Aaron Cruden is poised to return to the All Blacks No.10 jersey this week and his long-term hold on the jersey is firming following more medical problems for Dan Carter.
A chest injury forced Cruden to miss last week’s 28-9 win over Argentina in Napier but he is favoured to reclaim it from Beauden Barrett for their Test against South Africa in Wellington on Saturday.
Cruden trained well on Tuesday and seems set to start not only this week but also potentially for the remainder of the Rugby Championship.
Hundred-cap Crusaders playmaker Carter continues to make sluggish progress in his recovery from a leg fracture suffered during the Super Rugby final five weeks ago.
New Zealand assistant coach Ian Foster says Carter was only now beginning contact work, reducing the hopes of having him available for Tests away to Argentina (September 27) and South Africa (October 5).
“I doubt we’ll see him in the Rugby Championship but we’ll see what happens in the next week or two,” Foster said.
“It’s just a matter of how we integrate him through – whether it’s through ITM Cup or whether it’s through us.”
Carter, 32, last played a Test in November last year against England at Twickenham. He hobbled off injured and then sat out a seven-month sabbatical to get himself fit and refreshed.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s selectors are still debating the makeup of their forward pack after injuries in Napier to lock Sam Whitelock (rib) and flanker Liam Messam (thigh) ruled them out.
Jeremy Thrush is likely to start at lock but originally named squad members Dominic Bird and Patrick Tuipulotu are both inclusion possibilities – at least among the reserves.
Bird (toe) and Tuipulotu (ankle) are returning from injury and were put through their paces on Tuesday by fitness coach Nic Gill.
“Today was about information-gathering more than anything,” Foster said.
“Patrick’s probably a little bit further ahead than Dominic but until you put them through that and then you reassess how they are in 24 hours, you don’t really know.”
It remains unclear if Messam’s place will be taken by Steven Luatua or whether captain Richie McCaw will switch sides to the blindside flank, creating room for Sam Cane on the openside.
Foster says he will take interest in the naming of the Springboks team on Wednesday.
He believes the tourists’ playing blueprint will be exposed by whether they name young playmaker Handre Pollard at five-eighth or opt for the experience of the more conservative Morne Steyn, who started in last week’s 24-23 loss to Australia in Perth.
