The All Blacks have suffered casualties from yesterday’s Test against England with first five Beauden Barrett and hooker Codie Taylor ruled out of the Ireland match next week.
Taylor was forced from the field for an HIA inside the first five minutes and did not return while Barrett left in the 64th minute and has also succumbed to a head injury.
Robertson has confirmed stand down protocols mean the pair will miss next weekend’s crunch fixture in Dublin, a rematch of last year’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
They will sit out for 12 days and be re-evaluated ahead of the France test in Paris in a fortnight’s time.
With Taylor sidelined early at Allianz Stadium Twickenham, the All Blacks lineout faltered with reserve hooker Asafo Aumua thrown into the deep end. He was a force with ball-in-hand but the set piece accuracy waned throughout the game.
Barrett was instrumental in the first half with the All Blacks high ball kick strategy while he set up fullback Will Jordan for a dazzling try with a clever switch play late in the first half.
The All Blacks will be without 226 Test caps as a result which Robertson conceded would “be missed”.
“Codie’s a world class hooker, among the best two or three in the world, and in great form,” Robertson told New Zealand media in a Zoom call on Sunday.
“Beauden was conducting the game pretty well, we thought, until the bang.
“They’ll be missed obviously but they’ll be around giving their wisdom and preparing the rest of the players.”
Damian McKenzie, who has started the majority of the Tests this year at No 10, is likely to be re-instated as the starter while Asafo Aumua is likely to assume the starting hooker role.
Elliot Smith of Newstalk ZB reports that Ruben Love will rejoin the side having played for the All Blacks XV against Munster, with Harry Plummer and a yet-to-be-named hooker also coming in as reinforcements.
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