Aaron Cruden's absence opens the door for Beauden Barrett to take over the No 10 jersey in La Plata on Sunday.
Aaron Cruden has just given a hefty leg-up to Beauden Barrett in the tight battle for the All Blacks No 10 jersey.
The 25-year-old All Blacks, Chiefs and Manawatu pivot was yesterday withdrawn from the tour of Argentina and South Africa after a late-night drinking session on Saturday in Auckland resulted in him missing the team's Sunday flight to South America.
Cruden was back at his Hamilton home yesterday and said he was "deeply embarrassed" by his lack of judgment.
The All Blacks have a relatively low number of incidents such as these, especially in more recent times, and particularly when in camp.
There is a strong current of personal responsibility within the side, but questions must be asked as to how Cruden actually missed the flight, given that players, except captain Richie McCaw, room together.
Their flight was cancelled on Saturday, so they had to fly out a day later. It is understood that some players then visited family while others went to the movies and a group of eight, including Cruden, dined and drank at the Zookeeper's Son bar in Royal Oak. The other seven at the bar, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Conrad Smith, Wyatt Crockett and Sam Cane, all made it on to the flight.
Canterbury's Tom Taylor was named as Cruden's replacement. He can cover at least three positions, but will be behind Colin Slade in the pecking order.
Tom Taylor is Aaron Cruden's replacement for the next two games. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Taylor had a solid game against Counties Manukau in Pukekohe last Friday night, but has gone backwards from 2013, where he played three tests. In fairness, there were not many ready-made options at coach Steve Hansen's disposal in the first-five position, with Dan Carter to be reintegrated back into rugby slowly via the ITM Cup.
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew backed team management's decision to axe Cruden from the Rugby Championship tour.
"That's a decision I support completely. We are disappointed as we have high standards for this team," said Tew.
"He's obviously deeply disappointed and accepting of the consequences. He is disappointed he made a poor decision ... an incident like this with Aaron Cruden is very out of character. We've treated it on its merits."
Tew expected there would be a stern reminder from management of the responsibilities surrounding the team.
"I would envisage there are some pretty honest conversations taking place in Argentina right now."
He hinted of the possibility of further and/or formal misconduct proceedings against Cruden, but it seems Hansen will not be penalising Cruden once the All Blacks are back from South Africa.
Watch: All Blacks: Barrett 'I'm pretty stoked'
"Once we get this out of the way, he'll be coming back into the group when we go to Brisbane," Hansen said from Argentina.
"It's certainly out of character and he's disappointed, as are we. It's not what we stand for and it's not what he stands for.
"I guess we all make mistakes and like our children, we love our children, but sometimes we don't like their behaviour.
"The team is well aware that when we don't get it right there is a consequence and he's paid the price for that," Hansen added.
"As silly as it might sound, the adversity created by one of the players having a mistake, in this case Cruden, usually brings the group tighter and focuses really well. We've talked, we've now put it behind us and we're getting on with it."
Read more: All Blacks: Cruden misses flight after drinking session
We await the All Blacks' response, and in particular the Barrett response, in Sunday's test against the Pumas in La Plata. Barrett set the backline alight in the Napier test against the Pumas, only to lose his spot to Cruden, who was returning from a chest injury, for the Springboks test in Wellington, partly on goalkicking grounds.
It has been an up-and-down year for Cruden, who battled a broken thumb during Super Rugby, which left him underdone for the June tests. He did not hit the high notes in Wellington, other than his cross-kick for the Kieran Read try.
Now he has given a sucker an even break, and knows Carter will be back in the red and black of Canterbury this Sunday against Southland, with a view to playing at least two ITM Cup games before the Brisbane test.
Read some of the Herald's ITM Cup coverage:
* ITM Cup: Woodward disappointed by losses and suspension
* ITM Cup: Auckland in the right space for next clash
There is a further issue for Cruden, who may want to play an ITM Cup game or two for Manawatu. He now lives in Hamilton. Ironically, Manawatu travel to Hamilton to play Waikato on Saturday. Coach Jason O'Halloran, who is getting top value out of two young, talented first fives in Otere Black and Jade Te Rure for the Championship leaders, would welcome Cruden but certainly wasn't expecting him to front.
"Steve Hansen was specific in saying it was Aaron's call about whether he played any ITM Cup," O'Halloran told the Herald. "Next week would be a better fit for us, at home to [Ranfurly Shield holders] Hawkes Bay."
It is the first time since Aaron Smith was dropped to the bench in 2012 that an All Black in camp has made such a public misdemeanour.
2007: Doug Howlett "celebrated" the All Blacks' early exit from the 2007 Rugby World Cup by jumping on parked cars outside a London hotel. He was arrested, bailed, and released, but not before apologising for what he called "tomfoolery". Weeks later he started a contract with Munster and never played again for the All Blacks.
2011: Israel Dagg and Cory Jane decided four days out from an RWC quarter-final would be a good time to let off some steam with a night out. Dagg admitted sleeping pills were taken in a bid for a legal high. Piri Weepu was responsible for getting them back to the hotel at a respectable hour. Jane subsequently had a blinder against the Pumas.
2011, 2013: Zac Guildford blotted his copybook soon after what turned out to be his last game for the All Blacks in 2011 when he assaulted two patrons of a bar in Rarotonga, and reportedly made a lewd comment to a triathlete. He escaped conviction, though, as he did in 2013 after another drunken assault in Christchurch. New Zealand Rugby terminated his contract earlier this season.
2012: Aaron Smith found himself dropped to the bench by the All Blacks for a "breach of discipline", staying out too late after the victory over Argentina in Wellington. Piri Weepu started a week later against South Africa in Dunedin, but Smith atoned by scoring a critical, sparkling, late try off the pine.
2013: Julian Savea was charged with assaulting his partner, but the charge was withdrawn after he completed police diversion. He made a public, tearful statement of remorse, flanked by NZRU chief executive Steve Tew. "I'm not making excuses for myself. I know what I did was wrong, and I'm taking steps to make sure thiswill never happen again," said Savea.
2014: Aaron Smith was in Highlanders mode in March when nude photos of him found their way on to the internet, not to mention private details of a relationship with model Lisa Lewis. It caused the halfback great embarrassment in both his public and personal life, but it did not affect his Super Rugby form. His official sanction was to be pulled from a promo day in Dunedin with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.