Codie Taylor’s absence shifts spotlight to Asafo Aumua for Ireland rematch

By Liam Napier

Damian McKenzie replacing Beauden Barrett to regain the glamour game management reins will inevitably garner the spotlight.

The more pressing test, though, rests in the hands of the inexperienced All Blacks hooker duo preparing for the biggest occasions of their careers in the highly anticipated rematch with Ireland in Dublin this weekend.

Head knocks that ruled Barrett and Codie Taylor out this week significantly hurt the All Blacks’ chances of maintaining their northern tour momentum.

While Barrett’s absence forces a backflip at first five-eighth, after Scott Robertson anointed him as his preferred game driver, the unproven status of their hookers demands the All Blacks must work overtime on their lineout for Ireland.

Losing Taylor is a body blow for the All Blacks. After largely skipping Super Rugby this year to rest and recover, the veteran has proven one of the All Blacks’ best performers after standing tall in successive battles with the Springboks in South Africa.

Taylor’s absence, after departing four minutes into the All Blacks’ 24-22 victory at Twickenham, ensures Ireland will zero in on targeting the lineout.

What the All Blacks would give for a safe pair of experienced hands to step in. But with Dane Coles retired and Samisoni Taukei’aho injured until next year, Robertson will turn to Asafo Aumua and George Bell against Ireland.

Aumua performed strongly on both sides of the ball for 76 minutes against England. He is a destructive ball carrier and punishing defender. The All Blacks finished that match with 80% lineout success, though, as this area of their game deteriorated in the second half, with three throws going astray.

That won’t be good enough against Ireland. The All Black won’t pull off another great escape if their lineout can’t deliver under intense pressure against the world’s No 1 ranked team.

While the All Blacks were the better side at Twickenham execution across the park, from their high ball fumbles to pass-catch accuracy, must drastically improve. That extends to their lineout that botched multiple chances to put England away – and left the door ajar for George Ford to snatch a late victory.

Aumua has matured and improved his game since debuting for the All Blacks as a raw 20-year-old prospect seven years ago. As he developed behind Coles at the Hurricanes, Aumua played six tests in four years before earning a recall this year.

In that time he’s worked hard on his frame, improving his fitness and power to move from 103kg to sit comfortably around 115kg. More importantly, he now grasps all aspects of professionalism.

“I’ve been in here the last few years not getting any game time – just being that guy holding the tackle bags. Finally this year I’ve got my chance,” Aumua said before departing north.

“In my younger days eating, drinking, recovering, rehab all those things I didn’t really take seriously. Taking care of my body is big now and since having two kids, I’ve had to grow up.”

Aumua admits lineout throwing remains a constant work on but he no longer dreads the duties that compare to the pressure of goal kicking on the test stage.

“For years it was hard. I don’t think I’m there yet but I’m a lot better than I was coming through. Early days I hated it when we kicked to the corner. I always suggested the scrum.

“These days now I’m like ‘please kick to the corner’ because it’s an opportunity to score a lineout maul try.

“There was a lot of mental stress in the early days. I read this thing on Keven Mealamu. He was talking to a construction group about having a good support system and he mentioned Gilbert Enoka, the old mental skills guy. It’s similar for me now with Ceri Evans, our mental skills specialist, and my wife, siblings, parents.

“This year is the best I’ve felt within myself and my throwing and scrummaging.

“Scrummaging is the main one because I struggled early days against experienced players. This year I’ve made some good shifts. It helped that I had Tyrel Lomax, one of the world’s best tightheads, with me at the Hurricanes.”

Aumua started three of his previous 17 tests – against the USA, Fiji and two weeks ago in Japan.

Elevated to start this weekend, as Ireland desperately seek revenge following last year’s World Cup quarter-final defeat, amid fever pitch noise that will envelop Aviva Stadium, marks the biggest occasion of Aumua’s career.

Robertson described Aumua’s performance at Twickenham as coming of age but the All Blacks must craft creative lineout options – other than their insistence on throwing to the back – to avoid more costly malfunctions and ease the burden on both green hookers.

Just as the intense atmosphere against Ireland will challenge Aumua’s temperament so, too, is 22-year-old George Bell preparing for the biggest occasion of his budding career.

The All Blacks selected Bell over others, the likes of Blues hookers Kurt Eklund and Ricky Riccitelli, with long-term development in mind.

Taylor’s absence this week banishes those plans with Bell now thrust into the pressure cooker for his third test off the bench. Throwing to a crunch lineout in the final quarter in Dublin is a world away from emerging off the bench with the result well beyond doubt against Fiji and Japan.

Before embarking on the northern tour, though, Bell was intent on seizing grand opportunities such as these.

“When you’re throwing into the best lineout defences in the world or scrummaging against the best in the world you’ve got to be on top of your game,” Bell said.

“Lineout throwing is definitely a high pressure moment for us. It’s our main job so we’ve got to nail it. We put ourselves under pressure during the week and you’ve got to trust you’ve done the reps. I’ve been a hooker for a long time.”

McKenzie’s ability to pull the strings and improve his game management marks him a focal figure this week but Aumua and Bell, those at the heart of the All Blacks forward pack, are two unlikely characters to hold just as much influence in their hands.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission