The All Blacks will be without two pivotal players for their clash with the Springboks in London, and are also set to miss New Zealand’s World Cup opener against France.
One of rugby’s greatest rivalries, the Boks and All Blacks are set to lock horns at a sold-out Twickenham next Friday, playing for the Qatar Airways Cup in what also serves as a key World Cup warm-up for both teams.
However, All Blacks coach Ian Foster has announced that blindside flanker Shannon Frizell has tweaked a hamstring in training and joins veteran lock Brodie Retallick on the sidelines for the Bok match.
Both players are in doubt to face World Cup hosts France on 9 September.
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The 103-Test Retallick limped off the field with a knee injury during the Kiwis’ win against Australia in the Bledisloe Cup on 5 August, but was still included in the World Cup squad.
“Brodie is progressing really well, and we’ll assess more next week,” Foster told reporters on Friday. “He’s out of the South Africa game and likely to be out of the French game.
“We’ve got Shannon Frizell who tweaked his hamstring two days ago doing a speed session. Again, that’s probably a similar time frame, so that’s a bit niggly for us.”
Frizell has been in red-hot form for the All Blacks so far this season, and scored a barnstorming try in a convincing victory against the Boks in the Rugby Championship.
Luke Jacobson and Dalton Papali’i are the likely candidates to replace the 29-year-old loose forward in the starting XV.
Fosters, meanwhile, also said the All Blacks had learnt from the fallout surrounding Owen Farrell’s red card.
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The England skipper could miss the start of the World Cup after governing body World Rugby announced it would appeal the controversial decision to overturn Farrell’s red card for a high tackle in a warm-up win over Wales.
“The whole alignment between refereeing and judiciary is something we are all conscious of going into a World Cup,” said Foster.
“The only way we can control that process is by making sure we get our techniques right. You never want to leave your destiny in the hands of the judiciary.”
New Zealand head to France bidding to win the World Cup for a fourth time, having won all four games so far this year including a 35-20 home win over the Boks last month.
Foster said he would play his strongest available team in the warm-up against the Springboks. “I won’t be protecting anyone. You don’t win World Cups by putting people in cotton wool,” he added.
After four years in charge, Foster will stand down following the World Cup to be replaced as All Blacks boss by former Crusaders coach Scott Robertson.
Foster said he had put last year’s poor results behind him. The All Blacks lost four times in 2022 including two home defeats to Ireland and a first loss to Argentina on New Zealand soil.
“Will I reflect on that? No I won’t; there is too much to do now,” said Foster. “We have a great occasion in front of us. The key with World Cups is you don’t want to waste a day.”
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Sanka Vidanagama/AFP