Samisoni Taukei'aho's All Blacks absence should raise some eyebrows

The All Blacks have made a handful of changes to their starting line-up for Saturday's do-or-die clash with Ireland but it's a change in the reserves that has perhaps caused the most furrowed brows around New Zealand.

After spending the opening two matches in the No 16 jersey for the All Blacks, Chiefs hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho has been omitted from the 23 altogether with experienced campaigner Dane Coles taking his spot on the bench.

Taukei'aho was a surprise package for the All Blacks last year. Although he initially missed selection, he received a call-up to the national squad due during NZ's July tests with Tonga and Fiji after Coles was sidelined due to injury. Taukei'aho went from strength to strength throughout the year, earning eight appearances off the bench and one start, and had many convinced by season's end that he was the best hooking option NZ had to offer. That belief was partly fuelled by a drop in form from first-choice rake Codie Taylor.

Although Taylor bounced back to have a strong season with the Crusaders during this year's Super Rugby Pacific competition, Taukei'aho has maintained a high standard over the past 18 months and many were picking the 24-year-old to take a firm grasp of the New Zealand No 2 jersey heading into the test season.

The reality has been somewhat different, however.

Taylor, with 68 tests to his name, has been named as the starting hooker in all three matches throughout the July series with Ireland and now, with the series on the line in Wellington, Taukei'aho has been dropped from the 23 altogether to make way for 35-year-old Coles.

"He's chomping at the bit, he's a competitive beast and we've got a lot of faith in him," Foster said of his new reserve hooker. "Well, we've got a lot of faith in the three hookers we've got.

"We just felt that set-piece has been going really well and Codie's in a really good spot there. We wanted to play all three hookers in this series and it's that sort of competitive game we think Colesy is up for."

While it makes sense for the All Blacks to try utilise all three hookers throughout July, it's questionable whether handing Taylor three starts was the right means of doing so. While the 31-year-old had a sharp game in the opening test, he had one of his worst performances in a black jersey in the return match and another performance of a similar standard won't help the All Blacks' cause as they chase a series victory in Wellington.

Still, it's important to ease Coles back into proceedings and senior lock Sam Whitelock is confident that he'll come out firing when he is called onto the park.

"Colesy has been Colesy. That's the easiest way to sum up," Whitelock said this week. "Anyone that knows him pretty well knows that he's not mixing his words.

"If anything, he's smart enough to know we just need to go out there and train really well. He's done that over the last couple of days; he's done his lineout homework and prep so I'm sure he'll get an opportunity out there as he normally does and he'll go well, like he always does."

The All Blacks will take on Ireland at 7:05pm on Saturday evening at Sky Stadium in Wellington.