AUCKLAND — All Blacks Test centurion Mils Muliaina believes New Zealand's lengthy injury list has actually proved to be "great" for head coach Dave Rennie, despite 17 players being sidelined since the start of the international campaign. The disruption has forced Rennie to rotate, with Ardie Savea and Ruben Love definitely ruled out of the end-of-year tour, Leroy Carter definitely out of the northern leg of the Nations Championship and a doubt over Richie Mo'unga, while the full extent of the absentees will be known when the squad to face Wales, Scotland and England is named.
Muliaina questioned whether soft-tissue problems were linked to the side's approach, but argued the crisis offers a valuable chance to test depth. "Seventeen is a heck of a lot isn't it? But on one side of it, it's promising because we've got depth," he said on The Breakdown. "You're going to have your impact injuries you get from contact, but it's probably the soft tissue injuries. Is it the style they're playing? Is it the training they're actually doing to play that fast, explosive style? I look at it differently, I think it's great. It's the time now to really test your depth and Dave Rennie's done that. He's already started implementing that, he's forced to do it ever more. Have we got the stock? From what I see, we do."
Fellow former All Black Brad Weber said he was more concerned about replacements in the back row than at fly-half, where New Zealand have strong cover. Although the Savea-Luke Jacobson axis had been a key part of the Rennie regime, Peter Lakai and Wallace Sititi combined well for the All Blacks at the weekend to suggest the loss of the first-choice loose forwards will not be too keenly felt. "You look at those players, particularly Love, Savea, Jacobson, those are big names. The replacement players you're bringing in, how big a drop-off is it? It's not a big drop-off from Ruben Love is it? We've got great 10s," Weber said. "He's not a third choice 10, he's been playing full-back, but Savea and Jacobson, we were probably worried around the loose forwards, but wasn't Peter Lakai incredible and it's also so good to see Wallace Sititi back and confident. Coming back from an injury and then he had that bad concussion in the back-end of Super Rugby, he didn't look like himself for the first couple of games back in the All Blacks jersey, but on the weekend, man, it looks like he's back to his devastating best. We're filling these guys places really well."
Some absences are short-term, while others will keep key players out for the rest of the season, but both Muliaina and Weber agreed the enforced rotation has underlined that New Zealand have the stock to cope. With Lakai and Sititi impressing in the loose forwards, Rennie's side head into the northern tour with evidence that their depth can withstand a demanding schedule.