Vulnerable All Blacks gamble on Retallick

It might be a sign of how vulnerable the All Blacks are that they have chosen to take the injured Brodie Retallick to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan even though he might not play for another six weeks.

Retallick‚ the 77-Test veteran and former World Player of the Year‚ sustained a dislocated shoulder playing against the Springboks in Wellington last month and has been in a race to be fit for the showpiece.

But All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen named him in the 31-man squad on Wednesday as New Zealand aim to win a fourth title and a third in row.

Retallick’s value to the All Black cause cannot be underestimated.

When he has played for the All Blacks‚ they have won 69 of the 77 Tests he has played with four draws and four losses for a 90% winning ratio.

In all‚ the All Blacks have played 100 Tests since Retallick made his debut.

Of the other 23 Tests they have played without Retallick they have lost five – a 78% winning ratio.

The defending champions have endured a mediocre build-up to the tournament‚ drawing 16-16 with the Boks in Wellington and losing 47-26 to the Wallabies in Perth.

By All Black standards results and performances have been sub-standard.

Retallick is massively influential figure and Hansen has gambled on the 28-year-old being fit for the knockout stages from October 19.

The All Blacks face the Springboks‚ Italy‚ Canada and Namibia in Pool play and should comfortably advance to the last eight even if they lose their opening match against SA on September 21.

"The update is: his shoulder is still sore‚" Hansen said of Retallick.

"We don't expect him to play in the round robin.

"We're reasonably sure – and no disrespect to anyone else in our pool – that we will make the quarterfinals. And from there we don't know.

"At this point we've rolled the dice and will take him for that quarter-final.

"We'll see what happens from there. We think he's worthy of that risk. He's a quality player and he'll add plenty to us off the park as well."

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The rules have allowed Hansen the leeway to take Retallick knowing that if his rehabilitation doesn’t go according to plan‚ he is cable to call in a replacement.

But Retallick cannot then return to the tournament at a later stage.

Hansen picked four locks in his group. Sam Whitelock‚ Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipolutu join Retallick as second rowers in the group.