Jeff Wilson previews ‘big opportunities’ for All Blacks in Japan

You only get to debut once. For Hurricanes duo Peter Lakai and Ruben Love, that opportunity to kick-start their All Blacks career is only a matter of days away, with the pair both named to come off the bench against Eddie Jones’ Japan in Yokohama.

Love has been with the All Blacks for quite some time under coach Scott Robertson, but the playmaker hasn’t been picked to don the coveted jersey until now. With Stephen Perofeta getting the nod at fullback, Love will look to add impact off the pine.

As for Lakai, the backrower’s ascent to the All Blacks had been rapid. Lakai enjoyed yet another strong season with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific before carrying that high level of performance into the provincial arena with the Wellington Lions.

Following injuries to backrow trio Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson and Dalton Papali’i, Lakai was called into the All Blacks last week for the Test on Saturday evening. That said, for quite some time, it’s simply been a matter of when Lakai and Love play for the All Blacks.

Now that they have their chance, both will want to make their mark on the black jersey on what will likely be a humid evening at Nissan Stadium. As former New Zealand winger Jeff Wilson explained, there are “big opportunities” for players to push for more Test caps.

“These are big games, big opportunities for a guy like Stephen Perofeta. Started at fullback at the (start) of the season, then picked up an injury and has had limited opportunities since,” Wilson said on SENZ’s Scotty & Izzy.

“So for guys like him, this is their best chance to put their best foot forward in terms of their form, so that they are a viable option for the next three Tests when we get to Europe.

“… It’ll be interesting if the game’s comfortable. If the game’s comfortable then it’s different for them as players because then they can go out and maybe take a few more risks.

“For Lakai, it’s really where he’s going to make his impact, where they see him playing because he’s got such great versatility, he can play probably all three backrow positions… with the injuries we’ve suffered there, what are we going to do for the remainder of this tour?

“If he can make an impact and Samipeni Finau doesn’t have an impact, where does that leave him in terms of maybe a bench spot? For Lakai, this is exciting. We’ve all seen his talent, everyone’s got great things to say about him, it’s just about whether or not he can do it in a short period of time.

“For Love, we all know how exciting he can be. I just hope he thinks (to) run-first, kick-second.”

While the inclusion of Love and Lakai was sure to capture headlines across the rugby world, the All Blacks also made a significant decision in their leadership department. Lock Patrick Tuipulotu will captain New Zealand in a Test match for the first time.

Tighthead prop Pasilio Tosi has been handed a maiden start in an All Blacks jumper, and Cam Roigard is another significant inclusion in this week’s team. Roigard, who suffered a devastating knee injury during the Super Rugby season, will link up with Damian McKenzie in the halves.

There is genuine firepower and class across the board with this All Blacks side. Wallace Sititi will get a run in the No. 8 jersey for the first time at Test level, while Sam Cane and Anton Lienert-Brown will serve as vice-captains.

“I’m excited to see this group, I’m excited to see a couple of new faces – guys that we thought we might’ve seen earlier on who haven’t had an opportunity. Great to see Ruben Love out there, great to see Peter Lakai get an opportunity off the bench as well,” Wilson had explained.

“I really do like this team. I like the balance they’ve managed to put together. They’ve selected very similar to the balance they had against Fiji and that was a really impressive performance in San Diego earlier on.

“I’m expecting big things out of this group. I think they’ve been together quite a bit… the rest of the group has prepared really well I’m sure. It’s going to be hot and be played at a breakneck speed but I think that’ll suit us.”