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Jordie Barrett set for Taranaki debut while brother Beauden in doubt as All Blacks released for Mitre 10 Cup
By Alex McLeod
All Blacks star Jordie Barrett is in line for his first appearance for his home province of Taranaki in the opening round of the Mitre 10 Cup this weekend.
Barrett is among a slew of All Blacks who were named in Ian Foster's 35-man squad on Sunday and have been released to play for their provincial sides across New Zealand over the coming days.
It means that Taranaki's season-opening clash against Bay of Plenty in Inglewood this Sunday could be the 23-year-old's first appearance for the Bulls since signing with them three years ago.
In doing so, he returned to the province of which he was born and grew up in, but Barrett is yet to don the yellow and black jersey after having made his first-class debut for Canterbury as a teenager in 2016.
While Sunday's match presents a prime opportunity to register his first cap for Taranaki, he may have to do so without the services of older brother Beauden.
The 83-test playmaker is among four players - including Joe Moody, Braydon Ennor (both Canterbury) and All Blacks captain Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty) - who are being assessed by medical staff this week to see whether they can play this weekend.
Two further players - new All Blacks lock Quentin Strange (Tasman) and Dane Coles (Wellington) - are still recovering from respective injuries and will be unavailable for their respective provinces.
Otherwise, all other members of the All Blacks squad are set to play in New Zealand's premier domestic competition this weekend.
Auckland appear to have benefitted from this more than any other side in the competition given they welcome back seven All Blacks, more than any other province, into their set-up ahead of their bout with Otago in Dunedin on Saturday.
Elsewhere, star halfback Aaron Smith could make his first appearance for Manawatu in nearly a decade when they face Jack Goodhue's Northland in Whangarei on Sunday, with the 31-year-old last playing for the Turbos in 2011.
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Latest Comments
500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.
Go to commentsDon't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
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