NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby

The Sauce with Liam Napier: What to expect when All Blacks team for Wales is announced

Liam Napier
By Liam Napier
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
2 Nov, 2022 10:45 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Richie Mo'unga during the All Blacks' victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park. Photo / Photosport

Richie Mo'unga during the All Blacks' victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park. Photo / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

OPINION:

Here comes the cavalry.

The All Blacks’ ongoing search for elusive consistency will lead to recalling most, if not all, of their seven rested incumbents in Cardiff.

Ethan de Groot, Sam Whitelock, Ardie Savea, Rieko Ioane, Scott, Jordie and Beauden Barrett did not feature in the scratchy win against Japan. Fellow starters Aaron Smith, David Havili and Tyrel Lomax came off the bench in Tokyo. All could be promoted to confront Wales this week.

The underwhelming Japanese test revealed several concerning aspects for the All Blacks.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The first is their continued lack of sustained mental application, with an inherent complacency and questions around effort evident after the failure to kick on from a dominant lead against Japan. The latter issue was true against the Wallabies and Pumas earlier this year, too.

The other worry is the significant drop in calibre from the All Blacks first to second and, in some case, third choice options. From Finlay Christie to Hoskins Sotutu, few fringe prospects enhanced their cause against Japan, to leave little pressure on established figures.

This week the forward pack the All Blacks favoured throughout the Rugby Championship is, therefore, expected to be swiftly reinstated. De Groot, destructive hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho and Lomax are likely to pack down in the front row, unless promising tighthead Fletcher Newell is promoted.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Ardie Savea Ethan de Groot and Samisoni Taukeiaho of the All Blacks. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Ardie Savea Ethan de Groot and Samisoni Taukeiaho of the All Blacks. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Scott Barrett is expected to slide back into his favoured locking position alongside stand-in skipper Whitelock. After impressing off the bench last week, Dalton Papali’i should get the nod to assume the seven jersey from injured captain Sam Cane – alongside Shannon Frizell or Akira Ioane in the loose forwards, with Savea returning to No 8.

This time last year Papali’i played two standout starting tests for the All Blacks, scoring a try against Wales before delivering a superb defensive effort in the Dublin defeat to signal his ability at the elite level.

In the backline questions linger over selections at first five-eighth, second-five and fullback.

Behind a less-than-impressive platform Richie Mo’unga failed to regularly challenge the line, deliver decisive kicking or ignite the attack against Japan, which opens the door to the prospect of Beauden Barrett, promoted to vice-captain this week, regaining the first-five reins at the same venue he claimed two tries to celebrate his 100th test last year.

Richie Mo'unga has signalled his desire to play overseas after the World Cup. Photo / Photosport
Richie Mo'unga has signalled his desire to play overseas after the World Cup. Photo / Photosport

If Mo’unga is retained, Barrett may revert to fullback or an impact role from the bench.

Jordie Barrett’s selection ties into that scenario in another intriguing proposition. In his last test against the Wallabies at Eden Park, the youngest Barrett offered the most compelling performance from a second-five since the Ma’a Nonu All Blacks era.

While the All Blacks have been widely urged to continue with Barrett at 12, Ian Foster has, to this point at least, maintained he prefers him at fullback.

Barrett at 12 is the bold, form selection. Yet the All Blacks appear likely to return to the Havili-Ioane combination they showed staunch faith in throughout the Rugby Championship.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

That midfield pairing hasn’t enjoyed significant game time for two months – since the All Blacks dismantled the Pumas in Hamilton - after Havili suffered a head clash early in the Melbourne Bledisloe escape and missed the return victory against the Wallabies in Auckland.

“Every opportunity I get to play with Rieko is pretty special,” Havili said in Cardiff. “He’s a great athlete and someone I love playing with. When he gets an opportunity with ball in hand that’s what I’m looking to give him.

“There’s always a bond there - we’ve played together for the last couple of years now. It’s pretty familiar. If I get the opportunity this week it’s about reconnecting with him and readjusting a few things.”

Whether Jordie Barrett or Havili starts at second-five the All Blacks will demand much more playmaking assistance, specifically on the tactical kicking front, than Roger Tuivasa-Sheck offered last week.

With limited options on the wings while Will Jordan recovers from his inner ear issue, Caleb Clarke and Sevu Reece are expected to be retained on the edges.

Personnel aside, the All Blacks must banish their Jekyll and Hyde ways by issuing a statement of intent on a northern tour that promises to define their wildly fluctuating season.

To this point they have much to prove. This year’s standout victories at Ellis Park, Hamilton and Eden Park have all been one-off. Following another underwhelming performance in Japan, the All Blacks theme remains consistently unconvincing.

Rust after a month between tests, largely unfamiliar combinations and Brodie Retallick’s red card with 15 minutes remaining undoubtedly contributed to the All Blacks’ near thing against Japan but, collectively, they were well short of demanded standards.

As the front-line, first-choice squad prepares to return, the All Blacks find themselves in the all too familiar territory of needing to rectify another poor performance and restore some semblance of the fear factor their predecessors once commanded from all corners of the rugby world.

Betting tip:

14/31 ($19)

The Sauce has skyrocketed back into profit thanks to the Wellington 1-12 margin NPC final tip last time out that paid $3.70. This week we’re combining four favourites – the Black Ferns, All Blacks -4.5 as well as Australia and the Black Caps to win their final T20 World Cup pool matches in a $2.15 multi offering.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Rugby

Premium
Opinion

Gregor Paul: Why the All Blacks must double down on Vaa’i and Proctor's roles

09 Jul 03:01 AM
Premium
All Blacks

'The pressure can consume you': Billy Proctor's All Blacks balancing act

08 Jul 10:02 PM
Premium
Opinion

Gregor Paul: How the All Blacks will deal with Scott Barrett's injury

08 Jul 04:52 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rugby

Premium
Gregor Paul: Why the All Blacks must double down on Vaa’i and Proctor's roles

Gregor Paul: Why the All Blacks must double down on Vaa’i and Proctor's roles

09 Jul 03:01 AM

OPINION: The All Blacks coaches are considering different line-up experiments.

Premium
'The pressure can consume you': Billy Proctor's All Blacks balancing act

'The pressure can consume you': Billy Proctor's All Blacks balancing act

08 Jul 10:02 PM
Premium
Gregor Paul: How the All Blacks will deal with Scott Barrett's injury

Gregor Paul: How the All Blacks will deal with Scott Barrett's injury

08 Jul 04:52 AM
World Cup winners Ruby Tui and Krystal Murray join Black Ferns camp

World Cup winners Ruby Tui and Krystal Murray join Black Ferns camp

08 Jul 03:25 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP