Dalton Papalii of the All Blacks is tackled during the 1874 rugby cup between the USA Eagles and New Zealand All Blacks in Landover, the US on October 23, 2021. Photo: AFP
Dalton Papalii of the All Blacks is tackled during the 1874 rugby cup between the USA Eagles and New Zealand All Blacks in Landover, the US on October 23, 2021. Photo: AFP
Coach Ian Foster admitted on Thursday that New Zealand's set-piece play could be compromised by fielding a smaller, more mobile, forward pack after he brought in flanker Dalton Papalii as his only All Blacks change for the second Test against Ireland.
Foster praised the dynamic attributes of Papalii, who replaces veteran lock Sam Whitelock and will win his 14th All Blacks cap on the blindside, with Scott Barrett moving to the second row for Saturday's match in Dunedin.
"Dalton's a tough rugby player. He's physical in the tackle and he's quick," said Foster.
"Remember, it's a hard ground under a roof so expect the game to be fast."
Whitelock was ruled out after suffering delayed symptoms of concussion following last week's 42-19 first Test win in Auckland.
Foster said his preference would have been to retain Barrett in the back row after the experimental selection worked well in a powerful pack display last week.
However, his hand was forced when another lock, Tupou Vaa'i dropped from contention after testing positive to COVID-19, meaning Barrett has to revert to a more familiar role in the second row.
It means the back row, also featuring captain Sam Cane and the outstanding player of the first Test, Ardie Savea, comprises three players who have spent most of their careers as openside flankers.
With New Zealand having held the upper hand in the scrum and lineout at Eden Park, Foster accepted there was a chance their lighter pack could cede some of that advantage.
"It just gives us a different dynamic but clearly set piece will be a little bit affected," Foster said.
"It changes the way we have to go about it. Clearly, it's not the same sort of mix but we have to be good enough to adapt to that."
Foster has made four changes to his replacements, bringing in the uncapped pair of scrum-half Folau Fakatava and prop Aidan Ross.
Outside back Will Jordan returns to the bench after missing the first Test with COVID-19 with lock Patrick Tuipulotu included after being recalled to the squad last week, fresh from a stint in Japan.
Tonga-born Fakatava, who is the back-up to starting scrum-half Aaron Smith at the Otago Highlanders, became eligible for the All Blacks earlier in 2022.
Foster said he was eager to see how the bench newcomers would perform but was reluctant to change his starting side, given their efforts in Auckland off the back of a build-up disrupted by seven COVID-19 cases in the All Blacks camp.
"We felt that last week, we got some really good progress on some things that we want to achieve." said Foster.
"The best way to cement some of that is to reward the effort and use the experience they had of playing against the Irish to try and grow.
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