash backs are Fosters thing, and to a large part they've made it work. Theyre now one of the best teams in the world.
They boy's trucked it up a bit against Italy in the redzone, and against France, wasn't that effective without the right players probably.
Try and take a look at it this way. Dissapointed Havili and Blackadder were in the side? Havili despite clearly shown that he can't do what the team needs at 12 was kept on for the RWC. Back goes down and he brings in Blackadder who doesn't play. Refuses to drop Christie when he should and look who starts this season. Beauden Barret not playing well enough to keep his 10 jersey but we gotta keep him in the side. Weve only got one 8, we stuff developing another I'll just play Ardie every game.
This years team wasn't burdened overly with injuries but they were in every position Razor might have wanted to try and development, severely limiting options. I'm not defending Razor as there was also plenty of other opportunity to make up for it and he was a little gunshy, but I'm also not going to overly criticise him because he chose cohesion over a black slate.
I think more and more people are on board with it being time to try alternatives, but then again, how would they have reacted to a loss against Italy? 😉
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