men’s rugby
global test rugby
New Zealand has drafted Saula Ma’u into the squad to fill the void left by Ollie Norris for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, representing the fifth roster change forced by injury for the team. Head coach Dave Rennie delivered encouraging news regarding three key players, though he remained cautious about another’s availability.
There are positive reports on Cam Roigard and Will Jordan, as the national team’s medical staff expect both to be fit for the opening Test in Johannesburg this Saturday, following minor setbacks that kept them out of action for the opening fortnight.
Unfortunately, Ollie Norris faces a different reality with his knee issue, as the front-rower is projected to be out for six weeks, ending his involvement in the rest of the campaign.
“Consequently, Saula Ma’u is currently flying out to take over for Ollie Norris,” Rennie told the press on Monday. “It is clearly vital that we maintain sufficient depth in our front row; we have a Test match this Saturday, and we would ideally like to field two entirely different front-row groups to avoid forcing our starting lineup to back up just three days afterward. His arrival is scheduled for tonight.”
Substituting a loosehead with a tighthead prop necessitates a slight adjustment in the scrum setup, meaning uncapped forward Siale Lauaki will probably slide back to loosehead duty. Since Pasilio Tosi is also an option on the loosehead side, this versatility gives coaches the chance to “introduce Saula to the setup and properly evaluate him.”
Team Comparison
Previous 5 Clashes
Mean Points Tallied
As for the backs, Cortez Ratima’s fitness remains uncertain for now, prompting the addition of Noah Hotham to the squad as precautionary cover.
“A scan revealed a PCL issue,” Rennie remarked regarding Ratima. “We will monitor his progress over the coming 48 hours. We are somewhat short on options at scrum-half, so calling up Noah is a smart move. Our expectation is that Cam (Roigard) will be fit to play this weekend, and we can call upon KP (Kyle Preston) if Cortez is ruled out. Furthermore, we’ll need Noah for Tuesday’s match. It’s great to have him join us; he is highly motivated. He had just finished playing for Tasman when I reached out to him on Sunday, and he is eager to get going.”
Damian McKenzie’s availability also hangs in the balance as he continues to rehabilitate an ankle knock sustained during the game against the Sharks.
“We remain optimistic about his chances,” the coach commented. “He did some light training yesterday and spent time with the medical team this morning during our tactical walk-through. He will participate partially in this afternoon’s session, with the goal of having him run at full speed by tomorrow. We should have a clearer picture within the next 24 hours.”
Even with the mounting list of casualties, Rennie remains unconcerned, pointing out that almost all of them resulted from physical contact, which is simply unavoidable.
“You always hope to avoid these situations, but they have mostly been collision-based mishaps, with the exception of George Bell, who suffered his injury during a light tactical run-through. That is simply how rugby goes. Consider Billy Proctor’s setback, which occurred while he was competing for the ball at the breakdown and took an awkward hit. And Caleb’s situation was truly remarkable because we believe the injury occurred in the first half, yet he continued to pluck high balls out of the air and run directly into contact; the power of adrenaline is incredible.
“It is unfortunate for those players to see their tour cut short so quickly. However, that is the reality of our sport.”
