Rugby: With Wyatt Crockett gone from All Blacks, who's the back-up?

Wyatt Crockett. Photo /Andrew Cornaga - Photosport.co.nz

Several things are likely to have gone through Steve Hansen's mind once Wyatt Crockett called him to announce his retirement from the international game.

Uppermost would have been the way Crockett has been able to call time on his career rather than Hansen or his successor having to do it for him and how exactly the All Blacks' front row stocks stack up this year with a World Cup looming.

The short answer is – fairly well – as long as Joe Moody's return to play from shoulder surgery is a success.

Moody is the key because he was arguably the best loose-head prop in international rugby before dislocating a shoulder while playing Argentina in New Plymouth in September last year. He hasn't played since and is expected to return for the Crusaders in April.

When Moody went down at Yarrow Stadium, Hansen's anxiety levels would have gone up because the depth among looseheads then wasn't as good as it is now.

The development of Kane Hames has helped there. Hames started seven tests last year, including all three on the November tour. A late developer at 31, Hames has progressed into an excellent scrummager and defender with the knack of making crucial turnovers – several of which got the All Blacks out of trouble late last year.

Unfortunately for Hames, an illness will keep him out of the Chiefs' crucial match against the Blues at Eden Park on Friday but he will almost certainly play a big part for the All Blacks against France in June and beyond.

Tim Perry, the 29-year-old Crusaders' teammate of Crockett and Moody, was also in the All Black frame last year. As Crockett, a three-time Super Rugby championship winner, has begun his final year with the Crusaders, Perry's stocks will rise considerably at the end of this year.

Pauliasi Manu, the man who won a World Cup winners' medal in 2015 after travelling to England as Crockett's replacement and confining his short stay to the training paddock, must also come into the mix for Hansen, as will 22-year-old Atu Moli, called into the training squad last year.

Ofa Tu'ungafasi, who like Manu plays for the Blues, can operate on both sides of the scrum and recently has been a near constant on the All Blacks' reserves bench.

Crockett, 35, has been a brilliant servant of New Zealand rugby after overcoming adversity early in his test career. He has accumulated 71 test caps, and is heading to 200 Super Rugby caps for the Crusaders, a remarkable number.

He will be remembered for many things, not least his "inspirational" message to Crusaders' No10 Mitch Hunt after the final hooter in the match against the Highlanders last year. As the Crusaders' attack went left, and right, and left again in an attempt to find the break or penalty which would potentially win them the game, Crockett turned to Hunt and said: "Just [expletive] do something!"

Sufficiently emboldened, Hunt kicked the dropped goal on the run from 40m to win the match for his team.

All Black looseheads ranked:
Joe Moody (31 tests)
Kane Hames (9)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (can play tighthead) (14)
Tim Perry (0)
Atu Moli (0)
Pauliasi Manu (0)

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