All Blacks prop Owen Franks received a two-week ban yesterday for striking an opponent, leaving him free to play against France next month, but his lack of discipline left New Zealand coach Steve Hansen fuming.
Franks was suspended after pleading guilty to a swinging arm hit on Auckland Blues hooker James Parsons during Saturday’s Super Rugby match between the Blues and the Canterbury Crusaders. He is the second Crusaders and All Blacks prop to be suspended in as many weeks after Joe Moody received a two-week ban for an elbow to the throat of Kurtley Beale when the Crusaders played the NSW Waratahs the previous Saturday.
Franks and Moody are both in the All Blacks squad to face France in a three-Test series next month with coach Hansen citing a need to eliminate needless penalties. “I’ve got concerns about our whole discipline,” he said.
“Last year we gave away too many avoidable penalties. We’ve talked about that on our foundation days. Both guys we’re talking about have been out (injured) for a wee while, and were probably a little rusty in their techniques. They just need to have a look at themselves and give themselves a wee uppercut and get on with it.”
A Super Rugby judicial panel said Franks’ hit on Parsons merited a mid-range four-week ban but it was reduced to two weeks given “the player’s good record over an extensive playing history”. Franks, who has played 95 Tests, has been suspended up to and including June 2 and will miss the Crusaders matches against the Wellington Hurricanes and Waikato Chiefs but will be available for the first Test against France on June 9.
Meanwhile, three new players were named in the New Zealand squad to face France in a three-Test series next month as the All Blacks continue to build towards defending their crown at next year’s World Cup.
The team will be captained by 95-Test lock Sam Whitelock, with regular skipper Kieran Read injured. After using 55 players last year, the selectors still found reason to call up loose forwards Shannon Frizell and Jordan Taufua along with scrum-half Te Toiroa Tahuiorangi.
The 33-man squad also includes prop Tim Perry, and backs Richie Mo’unga and Jack Goodhue who were involved with the All Blacks on last year’s northern tour but have yet to make their Test debuts. The need to shore up some positions, an embarrassment of riches in the outside backs has meant no room for Wellington Hurricanes flyer Ben Lam, the leading try scorer in Super Rugby this year. The squad includes 17 forwards and 16 backs and is dominated by the top two Super Rugby sides, with 10 players from the Canterbury Crusaders and eight from the Hurricanes.
New Zealand squad:
Backs: Jordie Barrett, Ben Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo, Rieko Ioane, Jack Goodhue, Sonny Bill Williams, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ngani Laumape, Ryan Crotty, Richie Mo’unga, Damian McKenzie, Beauden Barrett, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith.
Forwards: Luke Whitelock, Jordan Taufua, Liam Squire, Shannon Frizell, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Vaea Fifita, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock (c), Owen Franks, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Jeff To’omaga-Allen, Tim Perry, Joe Moody, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor.
Owen Franks
