All Blacks coach drops selection hint ahead of must-win Pumas rematch

6:26 am, November 24, 2020

All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree has hinted at how he and his co-selectors plan to select this week’s team to face Los Pumas in Newcastle on Saturday.

In what will be their last test of the year, the All Blacks will be looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats, the last of which was a surprising result when Argentina defeated New Zealand for the first time in test rugby history.

After a week off following a 25-15 loss at Bankwest Stadium, the New Zealanders will turn their attention to their final 2020 assignment with the Three Nations title at stake.

Argentina’s 15-all draw with the Wallabies last week opened the tournament wide, with all three teams tied on six competition points each.

Plumtree has indicated that, needing a win to have any chance of winning the trophies on offer, the All Blacks are likely to present their strongest available team rather than use the game as an opportunity to develop youngsters.

Speaking to the media about Zoom with star playmaker Beauden Barrett on Tuesday, Plumtree said the lack of testing this year has prevented inexperienced players from gaining as much playing time as he and his fellow selectors would have liked.

However, he ensured that the test caps cannot be easily distributed, and the best interests of the team will be taken into account when choosing this week’s team.

“Ideally, we wanted to give everyone time on this trip,” Plumtree said.

“We have a lot of new guys and we wanted to reward them with [game] time. Some have it, some don’t. Some don’t have much, but that’s the nature of being with this team. It is not a given right to be selected for the All Blacks.

“We don’t have a lot of tests and as selectors we have to do the best for the team, but right now we are in a situation where we have to do really well, like Beaudy. [Barrett] he said, around this weekend in terms of the Three Nations.

“That is the trophy we are looking for now we have the Bled [Bledisloe Cup] saved, and now a nose for the Three Nations awaits us and we’re going to go hard at it. “

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However, that doesn’t mean those with fewer test matches than their more seasoned teammates aren’t out of the running for playing time this week.

Indeed, when asked if Akira Ioane, who made his test debut in a 24-22 loss to the Wallabies in Brisbane three weeks ago following an impressive Super Rugby season, was pushing for his second international match, Plumtree was clear in your answer.

“Yes, definitely,” he said, And Hoskins [Sotutu] We’re seeing it too, and Dalton Papalii hasn’t had much time either.

“All of these players have been fantastic through Super Rugby and have done so on this journey as well; if they come off the bench or if they help us prepare, I can’t blame them, so everyone deserves a chance, it’s only if they get it. “

Regardless of who is asked to face Argentina at McDonald Jones Stadium, one thing is certain: a huge improvement in discipline will be key if the All Blacks are to finish the season on a high note.

Barrett was quick to admit that after his team was guilty of reacting too easily to the complaint from the Wallabies and Los Pumas in their two most recent tryouts, it led to unnecessary penalties that cost them dearly.

The two-time World Rugby Player of the Year said the All Blacks will need to make changes in their thinking if they want to stay on the right side of the referee’s whistle and give themselves the best chance of victory.

“It’s clearly been our discipline,” Barrett said when asked what had gone wrong with the All Blacks in recent weeks.

“In the last two games, you’ve seen the referees forced to make some big decisions and a lot of penalties against us, and probably both teams to be fair.

“We cannot give them the opportunity to do that, that starts with us and our discipline.

“You look at our attack and defense and you can separate that as much as you want, but it starts with us giving the referees nothing.”

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To help combat poor discipline on his team, Plumtree revealed that head coach Ian Foster had devised a training regimen designed to force his team to control its frustrations on the field.

“We’re putting the players under pressure and Fozzie has been working really hard on that, just with some creative games where, potentially, the players could get a little upset with some of his decisions,” Plumtree said.

“That’s just part of it, so we’ve had a great focus off the field as well, so we feel like we’ve come a long way in that space.

“I think a lot of the players have learned more about that, just by controlling their emotions on the field, when things are not going so well, how we do it, how we help each other as well.

“These are all things that we have been very focused on in recent weeks.”

This weekend will put to the test how well the All Blacks have learned to moderate their grievances.

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