The All Blacks have a new captain and a new squad member as they prepare for back-to-back tests against Argentina.
Blues playmaker Harry Plummer has joined the squad after an excellent Super Rugby Pacific season, with assistant coach Jason Ryan saying on Monday that Stephen Perofeta was managing “a bit of a niggle”.
Plummer will remain with the squad this week before the All Blacks reassess whether he needs to stay on.
The finger injury that Scott Barrett sustained in the win against Fiji in San Diego has also ruled him out of the two tests against Los Pumas.
Ardie Savea will step up in his absence, with Jordie Barrett and Codie Taylor to take on the vice-captaincy duties.
Savea, who recently announced a move to Moana Pasifika next year, has ample captaincy experience at the highest level and often stood in for Sam Cane in recent years.
Ryan wouldn’t be drawn on how long Scott Barrett would be out of action, confirming only that he was out for the next two tests.
Plummer’s time in the squad might be short-lived if Perofeta, a strong performer during the July tests, returns to full fitness.
But Ryan said the All Blacks would have full faith in Plummer if they needed him.
“Definitely, that’s why he’s here,” he said.
“He has been really consistent with the Blues this year and he’s really grown as a player.
“The boys have got a lot of confidence in him, so he’s come in and he’s been seamless.
“He’s got around his detail that he needs to, even though we’ve only had a day together.
“But he’s experienced now too. He’s played a lot of footy for the Blues and he’s been great.”
Blues teammate Dalton Papali’i, who on Monday announced that he had re-signed with New Zealand Rugby until 2027, was also in no doubt that Plummer deserved to be there.
“I saw him at the airport yesterday and I was pretty stoked for him,” Papali’i said.
“All the Blues boys sort of huddled towards him and gave him a bit of an extra long hug, just to say welcome.
“He’s played outstanding this year.
“I think he’s taken a massive step forward in directing where the boys should go.
“He’s quite sharp and direct with his comms. He nailed that this year and you could say he led us to a championship.”
Papali’i also revealed that the sting of losing the Rugby World Cup final was one reason why he committed to the All Blacks, Blues and Counties Manukau for another three years.
“That was a pretty big factor, coming up short in that game [against South Africa],” he said.
“Losing a World Cup final was pretty hard, but it really hurt because we had some of the greats in our game and we could have sent them off on a real high.
“But that’s footy. We lost that, and that’s going to be in me for a while that, that loss.
“So that was always the dream, to win a World Cup final, and I think that opportunity is now there.
“So I’m pretty happy to re-sign, and this is home for me.”
- Stuff
