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Latest All Blacks call-up hasn't had 'a good history' with Ireland
By Tom Vinicombe
With injuries and illness hitting the All Blacks' locking stocks this week, the All Blacks were in need of cover for the remaining matches of their July series with Ireland. With Sam Whitelock, Tupou Vaa'i and Josh Lord all sidelined, that void has been filled by none other than Patrick Tuipulotu.
Tuipulotu was not initially eligible for the squad due to spending the former part of the season playing in Japan but due to the number of key players unavailable at present, the 41-test All Black received a surprise call-up this week.
"I wasn't expecting to get called in this early," said Tuipulotu following confirmation he had joined the squad. "I was just at home, pretty much getting (daughter) Pama ready - got a phone call from John Plumtree asking if I'd be available to come in. So here I am - and it's good to be back in camp."
Complicating matters, Tuipulotu's partner, Phoenix Karaka, was already in camp with the New Zealand national netball side - meaning the All Blacks lock had to call in some favours.
"It was quite a messy morning," Tuipulotu said. "Phoe had been in camp since Sunday, in Wellington with the Silver Ferns. She gets out today so she'll be back home with the little one but had to call my parents over - they were over pretty quick, as soon as I made the call, so pretty grateful for all of the family that can help out. I was able to sort the little one out before I could get here."
With Whitelock unavailable for much of last season, Tuipulotu was given ample opportunities in the second row, partnering the likes of Brodie Retallick, Lord and Vaa'i but so four other recently capped locks in New Zealand at present, the 29-year-old will need to make every minute count this season in order to push himself up the pecking order ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup.
That opportunity to press his case has come earlier than anticipated - and there's no easier team to get motivated to face than an Irish side that Tuipulotu hasn't always enjoyed the best of times against throughout his career.
"I haven't had a good history with Ireland," he said. "My first time I played against them was the first time we lost against Ireland in USA.
"Obviously, Ireland are a very good side now and we've seen that in their wins against the All Blacks. I've got to do my bit to put my hand up (to earn a spot in the matchday 23) but if not, I'll do my bit to help the team prepare and get ready for a good Ireland team who are on the backfoot after last week."
Having captained the Blues to a Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title last year, Tuipulotu spent this year's season representing the Toyota Verblitz in the Japan Rugby League One competition. The Verblitz finished fifth in the league and Tuipulotu now enters the test campaign feeling revitalised and ready to lay down a marker.
"I'm feeling very fresh," he said. "I've been back for about a month and a half, two months now. I've actually enjoyed the time I've had at home with the family.
"Enjoyed playing out there (in Japan). The toll on the body isn't the same as what I usually get here. That in itself is refreshing. Coming back now, it's good to start running around with the All Blacks and getting the intensity back up to where it needs to be."
The All Blacks' squad to take on Ireland in the second test will be named on Thursday, with Patrick Tuipulotu a good chance of slotting straight onto the bench behind Brodie Retallick and Scott Barrett.
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The boy needs to bulk up if wants to play 10 or 11 to handle those hits, otherwise he could always make a brilliant reserve for the wings if he stays away from the stretcher.
Go to commentsIn another recent article I tried to argue for a few key concept changes for EPCR which I think could light the game up in the North.
First, I can't remember who pointed out the obvious elephant in the room (a SA'n poster?), it's a terrible time to play rugby in the NH, and especially your pinnacle tournament. It's been terrible watching with seemingly all the games I wanted to watch being in the dark, hardly able to see what was going on. The Aviva was the only stadium I saw that had lights that could handle the miserable rain. If the global appeal is there, they could do a lot better having day games.
They other primary idea I thuoght would benefit EPCR most, was more content. The Prem could do with it and the Top14 could do with something more important than their own league, so they aren't under so much pressure to sell games. The quality over quantity approach.
Trim it down to two 16 team EPCR competitions, and introduce a third for playing amongst the T2 sides, or the bottom clubs in each league should simply be working on being better during the EPCR.
Champions Cup is made up of league best 15 teams, + 1, the Challenge Cup winner. Without a reason not to, I'd distribute it evenly based on each leauge, dividing into thirds and rounded up, 6 URC 5 Top14 4 English. Each winner (all four) is #1 rank and I'd have a seeding round or two for the other 12 to determine their own brackets for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. I'd then hold a 6 game pool, home and away, with consecutive of each for those games that involve SA'n teams. Preferrably I'd have a regional thing were all SA'n teams were in the same pool but that's a bit complex for this simple idea.
That pool round further finalises the seeding for knockout round of 16. So #1 pool has essentially duked it out for finals seeding already (better venue planning), and to see who they go up against 16, 15,etc etc. Actually I think I might prefer a single pool round for seeding, and introduce the home and away for Ro16, quarters, and semis (stuffs up venue hire). General idea to produce the most competitive matches possible until the random knockout phase, and fix the random lottery of which two teams get ranked higher after pool play, and also keep the system identical for the Challenge Cup so everthing is succinct. Top T2 side promoted from last year to make 16 in Challenge Cup
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