All Blacks v Scotland: Jordie Barrett set for scans on leg injury ahead of Murrayfield clash

All Blacks assistant coach Tamati Ellison says the group were “a wee bit nervous” around Jordie Barrett’s status for the remainder of their Grand Slam tour.

The All Blacks midfielder was forced off the pitch in the first half of the side’s 26-13 win over Ireland in Chicago due to a left leg injury.

With the team now in Scotland, Barrett is set to undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage, however Ellison said the fact that he couldn’t play through the pain was an alarming sign.

“He is tough. He was wanting to play on, and that probably makes us a wee bit nervous with how tough he is and having to come off. Fingers crossed. We’ll see what the scans say in the morning.”

Barrett appeared to receive treatment on his knee before having it strapped and trying to play on, however Ellison said he believed a high ankle injury caused by an accidental hip-drop tackle was the main issue.

Their timeline did not allow for Barrett to get scans while in the United States.

“We jumped straight on a plane after the game,” Ellison said. “The plane had a few bits but it didn’t have an MRI machine.”

With Barrett in the casualty ward, Leicester Fainga’anuku could be promoted to the starting line-up in a move that would likely see Quinn Tupaea shift from centre to second five-eighth.

There are plenty of midfield options, however, with Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor and Rieko Ioane also available. Of the available choices, only Tupaea and Lienert-Brown have started in both midfield positions at test level.

It was a tough day for the Barrett brothers, with captain Scott also having his day ended early due to injury after he suffered a laceration to his right leg within the first five minutes of the game.

Ellison said Barrett received stitches to treat the wound, and the team had yet to call in a replacement lock as cover. They would make a decision on that early in the week after a medical assessment, though Sam Darry would be in line for a test return – joining Fabian Holland and Josh Lord - should their captain be unavailable as expected.

The injuries were among a number of delays in a stop-start first half against Ireland; the first 40 minutes of the test taking more than 50 minutes to complete.

“Once the game had some rhythm, it suited us and I think that suits our rugby. It was a wee bit annoying for all the amount of stops we had in the first half. Some of those things are safety precautions, and you can’t do much about that,” Ellison said.

“You just have to let those processes happen, but we definitely found our flow at the back end of the game. That’s something we’ll build on this week.”

The All Blacks head into Murrayfield to meet a Scotland side full of form, fresh off handing USA an 85-0 thrashing.

“They’re playing with confidence,” Ellison said.

“They’ve got a confident backline who aren’t afraid to move the ball, to put the ball in space when they see it. With Finn Russell and Sione Tuipulotu there, and obviously the amount of boys who travelled on the Lions tour as well. That’s a big part in what we see, and the physicality in their defence is another thing we saw in the Six Nations.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.