All Blacks Coach Dave Rennie Reveals Rotation Plan for Springboks Showdown

• Dave Rennie has confirmed that changes are coming for the All Blacks’ final Test against the Springboks
• New Zealand’s injury list could force further adjustments before the Baltimore showdown
• The All Blacks coach believes his side still has enough left for one final push as they fight to draw the series

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie says New Zealand will rotate his squad for Saturday’s series decider against the Springboks in Baltimore.

The All Blacks arrived in the United States after their 29-24 defeat to South Africa at FNB Stadium on Saturday, 5 September. The result left the Springboks 2-1 ahead in the four-Test series.

Rennie said rotation had been part of the plan regardless of the Johannesburg result.

“We sort of always thought we would make changes in the fourth Test regardless of whether we won that third one or not,” Rennie said, as reported by SA Rugby Magazine.

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The coach added that the priority was to introduce players with “plenty of energy” while sharing the workload.

All Blacks face key selection decisions

New Zealand will also have to replace captain Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea after the trio suffered injuries.

Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord could return after concussion issues, while Ethan Blackadder remains an option.

Richie Mo’unga could also feature at flyhalf, with Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane among the midfield possibilities.

Rennie backs All Blacks for one more fight

Both squads faced a lengthy trip to the United States after leaving Johannesburg, with the journey taking about 26 hours and including a stop in the Canary Islands. Rennie decided his players needed recovery time rather than an immediate training session.

Explaining the decision, the All Blacks coach said:

“If we tried to train today after 24 or 26 hours of travel I think we would be beating a dead horse.”

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The back-to-back defeats have not dented Rennie’s belief that New Zealand can still produce a strong response in Baltimore.

“We have definitely got one more in us.”

The Baltimore Test will decide whether the Springboks seal the series or New Zealand force another twist.

All Blacks face a major test against the Springboks

Briefly News previously reported that the All Blacks have been warned their struggles against rugby’s most physical teams could become a major concern ahead of the Baltimore decider.

The 29-24 defeat in Johannesburg on 5 September again highlighted the Springboks’ forward strength, leaving New Zealand needing answers before the series finale on 12 September.

Source: Briefly News