The Blues playmaker set for All Black debut after Beauden Barrett ruled out

Injury may have accelerated Stephen Perofeta’s opportunity in a black jersey, but his time was soon to come regardless, according to coach Ian Foster.

Speaking to media following the team naming for Saturdays clash against the table topping Pumas, Foster commented on Perofeta’s progress since entering camp and also provided an update on Beauden Barrett’s injury.

“The opportunity has come, there was potential for it to be next week but it’s this week and the whole group’s excited about that, (we’ve) got a lot of faith in him,” the coach said of Perofeta.

“He’s preparing well, he’s been quite impressive behind the scenes.

“He’s had a role to fill at 15 and at 10, so he’s got a double role to learn but he’s done that particularly well”.

Perofeta played at fullback this Super Rugby season for the Blues, where he was a strong contributor to the Auckland side’s best season in decades.

Blues coach Leon McDonald employed his fullback’s playmaking ability by adopting a dual playmaker structure on attack, giving Perofeta the opportunity to show his skillset and make the kind of plays that would ultimately earn him an All Blacks call up.

Perofeta’s Super Rugby form comes off the back of leading Taranaki to an unbeaten season in last years NPC. He was later awarded the Duane Monkley Medal as the tournaments best player.

When asked what message he had for the debutant, Foster’s answer was simple:

As for Barrett, the All Black coach insisted the omission wasn’t due to serious injury concerns.

“He took a knock on the neck in a clean-out drill, and it’s quite stiff,” Foster reported.

“It’s not too bad though, no HIA issues, but enough there to stop him being free in that squad so we made an early call.

“The data that we got from the medics is that it’s gonna take a little while to free up,

“It’s day by day at the moment, I haven’t heard anything to say he’s not going to be available next week.”

In the All Blacks last test, Barrett came off the bench to play at fullback alongside Richie Mo’unga.

Foster didn’t specify whether he’d be utilising Perofeta in the same way against Argentina.