Iain Henderson out of New Zealand tour as Andy Farrell plays down Joe Schmidt head-to-head

Bundee Aki will captain the Ireland XV against the Maoris on Wednesday in a side that includes all five uncapped players in Farrell’s touring party.

BACK IN BLACK: Joe Schmidt gas joined the New Zealand coaching staff ahead of the Test Series. Pic: Alan Lee, Inpho

Andy Farrell has played down Joe Schmidt’s likely impact on the Test series between Ireland and the All Blacks but his plans for Saturday’s first Test have been dealt a further blow after lock Iain Henderson was ruled out of the tour with a knee injury.

Farrell succeeded Schmidt as Ireland head coach after the 2019 World Cup quarter0final exit to New Zealand marked the end point of the Kiwi’s six-year reign that brought unprecedented success to the national team despite the disappointing manner of its end.

Now Schmidt, after agreeing to become an independent All Blacks selector and analyst later this summer has been brought in ahead of schedule following a Covid outbreak in the camp which has forced head coach Ian Foster and assistants John Plumtree and Scott McLeod into isolation as well as centres Jack Goodhue and David Havili, followed on Tuesday by another positive case, this time wing Will Jordan.

Asked on Tuesday, what he expected his former boss to bring to the All Blacks in advance of the first Test, Farrell was keen not to overstate Schmidt’s likely role with Foster and Plumtree in command via video link and attack coach Brad Mooar in charge of training.

“I mean, what can he bring? He’s coming into a system that he probably doesn’t know as well. It’s not his system is it, so I’m sure he’s just bringing his one-to-one expertise in giving advice to the coaches and that’s pretty profound isn’t it. So I’m sure they’ll all try and learn something off him.” 

What it certainly is not, is a head-to-head between Ireland bosses past and present, Farrell insisted when reacting to the suggestion.

“I don't know if it's head-to-head. I am sure Fozzy will be around somewhere. I think Joe is just helping out by being an extra pair of hands. I am sure that Joe is just fitting into the system.

“I am supposed to be meeting him for a coffee on Thursday. I don't know whether that's out of the question or not, but we'll soon see.”

Henderson’s unavailability, meanwhile, follows a positive Covid test result for Mack Hansen but while the Connacht wing is isolating in Auckland, the two-time British & Irish Lions tourist and Ulster captain is on his way home having finished last Saturday’s training session at North Harbour Stadium in a knee brace.

He was sent for a scan, with hooker Rob Herring also needing further attention following the session, which determined Henderson would not be able to take any part in Ireland’s five-game tour, which starts on Wednesday in Hamilton against the Maori All Blacks.

Henderson would not have been involved in that opening tour match having been almost certain to be included in head coach Andy Farrell’s matchday 23 for the series opener against the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland but instead the experienced second row will be heading back to Belfast for further assessment on whether or not he will require surgery.

There are no plans to send for a replacement for Henderson at present with Ireland still having five locks available in James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Ryan Baird, Kieran Treadwell, and the uncapped Joe McCarthy, the latter two having been named overnight to start against the Maori All Blacks.

The Irish line up to face the Maori Al lBlacks

Bundee Aki will captain the Ireland XV in Hamilton as he returns to his former home stadium, where he played for the Chiefs, with whom he won a Super Rugby title in 2013 before signing for Connacht the following year and qualifying for Ireland after three years of residency.

The Connacht centre will partner Ulster’s James Hume in midfield in a team which includes all five uncapped players in Farrell’s touring party. Aside from Leinster academy lock McCarthy, Munster’s Jeremy Loughman starts at loosehead prop and Connacht flanker Cian Prendergast is named at openside in the forward pack. Leinster’s Jimmy O’Brien has been handed the full-back role in a backline that features provincial team-mate Ciaran Frawley at fly-half in partnership with scrum-half Craig Casey.

Keith Earls and Jordan Larmour will start on the wings to provide O’Brien with plenty of assurance in the back three.

Loughman joins hooker Dave Heffernan and tighthead Tom Toole in the front row with Prendergast forming a back row alongside Nick Timoney and No.8 Gavin Coombes.

Munster hooker Niall Scannell is named on the bench having only joined the squad as cover on Tuesday morning. The 30-year-old was on holiday in Portugal when the call-up came, his first involvement of Farrell’s three-year tenure having won the most recent of his 20 caps under Schmidt at the 2019 World Cup.

MAORI ALL BLACKS: Z Sullivan (Blues); S Stevenson (Chiefs), B Proctor (Hurricanes), R Poihipi (Chiefs), C Garden-Bachop (Highlanders); J Ioane (Chiefs), B Weber (Chiefs) – co-captain; O Norris (Chiefs), K Eklund (Blues), T Lomax (Hurricanes); J Dickson (Highlanders), I Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes); C Suafoa (Blues), B Harmon (Highlanders), C Grace (Crusaders).

Replacements: T Thompson (Chiefs) , T Williams (Crusaders), J Ainsley (Highlanders), M Selby-Rickit (Highlanders), TK Howden (Hurricanes), TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) – co-captain, R Love (Hurricanes), B Sullivan (Hurricanes).

IRELAND: J O’Brien (Leinster); J Larmour (Leinster), J Hume (Ulster), B Aki (Connacht), captain, K Earls (Munster); C Frawley (Leinster), C Casey (Munster); J Loughman (Munster), D Heffernan (Connacht), T O’Toole (Ulster); J McCarthy (Leinster), K Treadwell (Ulster); C Prendergast (Connacht), N Timoney (Ulster), G Coombes (Munster).

Replacements: N Scannell (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), R Baird (Leinster), J Conan (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), J Carbery (Munster), M Lowry (Ulster).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)