Scott Robertson will face several key selection decisions ahead of the All Blacks World Cup quarter-final replay against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

New Zealand go into the match against the Irish on the back of a narrow 24-22 win against England; This is a clutch win that won’t inspire much confidence for their grudge match.

while All Blacks Despite making huge improvements, especially in the final quarter of the match, the sides still have a lot to iron out if they are to beat Andy Farrell’s men again like they did in France last year.

It certainly doesn’t help that the side is dealing with injuries in crucial positions ahead of the showdown in Dublin, while they also have to make a six-day turnaround between Tests.

Before the conflict we will encounter IrelandHere are six election calls robertson This could make or break the All Blacks’ chances.

Is Ethan De Groot in or out?

In 2021, former All Blacks boss Ian Foster handed 22-year-old Ethan de Groot his first Test cap against Fiji and the strong, loosehead hasn’t looked back since, quickly becoming a regular starter for the team when fit .

De Groot has been an almost automatic choice as the All Blacks’ starting support when available, but was left out of the squad last week for “failing to meet domestic standards”. Head coach Robertson did not explain further the reason for his non-selection but confirmed he would be in the frame against Ireland.

The All Blacks tackled Tamaiti Williams to gain the upper hand against England in attack, but substitute Ofa Tu’ungafasi did so as New Zealand managed to rack up penalties against the substitute England front-rowers.

Ireland pose a different threat in attack because they focus on form and technique rather than power at the set-piece, which should lead to a change.

De Groot is best suited to take on experienced tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong from the first whistle, who will likely raise the question of whether New Zealand should drop Pasilio Tosi, Tu’ungafasi or Williams.

Williams and Tu’ungafasi can play on both ends of the attack and form a good pairing off the bench; The former is arguably this year’s most consistent supporter.

Scrum-half headache

After a standout Rugby Championship campaign, Cortez Ratima had arguably his worst game for the All Blacks against England in what was a superb start to his international career. The Chiefs’ man was wasteful and indecisive and one of his passes was easily picked up by Marcus Smith and England turned the tackle into seven points.

Robertson is not one to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and while making a change at number nine may seem a reactionary move, it would be a more proactive move.

Cam Roigard has been in sensational form since returning from injury and looked superb as he stepped up the pace of the All Blacks attack in the final stages of the Test match at Twickenham Stadium.

Ratima has twice more caps than Roigard, but the latter has spent more time in the All Blacks squad and is slightly more experienced in what being of international standard entails. Her kicking game is also marginally better than Ratima’s, which will benefit against the Irish.

Then one has to consider whether it would be profitable to bring TJ Perenara back to Dublin because he has been in Dublin and has done so many times in the past with the All Blacks. There won’t be much of a divide between the two teams on Friday night, and experience could make a big difference.

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Mandatory changes

While the previous two substitutions were selection dilemmas, the next two were forced substitutions, with Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor missing the match against Ireland due to concussion.

With the pairing ruled out, Robertson not only loses experience worth 226 Test caps in the first XV, but also loses two of his most in-form and influential figures in his squad. Taylor has been one of the best hookers in world rugby this year, while Barrett has run the show magnificently at scrum-half in his last two Tests in the jersey.

Robertson has two simple decisions to make in the starting XV; Damian McKenzie and Asafo Aumua are clear frontrunners for promotion to the second team, but it is on the bench where the All Blacks boss will have to make the tough decisions.

George Bell is the only other hooker to feature in the All Blacks this year, while uncapped front-rower Brodie McAlister was called up as cover in the All Blacks XV after defeating Munster. McAlister is unlikely to overtake Bell in the pecking order unless Robertson thinks the 27-year-old is better suited because he has played more professional rugby than Bell. For us the decision has to come down to who is better at set pieces and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Aumua went as deep as possible in the second half against Ireland, even if he didn’t play the whole match.

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As for McKenzie’s bench player, Robertson has a handful of options. The first is to decide between Harry Plummer and Stephen Perofeta, the latter will most likely get the nod. But there is also a third option. The All Blacks boss has opted for a 5-3 split on the bench in every Test match this year but a change from the norm could be beneficial against the Irish.

Frankly, unless McKenzie suffers an injury, he won’t leave the park until the final whistle, so if he becomes Chiefs’ man it might be worth the risk of filling the bench with six forwards and two full-backs and using Jordie Barrett as an emergency fly-half. He falls to the ground injured. The All Blacks’ distribution has been a noticeable improvement in their 2024 appearances but this will be put to the test against Ireland on Friday and having an extra lock or backrower will make a big difference.

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Start Patrick Tuipulotu or Tupou Vaa’i

Finally, Scott Barrett is an automatic choice at lock but his partner is less straightforward with Tupou Vaa’i and Patrick Tuipulotu providing a healthy headache.

Vaa’i was an easy decision as Tuipulotu was injured during the Rugby Championship, but Tuipulotu has been in excellent form since returning from injury and had a blinder kick off the bench against England.

The All Blacks’ struggles in the final quarter have been well documented this year and Robertson will need to decide whether Tuipulotu is a key cog in their improvement in the last 20 against England. We believe Vaa’i could have a similar impact if relegated to the bench, and based on the evidence from last weekend, Tuipulotu should be on the field for longer.

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