Nathan Harris groomed and ready for All Blacks debut

Posted on by

  • Related

The All Black bosses have high hopes they've groomed Nathan Harris well enough for his Test debut

The 22-year-old hooker is poised to get his opportunity off the bench on Sunday morning against Argentina in La Plata.

His elevation wasn't expected until next week but with Dane Coles forced home earlier due to the impending birth of his first child, Harris has been named on the bench with Keven Mealamu given the starting role.

"It's taken a long time to get him to this point and if he can get through the next few games he's going to be a great All Black cause these are the two biggest Tests he'll face," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.

"It's not too big an adjustment at all really cause we've been training for it all week really expecting the unexpected so what's the most unexpected thing that can happen."

"Nathan's been doing all the stuff the hookers have been doing, Kev's been doing everything as if he was starting so we've planned for it and it's happened."

Jerome Kaino is back from his elbow injury to reclaim the number six ahead of Liam Messam.

"Jerome and Liam (Messam) have been sharing that number 6 role a fair bit and both of them have been out injured," Hansen noted.

"Steve (Steven Luatua) got a go at it but again with Jerome being right we're looking at giving Liam another bit of a breather with that quad of his so we'll how he is next week, but he could of played this week if we needed him to but Jerome's one hundred per cent so it was a pretty easy choice."

There's more experience in the forward pack with Sam Whitelock back to partner Brodie Retallick to give the All Blacks argubaly the world's best secondrow.

"Sam's been along with Brodie the number one locking pair that we've had and Thrushie's (Jeremy Thrush) done a good job but Sam's obviously the guy we were going to go with if he was fit," Hansen said.

A four try bonus point victory ensures a third successive Rugby Championship Title for the All Blacks.

All Blacks:Israel Dagg, Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Malakai Fekitoa, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitlock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Fanks, Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves: Nathan Harris, Joe Moody, Ben Franks, Jeremy Thrush, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Colin Slade, Cory Jane

  • Email this article
  • Print this article
  • Text size
    +
    -

Open all references in tabs: [1 - 3]

Leave a Reply