All eyes on Naholo
Ten weeks after suffering a broken leg in his debut Test against Argentina, traditional Fijian medicine has brought Naholo back and ready to to make his World Cup debut.
Georgia should pose no more difficult a challenge, but Hansen has decided it is time his defending champions started to bed-in their top side.
Some selections raised eyebrows. Regular props Tony Woodcock and Owen Franks are benched and replaced by Wyatt Crockett and Charlie Faumuina. Sonny Bill Williams starts at inside centre with Ma'a Nonu suffering a previously unannounced shoulder injury.
But the main talking point was the selection of Naholo who was selected for the World Cup when not fully fit but who Hansen always said would be his attacking weapon.
"It's exciting for us to have him back," he said of this year's top try scorer in Super Rugby," said Hansen
"There's been a lot of talk about a miracle cure but he's comeback when we expected him to come back."
After Naholo was told by New Zealand doctors the stress fracture would not heal in time for the World Cup he went to Fiji for a traditional treatment with an application made from a special leaf applied to the leg.
At a media conference where the team to play Georgia was named, Hansen shut down questioning about a "miracle cure" for Naholo.
"He's not a witchdoctor, not a doctor, all he knows is his leg is right," Hansen said. "We know his leg is right because he’s had it X-rayed."
Scrumhalf Aaron Smith, a teammate of Naholo at the Highlanders, said the big wing was raring to get back on the field.
"He's been getting killed in the gym, seeing the big guy sweat a bit. But you could see the relief when he got named and how excited he is," Smith said.
"I'm just an excited fan of watching the guy run.
"Guys like that when they get the ball you get excited and try to catch up if you can. I gee him up a bit. give a bit of banter like 'you can't run over him or around him' and you can see him try and prove me wrong."
Agence France-Presse
