Angus Ta’avao was emotional after he was called to become part of the All Blacks team for the rest of the Rugby Championship, but the move has highlighted the strain that has been mounting due to the number of injuries that top-level props have been receiving this season.
Ta’avao was been officially become part of the All Blacks team after Joe Moody was forced to take a leave of absence due to a broken thumb. 28-year-old Ta’avao is one of two that did not start the current season with a Super Rugby contract but has seen elevation to a national position for the Rugby Championships. Prop Karl Tu’inukuafe was the first to be drafted without a contract during their June series against France.
Ta’avao told reporters that he shed a few tears when he heard the announcement, and that the last few days for him were pretty big. He further explained that he was only meant to play with the Chiefs until the end of January, and had not considered that he would be playing at a more professional level.
Ta’avao, who was used primarily as a bench player for the Auckland Blues, was never really in the roster for the All Blacks, and moved to Sydney for this reason. He then returned to New Zealand for the 2017 season, and his career finally took off again when the Chiefs lost six of their original props due to long-term injuries.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | BetEasy | | 4.9/5 | 100% Match Bonus | Bet now Review |
| 3 |  | SportsBet | | 4.8/5 | $501 NZD Bonus Bet | Bet now Review |
More About Trent Wilson
Trent Wilson is OnlineBetting.nz’s resident sports news expert. He draws on his extensive sporting knowledge, his qualification in sports management and his passion for betting to provide the latest, most up to date information on sporting events in New Zealand and across the globe. Trent is a veritable treasure trove of sports information and has been betting online for several years. He prides himself in keeping his readers informed, and in always offering an unbiased standpoint that reflects exactly what’s going on in the sports world.
View Posts - Visit WebsiteYou May Also Like:
Ryan Crotty To Replace Sonny Bill Williams
Current world champions the All Blacks have made only one injury-enforced change to their squad as they gear up to take on Ireland in a once-off Test match being played in Dublin. Centre Ryan Crotty will be taking the place of Sonny Bill Williams, who received a shoulder injury during ….
Ireland Wins 28-17 Against Argentina
Ireland’s plan for an autumn international clean-sweep has remained intact as the team wins 28-17 over Argentina. Kieran Marmiom and Bundee Aki both fought hard during the first half of the match, but the Six Nations champions struggled to keep the Pumas at bay. Fly-half Nicolas Sanchez kept the visitors ….
New Zealand Names 2019 Super Rugby Teams
33 players have been selected from the 190 professional player by five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises to take part in the 2019 season. The Chiefs, Wellington, Blues, Crusaders, and Highlanders have named their 38-men squads after they confirmed the last of the remaining places on their line-ups. Along with ….
All Blacks Name Second String Side
New Zealand, current rugby world champions, have recently named two uncapped players for their second-string starting line-up for their upcoming test against Japan. The team has called midfielder Mott Proctor and forward Dalton Papali’l for the XV, and they expect that another six players will be called to make their ….
All Blacks Win Bledisloe Cup In Japan
The All Blacks ended the Bledisloe series with a sweeping victory over the Wallabies 37 – 20 at Yokohama in Japan, which is the future venue for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Australia, who were eager to prove themselves after a difficult season, went on to the stadium amid a ….