All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is breathing an extra-large sigh of relief after Highlanders flanker Liam Squire escaped suspension over his yellow card incident on Friday.
Squire was sinbinned for a high tackle on All Blacks teammate Ardie Savea in his side's win over the Hurricanes and was subsequently cleared by Sanzaar's foul play committee, despite the citing commissioner having deemed it red-card worthy.
With a mounting injury toll on his hands, particularly among the forwards, Hansen could ill-afford being without the combative No. 6 against the notoriously physical French in their series opener on Saturday.
Hansen was adamant they got the decision right, expressing no hint of surprise over Squire's clearance.
"I understand why he got cited, but I also understand why they let him off," Hansen told media on Monday.
"Our game's very fluid and full of movement, and if you move late and you've got nowhere else to go…sometimes it's impossible to make changes.
"In this case, they've given him the benefit of the doubt."
The All Blacks brass have been outspoken regarding the importance of discipline, deeming it one of the key points of emphasis for the approaching international season.
"You can play with high energy and intention but you can't step across the line.
"Referees have been given strong guidelines about what they want, and if you're going to go anywhere near the head, you're going to put yourself in a situation where you're going to get cited."
Meanwhile, the reinforcements have been flooding into camp following the recent spate of injuries, which Hansen simply sees as symptomatic of the week-in, week-out demands of Super Rugby.
"It's a physical game we play, and whilst the competitions are the way they are, everybody is going to get compromised.
"We knew that months ago that this would be the case….we expected to lose another couple over the weekend, and so we did. It's just an opportunity for someone else.
An opportunity against a French side which has proved difficult to crack in recent months, and they have the numbers to back it up.
"I know they're statistically the best defensive side in world rugby at the moment, running at about 92.5 per cent tackle completion. They're only letting in one and a half tries per game.
"We've got a massive challenge on our hands, and one we're really excited about facing."
The diagnosis on lock Brodie Retallick remains unclear, but it's certain that he won’t play any part in the first test. Fellow locking partner Sam Whitelock is another in doubt, having missed three-straight weeks for the Crusaders with a head injury.
That's seen both Luke Romano and Tom Franklin rushed into camp, alongside Crusaders flanker Matt Todd as a precautionary measure for Ardie Savea and Sam Cane.
Cane is expected to be given the green light for Eden Park, as is Whitelock, who Hansen confirms will captain the side.
Hansen refused to touch on the respective incidents involving Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane. Both will be available for selection against France.
Crusaders duo Jack Goodhue and Jordan Taufua are reportedly both tracking well, with their performance through this week's training to dictate their availability on Saturday.
Sonny Bill Williams underwent successful keyhole surgery on his knee on Friday and should be back to training in approximately four weeks.
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