Another All Black falls
8 Apr 2006
Graham Henry will be anxious for the Vodacom Super 14 to finish. The competition has already finished off four of his All Blacks from last year’s Grand Slam-winning squad.
Highlanders lock James Ryan is the latest to be injured and expectations are the lock find of 2005 will be out for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury.
Henry has already lost the services of utility back Nick Evans, centre Conrad Smith and flanker Angus Macdonald.
Ryan’s injury is a big blow to the All Blacks as he was a serious challenger to the place of out of sorts Blues lock Ali Williams.
Henry’s best three locks now are Chris Jack, Jason Eaton and Williams, with SA-born Greg Rawlinson only available at the end of the season.
11 Comments
8 Apr 2006, 21:21 pm
Eaton looks a find, much in the Mtfield mould.
8 Apr 2006, 21:34 pm
Glad to hear it.
Miss him already.
8 Apr 2006, 23:00 pm
He’s not that great , no loss for them
9 Apr 2006, 04:44 am
He has lost 4 players, but that was the point of last years EOYT, to create depth in the All Blacks department. Ryan goes down, but Henry still has Williams, Jack, Eaton, and also up and rising prospects in Rawlinson, Donnolley, Upton, H.McDonald. Angus is no big loss, Evans is a great loss to the Highlanders, All Black wise, Carter, McCallister, Donald, Mauger can play 10, so all in all, no worries for Henry.
9 Apr 2006, 07:58 am
Graham Henry somehow had the street smarts to introduce not one but FOUR distinctly different All Black test sides to the rigours of a Grand Slam tour at the end on 2005 after his team had already won the 3N cup and had whitewashed the British Lions.
So, he’s 4 players down at this point?
Big bloody deal, hey?
Graham has already built and tested in the white-heat of test rugby victorious Grand Slam battle all the strength in depth that he needs to make 2006 a better year than 2005.
And in 2005, the All Blacks lost only ONE test. Away from home.
That rare mistake might well be corrected in the upcoming 2006 test season!
9 Apr 2006, 08:07 am
Tackler lmao, you should be a spin doctoer for SARU ha ha
9 Apr 2006, 08:15 am
Pay me a SARU wage dangerously close to seven digits in SA Rands and I’ll sign up for that job tomorrow!
9 Apr 2006, 11:54 am
This is good news. Only 9 more to go.
9 Apr 2006, 12:55 pm
Stan
11 More if you are talking about a total of 15.
9 Apr 2006, 17:58 pm
It’ll make very little difference to the team. They’ll still whoop the butts of any team in the world with any one of their Super 14 squads.
10 Apr 2006, 06:18 am
Boo hoo. I’m crying is we speak. My sympathies et al…
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