Rugby: Rieko Ioane's illness causes All Blacks backline re-shuffle

All Blacks winger Rieko Ioane. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Rieko Ioane's illness this week has forced an extra re-shuffle for the All Blacks, including a first test start for fullback Jordie Barrett, but the good news for Steve Hansen and in particular Ben Smith is that the Highlanders captain has been cleared of his concussion problems.

Hansen revealed today that Smith's recurring concussion symptoms this year were actually a manifestation of an inner ear problem for which he is taking medication.

As a result, Smith, who was last week ruled out of the Wellington test and Saturday's series decider at Eden Park against the British & Irish Lions, has travelled from his Dunedin home to Auckland to train with the All Blacks today.

"He's been cleared of concussion," Hansen said. "He wasn't knocked out. What he does have though is an inner ear malfunction which is causing him to have a bit of vertigo and dizziness. That's now cleared."

Smith will resume his training but Jordie Barrett, only 20 and in his first test start after making his debut against Manu Samoa three weeks ago, will wear the No15 jersey, in what is a huge vote of confidence in the youngster.

"Do we have confidence?", asked Hansen. "Yeah we do, we wouldn't have picked him if we didn't. And he comes from fairly good stock, I'm picking he'll go all right.

"He's a pretty cool, calm and collected kid. We wouldn't have put him there otherwise. He's a young man who whatever happens on Saturday, it's just the beginning, he's just going to get better and better."

Hansen added: "He's very good in the air and the Lions will give him a lot of ball to catch. He's a good defender, he just needs to get his positioning right and we've worked hard on that with him.

"He's a very skillful rugby player, I've got no doubt about that. He played very well for the Hurricanes against the Lions and we're excited."

Hansen is excited too about seeing Ngani Laumape start his first test. Laumape and Anton Lienert-Brown represent a very youthful and inexperienced midfield, with 13 caps between them, but the selectors are prepared to put their faith in players who have enough ability to be selected in the squad in the first place.

Waisake Naholo has been cleared of concussion following the defeat in Wellington last weekend but is being given an extra week to recover, with Israel Dagg starting on the right wing, and Julian Savea starting on the left in Ioane's place.

Of Laumape, Hansen said: "Ngani we see as the guy going forward in our selection process... his overall game is we think slightly better than Mala's, that's why we picked him in the first place."

It will be Savea's first involvement in this Lions test series. "He's not a bad replacement - 53 test matches and 46 tries... and that's why we have confidence in doing it," Hansen said.