Monster Jam ran on the Accor Stadium pitch on Saturday 10 October. A week later the All Blacks finished a 43-21 win with 13 men.
Dave Rennie was asked whether the pitch had played a part in the All Blacks injuries in Sydney.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I’m not sure about that… sounds like there was some monster trucks on there a week ago. So probably not the ideal preparation.”
The All Blacks head coach said it at the post-match press conference at Accor Stadium on Saturday 17 October, captain Codie Taylor beside him. New Zealand had just beaten the Wallabies 43-21 to sweep the Bledisloe Cup series.
Ten 12,000-pound Monster Jam trucks had been on that pitch a week earlier. The All Blacks finished with 13 men, and Shannon Frizell went down with nobody near him.
Was the Accor pitch part of it, or was it a bad night for bodies? Say which in the comments.
“It was just him running”: Shannon Frizell’s six minutes
Shannon Frizell came off the bench on 55 minutes and was off again by the hour. He is back from Japan for his first All Blacks squad since 2023.
Stuff’s live blog reported that he dropped to the turf without contact. It looked like a knee, though he walked off.
Rennie had no diagnosis.
“We’re not sure about Shannon cuz it wasn’t… it was just him running… and then… [Samisoni], it’s just his calf tightened up. So… we’re not certain in around those.”
The second name was Samisoni Taukei’aho. The hooker had been held up over the Wallabies’ line a minute before he went off on 67 minutes.
Frizell is the worry. He went down on his own, and at full-time the All Blacks still could not say why.
Wobbling from the start: Quinn Tupaea lasted two minutes
Quinn Tupaea lasted 1 minute 41 seconds. He was bundled into touch by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, and RNZ reported that he hit his head on the ground.
“Obviously, Q… got a concussion and… because he was wobbling around from the start, he… was ruled out immediately. So he’s going to go through some protocols.”
Rieko Ioane replaced him. Rennie said Ioane had “barely trained” at centre, because he was the main cover.
Six gone and 13 left: how the All Blacks ran out of men
The list, in order:
- Before kick-off: Jordie Barrett withdrawn hours out with a calf problem. Timoci Tavatavanawai started at 12.
- 2 minutes: Quinn Tupaea off, concussion. Rieko Ioane on.
- Half-time: Will Jordan off with a tight calf. Chay Fihaki on for his debut.
- 61 minutes: Frizell off after six minutes, no contact. Du’Plessis Kirifi on.
- 67 minutes: Taukei’aho off, calf.
- 68 minutes: Codie Taylor, replaced on 49, back on at hooker. Tavatavanawai off with the bench empty: 14 men, and Peter Lakai at midfield.
- 76 minutes: Fihaki yellow-carded for head-on-head contact with Suaalii. Thirteen men.
Jordan’s calf has history. His 2026 Super Rugby season ended with a calf re-injury against the Chiefs in May.
“His calf was a little tight and we just didn’t want to… take a risk. He… did a little calf… during the Crusaders season in a similar situation.”
Taylor, back on for the last 12 minutes, saw the shortage differently.
“I thought it was really good for us in a way… down to 14 and then down to 13, you know, Test footy, that’s a tough place to be, but I felt like… as a group, boys sort of managed [it] as best we could.”
It was 43-7 at 43 minutes. The Wallabies won the rest 14-0.
All Blacks injuries before Murrayfield: the list was long already
Sydney came on top of an existing list. Ardie Savea and Luke Jacobson are out for the year, and Richie Mo’unga tore a calf in training before the Bledisloe Tests.
Ruben Love has an ankle problem, Anton Segner a concussion and Ethan Blackadder a calf.
The Nations Championship pool games come next: Scotland at Murrayfield on 7 November, Wales on 14 November, England on 21 November. Stuff reported that the squad will be named after the NPC final.
Monster Jam was on the Accor turf seven days earlier
The Monster Jam World Tour was on the Accor Stadium turf on Saturday 10 October, seven days before the Test.
Rennie raised it, and hedged it twice. Later in the same press conference he was asked about the conditions.
“Yeah. Well, I’m not sure about the footing, but the… yeah, conditions were great.”
Nothing links the pitch to any of these injuries, and Rennie did not claim it did. No diagnosis has been released for Frizell or Taukei’aho.
The same ground hosts the All Blacks and the Wallabies in a World Cup pool match on 9 October 2027. How its turf recovers from a monster-truck weekend is a fair question for Venues NSW, which runs it.
Watch the full press conference on the All Blacks’ channel.
Your turn: pitch or bad luck?
Frizell went down with nobody near him. Rennie mentioned monster trucks, then said the conditions were great. Should a Test ground host monster trucks seven days before a Bledisloe? Yes or no, below.
Frequently asked
Why did Shannon Frizell go off against the Wallabies?
He went down without contact six minutes after coming on. Stuff reported it looked like a knee. Rennie said the All Blacks were not yet sure.
Which All Blacks injuries came out of the Sydney Test?
Shannon Frizell (suspected knee), Samisoni Taukei’aho (calf) and Quinn Tupaea (concussion), plus Will Jordan’s tight calf at half-time. Jordie Barrett missed the match with a calf problem.
Is Quinn Tupaea concussed?
Yes. Rennie said Tupaea was concussed and ruled out immediately because he was “wobbling around from the start”. He will go through the return-to-play protocols.
Was there a Monster Jam at Accor Stadium before the Bledisloe Cup Test?
Yes. The Monster Jam World Tour was held at Accor Stadium on Saturday 10 October 2026, a week before the Test.
When do the All Blacks play next?
Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday 7 November, in the Nations Championship pool phase.
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