AUCKLAND // New Zealand coach Steve Hansen was not expected to make too many changes for the second Test against Wales in Wellington next Saturday, though giant winger Julian Savea could be in danger of losing his place to Waisake Naholo.
Savea, was substituted early in the second half of the 39-21 victory at Eden Park on Saturday after being easily beaten twice by opposite George North in the first spell.
Naholo himself had a mixed bag in the first half, dropping the ball several times while also getting exposed in defence.
He also collided with Ben Smith in attempting to catch a high kick, which led to Wales’ first try to Toby Faletau.
Naholo, however, looked dangerous when he had the ball in hand.
• Report: New Zealand's All Blacks bring too much 'firepower' for Wales
Hansen told reporters on Sunday the decision to replace Savea was because he felt introducing Beauden Barrett to fullback, moving Smith to right wing and shifting Naholo to the left would provide more impact.
“We thought Waisake was doing more damage than Julian,” Hansen told reporters in Auckland, while adding they felt comfortable Naholo, 25, could play both sides of the field rather than be restricted to the right wing.
“He’s a very capable young man. He’s highly intelligent and very talented as an athlete. He just needs some more time in the saddle.
“I think he’s going to be pretty special.”
Savea, who has one of the highest strike rates in Test rugby with 39 tries from 42 internationals, has struggled to find his form this year and was dropped for one match by the Wellington Hurricanes to work on his conditioning.
Hansen indicated that while he would not be keen to make too many changes after a “rusty” performance at Eden Park, there could be the possibility of “one or two”.
He has no real injury concerns with only Charlie Ngatai unavailable with concussion and lock Sam Whitelock “50-50” for the match at Wellington.
Hansen was relatively pleased with his side’s performance on Saturday so one or two changes could suggest there could be a shakeup of his back three with Smith and Naholo on the wings and Israel Dagg brought back as fullback.
“I think we will look to keep it pretty settled at this stage. There is no point rehashing it this week and putting together another rusty performance,” Hansen said.
“We need to put a few together.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More on animal trafficking
What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors
Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km
Price: from Dh199,900
On sale: now
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
