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The All Blacks selectors have today named a World Cup squad featuring 18 forwards and 15 backs, including lock Brodie Retallick, injured during the victory over the Wallabies in Dunedin, and wing Caleb Clarke, thought to have been on the outer.
The prognosis on Retallick’s knee issue is unknown at this point but will no doubt be touched on by head coach Ian Foster in his address to the media tonight.
Interestingly, Foster said uncapped hooker George Bell, one-Test loose forward Samipeni Finau and experienced halfback Brad Weber would travel to the World Cup as back-ups and train (separately to the squad) in case of injury. Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua is unavailable due to injury.
There is no room for midfielder Braydon Ennor, who also suffered a knee injury in the 23-20 Bledisloe Cup victory.
Newcomer Emoni Narawa makes the squad, but fellow wing Shaun Stevenson, who made his debut in Dunedin, misses out.
Prop Nepo Laulala, thought to have been under pressure to make the squad, has been included, as well as Fletcher Newell and Tamaiti Williams.
There is no room for Joe Moody, who is still on the comeback trail, but midfielder David Havili, a fellow Crusader, has predictably made it after returning from a hamstring tear to play for Tasman at the weekend.
Loose forwards Ethan Blackadder, who is yet to return, and recent Test debutant Finau were not been included.
Sam Cane has been named captain and addressed the audience in Napier tonight, thanking the crowd for their attendance. The All Blacks took their much-anticipated announcement to the city following the devastating floods in the area earlier this year.
With a combined 1493 Test caps, this is the All Blacks’ most experienced Rugby World Cup squad in history. Sam Whitelock is the most capped player with 145 Test caps. The side has an average age of 27.
The All Blacks will travel for their warm-up match against South Africa at Twickenham with four victories behind them, an impressive run of form given their struggles of last year, although their win over the Wallabies was less convincing.
“It’s a great privilege to both select and be selected for an All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad,” said Foster.
“We congratulate those 33 players selected. This group has grown in belief and is highly motivated to represent our country with pride in France, as we seek to be the first nation to win the Rugby World Cup four times.
“This year’s Rugby World Cup promises to be the most competitive yet and the pool draw means we have to ready right from the outset. We have worked hard through the first part of our season and have made some strong progress through the Rugby Championship and the Bledisloe series. There is more growth to come and more is needed.
“This is a vastly experienced team but with over half the players going to their first RWC, it has a strong balance of youth and future planning.
“The challenge is to continue our growth through the game in London vs South Africa, into our camp in Germany before arriving in Lyon with a clear focus on performance in each of our pool games.”
The All Blacks will stage their pre-Rugby World Cup preparations in Napier over a three-day camp. The region was hit hard by cyclone Gabrielle and the entire squad will be out in the community helping to rescue the damaged Tangoio Marae while also hosting a public training session.
“The support we have had for our games to date has been fantastic and we are greatly appreciative of it. By naming this team in Napier and spending three days there in the community we simply want to acknowledge the tremendous adversity the communities of the East Coast have endured recently. We have felt helpless from afar and hope this small symbol of our support will assist in some small way,” added Foster.
The All Blacks will kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against host France in Paris (Friday 8 September), then play Namibia in Toulouse (Friday 15 September), Italy in Lyon (Friday 29 September), and their final Pool match against Uruguay in Lyon (Thursday 5 October).