Scott Barrett's injury has thrown the spotlight onto All Blacks locking depth, with selectors facing questions they had hoped to answer later in the season.
All Blacks captain Scott Barrett during a test match.
Scott Barrett's injury has thrown the spotlight onto All Blacks locking depth, with selectors facing questions they had hoped to answer later in the season.
Barrett has been both captain and the side's most reliable lineout organiser, a combination that makes any absence more than a straight swap of one body for another.
Tupou Vaa'i and the next tier of Super Rugby locks now carry the load, and the coaching group will be watching set-piece performance closely over the coming rounds.
The wider issue is experience. Test locking is a role where accumulated knowledge of opposition lineouts and referee interpretation counts as much as size and athleticism.
If Barrett's recovery runs long, the season becomes an accelerated audition — not a bad thing for depth, but an uncomfortable one heading into a demanding schedule.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand chief executive Edward Rennell says the sport is facing a sobering final week, as New Zealand prepares to end commercial greyhound racing from Saturday.
Karin Burger and the Silver Ferns have passed their first major Commonwealth Games test in Glasgow, beating Jamaica 53-48 and ending a difficult run against the Sunshine Girls.
All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga says Ireland will arrive at Eden Park without fear next Saturday, putting New Zealand's long unbeaten run at the ground under a sharper spotlight.