Beauden Barrett
The All Blacks were given a big scare ahead of their Test against the Wallabies on Saturday.
First-choice flyhalf Beauden Barrett is under a slight injury cloud, following a training ground mishap.
The No 10 limped out of training with his left thigh iced and Colin Slade running the final few minutes of the session.
There is no indication when a call will be made on Barritt’s fitness.
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Barrett had sneaked in ahead of Aaron Cruden in the All Black flyhalf pecking order, after the latter was dropped from the team in the wake of a night out that resulted in him missing the flight to Argentina.
Coach Steve Hansen could ill afford any setbacks at this late stage of the build-up, given that he is expecting a major backlash from the under-siege Australians.
Hansen is expecting Australia to be motivated to bounce back after the text scandal involving star back Kurtley Beale, internal ructions and speculation over Ewen McKenzie’s coaching future.
But Hansen did warn that his world champions, smarting from their first loss in 23 Tests to South Africa in Johannesburg a fortnight ago, were primed to make Australia suffer even more if they were not prepared to play for each other.
“When a team is under siege as they are at the moment then one of two things can happen,” Hansen told reporters ahead of Saturday’s Test in Brisbane.
“Either they unite and come out and play really well or they crumble to the pressure of it. I don’t see them crumbling. They’re too good of a team.
“Our job is to go out and put as much pressure as we can on the park and that’s what we’re trying to do.”