- Title: Pressure, what pressure asks Hansen as Cane dropped
- Date: 24th October 2019
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF NEW ZEALAND HEAD COACH, STEVE HANSEN, SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND HEAD COACH, STEVE HANSEN, SAYING: "Wee bit significant, Nigel, then its significant. But it's a wee bit." SMARTPHONE SCREEN SHOWING HANSEN SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND HEAD COACH, STEVE HANSEN, SAYING: "Obviously it's strategic. It's not on form. Sam Cane's playing lovely rugby. However, we've made some decisions around what we want to do and how we want to play and that means we have made the change because of it." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND CAPTAIN AND LOOSE FORWARD, KIERAN READ, SAYING: "He's been involved in our conversations as in loose forward group right from the outset this year, and always gets a little bit of time training there, so you know, this week has been a good week for him and to just go from the outset and you know, he is going to add something slightly different to us in that loose forwards, but, you know, it's certainly pretty impressed for what he has been doing for us. So looking forward to it." MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND HEAD COACH, STEVE HANSEN, SAYING: "I have talked about pressure ever since I have been an All Blacks coach because we're under pressure all the time. And I think early, early in our history, we ran away from it. So it was chasing us down the street. But these days, we've had to acknowledge that it's there. You know, we are expected to win every game whether it's a semi-final, quarter final, or just ordinary test match. So yeah, it is. There is pressure. It is a big game. But it would be very naïve to think that there's not pressure on both sides. And when you can publicly acknowledge it, that it's on you then there's an awareness and that same pressure is running down the same street that he's on. And he's trying again to take that pressure, he's trying to take the pressure off his own side by saying getting everyone to talk to us about pressure. And again, smart move, but you know, I'm not buying into it, our players aren't buying into it. We know we're under pressure. We don't need Eddie (Jones) to tell us that. " NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND HEAD COACH, STEVE HANSEN, SAYING: "Sometimes I think people come off the euphoria of winning the quarter final, and then they start looking at the final. And I think that could have been a mistake that we've made in the past, the All Blacks. You know, I think we may have even done it in '07, looking, you know, beyond the quarter final. And when you start looking beyond where you're actually at, then your mind's not where your feet are, and then, you know, you're vulnerable. So I think that's probably why they would say it's tact, because you've just come off the euphoria of winning the quarter final knowing you now have an opportunity, and then you may start looking at that opportunity before you've actually learned the right to look at it." MEDIA HANSEN STANDING UP AND WALKING AWAY/ NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 7th November 2019 05:43
- Keywords: Rugby World Cup Steve Hansen New Zealand Kieran Read loose forward
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby League,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2GFRCV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Scott Barrett has been surprisingly named to start at blindside flanker for New Zealand in their Rugby World Cup semi-final against England on Saturday (October 26), with Ardie Savea shifting to the openside of the scrum.
Sam Cane, who had operated in a twin-openside combination with Savea since the All Blacks match against Australia in Perth in August, has dropped to the bench for the clash at Yokohama Stadium.
Barrett, who normally plays at lock, spent about 15 minutes of the 46-14 quarter-final victory over Ireland last Saturday playing in the number six jersey in what coach Steve Hansen said on Thursday (October 24) had been a tactical decision.
A year ago, he came on against England early in the second half at Twickenham to give the All Blacks extra options at the lineout, where they subsequently caused all sorts of disruption on England's throws. The 25-year-old's inclusion in an otherwise-unchanged starting side from that which beat Ireland adds an extra dimension to the All Blacks lineout and some additional size in the collision area.
Patrick Tuipulotu will come onto the bench as the specialist lock replacement. Cane's move to the bench has meant there was no place for Shannon Frizell, who had been tipped to replace the injured Matt Todd as loose forward cover.
All Blacks captain Kieran Read, who missed training earlier in the week with a calf muscle injury, was named for his 126th test.
Hansen also retained his young backline, which has an average age of 25, and will be anchored by Beauden Barrett at fullback and Richie Mo'unga at flyhalf in the dual-playmaker role the coach has preferred over the last 18 months. Sonny Bill Williams will again come off the bench to provide some punch in the midfield in the second half.
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