All Blacks handed injury boost

by Thomas Rooney | New Zealand have been given a timely boost with the return of captain Richie McCaw for their World Cup quarter-final with Argentina.

The All Blacks were dealt a major blow last week, with the big loss of star kicker Dan Carter to injury.

It was an injury that brought an end to the tournament for Carter, but New Zealand will be keen to move on from it.

The return of inspirational skipper McCaw is certainly one way to lift them ahead of the Argentina match.

It is a game they will feel they should win comfortably, as they look to win the tournament that has alluded them since its inaugural year in 1987.

All Blacks assistant coach, Steve Hansen said of the returning McCaw: “He’s great. He’s going to play on Sunday.

“He’s done plenty of training, it’s just the type of training he does. We don’t get him involved in the clean-out for example, the physical, hard body contact stuff. He does other training, it’s fine.

“People are going to have little niggles, it’s just how big a threshold you’ve got for that pain.

Then men in New Zealand 2011 Cup Shirts will know that Argentina will be no push-overs in this game though, having run England all the way in the group stages.

Indeed, it is testament to how far the Pumas have come in recent years, that they will be joining New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the new Four-Nations championship next year.

Things do not get any easier for the All Blacks if they were to beat Argentina, however. Their semi-final match would be against either Australia or South Africa.

It should be a thrilling encounter between two sides with a lot to prove. If New Zealand can react well to the loss of Carter, then the game should be theirs.