Franks out, Laulala starts second Bledisloe Cup Test
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Franks out, Laulala starts second Bledisloe Cup Test
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said at his Thursday press conference ahead of the game that Franks could be out for some time and team management were looking at how they were going to deal with it.
He said the injury could no longer be managed without being detrimental to Franks' performance.
"We've just decided to make sure that we've still got a rugby player in the future that we will put him aside and take a look at how we are going to treat it," he said.
He said the injury could no longer be managed without being detrimental to Franks' performance.
"We've just decided to make sure that we've still got a rugby player in the future that we will put him aside and take a look at how we are going to treat it," he said.
Nepo Laulala will start Saturday's Test and Hurricanes prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen has been called in as a replacement.
Hansen said Laulala was preferred to start ahead of Ofa Tu'ungafasi because he was more the specialist at starting out while Tu'ungafasi had more to offer around the field when coming on as a substitute.
Laulala's core roles were good and his scrummaging had advanced but they were still seeking more agility from his game and they were working with him on that.
Hansen said Laulala was preferred to start ahead of Ofa Tu'ungafasi because he was more the specialist at starting out while Tu'ungafasi had more to offer around the field when coming on as a substitute.
Laulala's core roles were good and his scrummaging had advanced but they were still seeking more agility from his game and they were working with him on that.
