Jordan, Sititi and Vaa'i cleared to face France as All Blacks get injury boost

Will Jordan, Wallace Sititi and Tupou Vaa’i have all been cleared to face France in the opening Test of the July Nations Championship, All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie confirmed, easing selection headaches ahead of a limited preparation window.

Jordan had not played since re-injuring his calf against the Chiefs in late May. The Crusaders fullback’s return gives Rennie a proven option at the back, while Chiefs forwards Sititi and Vaa’i had both been working through return-to-play protocols after picking up knocks during the Super Rugby playoffs.

“Both are tracking really well and so, at this stage, available,” Rennie said of Jordan and Vaa’i. On Sititi, he added: “He’s come through that really well, so we are confident that he will be available as well.”

Should Sititi not be deemed fully match-fit, Rennie has options in the loose forwards. Captain Ardie Savea is expected to start at openside, with Peter Lakai available at number eight. Uncapped rookie Anton Segner can cover blindside, alongside Luke Jacobson and Simon Parker.

With the squad having had minimal time together, Rennie acknowledged the All Blacks would keep things straightforward. “Simple” was the word he used to describe the game plan for their first outing.

Despite France being without their Toulouse contingent — who were involved in club action over the weekend — Rennie was careful not to underestimate Fabien Galthié’s side. The French squad includes 11 players from Bordeaux, the reigning European champions.

“People will talk about the fact that Toulouse played this weekend, and so they’ll be missing them, but there’ll be 11 players from Bordeaux, the European champions,” Rennie said. “France have 28 professional sides, but they have the greatest depth in world rugby, and so they’ve always got a lot of quality players to pick from. Fabien’s smart, and so they’ll have a plan around what things look like. They’ll be a good side.”