‘Saders and ‘Canes ready
25 May 2006
The Crusaders have sprung a number of surprises in their team for the Vodacom Super 14 final against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Daniel Carter will cover halfback as expected. Reuben Thorne returns to the blindside flanker role with specialist lock Ross Filipo coming back into the mix after Thorne has been in the second
row for the last three vital wins.
And the Crusaders have got plenty of loose forward cover on the bench with two opensides Tanerau Latimer and Johnny Leo’o waiting there.
But there is no specialist halfback in the reserves following the knee injury to Andy Ellis.
That means Kevin Senio starts and the Crusaders will be hoping he lasts the distance.
Their other option there is Carter, the world’s best flyhalf who has played halfback before in his age-group days. He was also used as halfback cover by the All Blacks during the 2003 World Cup when New Zealand played Tonga.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, breathed a collective sigh of relief as Ma’a Nonu came through training on Thursday with no problems, allowing coach Colin Cooper to name an unchanged lineup.
Nonu sent a scare through the ‘Canes camp earlier in the week when he was troubled by an ongoing hamstring injury that was giving him related problems in his lower back.
The 22 players named for this final showed a heady mix of grit and innovation to get past the Waratahs last week and make their first final.
David Holwell has also been cleared of the heavy knock to the head he took in the semi-final win to take his place at No 10 for what is likely to be his last Super rugby match.
Teams:
Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Scott Hamilton, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Kevin Senio, 8 Mose Tuiali’i, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Reuben Thorne, 5 Ross Filipo, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Tone Kopelani, 17 Campbell Johnstone, 18 Johnny Leo’o, 19 Tanerau Latimer, 20 Stephen Brett, 21 Cameron McIntyre, 22 Caleb Ralph.
Hurricanes: 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Lome Fa’atau, 13 Ma’a Nonu, 12 Tana Umaga, 11 Shannon Paku, 10 David Holwell, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So’oialo (c), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Paul Tito, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger. Reserves: 16 Luke Mahoney, 17 Joe McDonnell, 18 Luke Andrews, 19 Thomas Waldrom, 20 Brendan Haami, 21 Jimmy Gopperth, 22 Tamati Ellison.
31 Comments
25 May 2006, 10:37 am
Go Canes
25 May 2006, 10:39 am
Go Saders!!!!!
This will be a tighter game.At least the ‘Canes have Brains’.Sorry thats way corny but true.
25 May 2006, 10:41 am
I think the Canes can take it this year. But the Saders always have a gameplan on hand. Think they going to do the same what they did to the bulls. Kick the ball down field so that the Canes can kick it out and attack from there. These Crusaders are outstanding , but the Canes also have a good midfield with Nonu and umanga , these two are outstanding.
25 May 2006, 10:54 am
Saders by 15+
25 May 2006, 10:56 am
Ok – for Fantasy league purposes…Nonu or Umaga?
Have pencilled in Nonu cos he might just go ballastic and score 45 tries but he also might go off after 5 minutes with his hammy.
I have a feeling about the predator though – this could be his last big s14 match and its his birthday…and he haaaaites Aaron Mauger…
25 May 2006, 11:17 am
The only good thing about this game would be the injuries.
Lots of them.
25 May 2006, 11:18 am
I hope the ‘Canse win … just for a change … but believe the ‘Saders will do it again, a very good team.
25 May 2006, 11:18 am
I hope it is a good game. Couldnt care less who wins…
25 May 2006, 11:19 am
I hope it is a draw
25 May 2006, 11:27 am
To All the Above Who Wished my Beloved Canes Well.
Bless You.
25 May 2006, 11:28 am
Where’s everybody this morning , to church ?
25 May 2006, 11:29 am
This will be a HUGE final,there is plenty to play for regarding All Black selection and some super head-2-head matchups.
The battle in the front row could be explosive with Flynn gaining his 50th Super cap directly opposite the inform Hore.Sommerville will provide a massive challenge for Schwalger and All Black Tialata will be a real test for rookie Crockett.This may well be a battle of the tightheads at scrum time.
In the second row the match-up between Jack and his natural succesor at international level Eaton will massive.Both players are prominent around the park and very competitive at line-out
time.Both are superb poachers of opposition ball and the hookers will have to be pinpoint accurate.In Fillipo and Tito each team has a solid journeyman in support.
If there will be a highlight for me on Saturday it is the clash of the loosies.McCaw head to head with Masoe is something to be relished and with Thorne and Tui’lui against Collins and Soi’alo this promises to be something special.
At halfback the Crusaders combo of Carter and Senio should have the better of Weepu and veteran Holwell.Weepu and Senio will both be hoping to aid their cause towards an All Black call-up,expect some niggle between these two.
In the midfield it looks to be a war zone.The power and aggression of Nonu and Umaga will be offset by the more skilled Mauger and Lualala but this will be another epic clash.Expect the Canes to test the defence directly here and the Saders to look for the space rather than the man.
Out wide and at the back the Saders back three of McDonald,Gear and Hamilton have been in good form and with Gear chasing Fa’atau as top try scorer he will be looking for work.Fa’atau,Paku and Toeava are dangerous runners,but the inexperience of Toeava will I suspect be tested. He has not quite reached the heights of last year.
All told it will be an epic encounter and fitting end to the Super season.Graham Henry will be a nervous man with some key All Blacks at risk in this fixture.
Crusaders to extend their winning home streak to 21 and pip the canes by 8 points.Though I will be in Black and Gold come Saturday I think the Saders class will see them through.
25 May 2006, 11:41 am
Wasup rasta?
25 May 2006, 11:51 am
Ig – agreed, Because Andrew has no news on happenings in Bloem and who cares about the Canes and Saders except for fantasy points
25 May 2006, 11:55 am
Strongest possible line-up for the hurricanes,
Best Ref in the Competition,
Tana’s birthday,
Holwells last game,
Everything to play for.
We will not have any excuses, if we fall at the last hurdle.
25 May 2006, 14:07 pm
Who wins the breakdown war, not battle, it will be a war, will take a decisive step towards winning the game.
I think this is one of the reasons why they have picked Thorne at #6. He will be very strong and solid in the middle. Another reason why I believe the Saders have changed their team is because conditions down in CHCH are not going to be good until kickoff. The weather forecasters have said that it is going to rain/drizzle until Sat. pm. They did predict that it would be dry, but windy for kickoff. The conditions may be on the heavy side and the Saders might be looking to take on the Hurricanes up the middle with pick and go’s. Logically you would have thought that this team suited playing against the Bulls more than the Canes. However, in saying all this, the Saders did pick the previous team on a heavy ground vs the Brumbies, so Robbie and Co. obviously have a plan.
Considering the conditions and the intensity of the game, execution will also be an absolutel key, and in my opinion, this will be more important for the Canes, considering where the game is played, that it is their first final, and because the Saders love turnover ball. If the Canes fail to execute, this will result in a lack of cohesion that will help to nullify their physical impact and their gameplan.
No excuses aye Cane. Let’s face it, if Kaplan makes a decison that gives the Saders another title, or McCaw is preceived to have the same influence as he did in Wellington, the rest of NZ will freak out.
To validate this, just remember the furore over McCaw after the round robin match at the Caketin. There was talkback, articles in the paper, news reports asking Joe Nobody if Richie McCaw is a cheat. Now the penalty count was 12-4 against the Saders as Cooper pointed out. What was interesting after the game, the talk was not about the committed defence of the Saders, it was Richie the cheat, who basically stole the game away.
Now compare the scenario around that game with the round robin match between the Tahs and Canes. The penalty count was 17-5 to the Tahs, with 2 Canes in the bin. What was interesting after that game was not that the cheating Hurricanes stole the game, but that they were courageous in defence, which won the Canes that game.
I can guarantee you that the reaction of the public will be different for the Canes than the Saders if a referring decision goes their way and causes a huge impact on the game, or McCaw has the same impact. Everyone has gotten of Ewen Mckenzie back, and with some justification as he has taken the complaining to the next level, but it is not that different from what Colin Cooper did after the Saders game.
WHO WILL WIN?
Of course I am going to back the Saders, but I do think that the Canes not only have the team, but have more of the right men in the right positions to win. Last year, when they were spanked, I really rated them on paper, and this is a year on, and the Canes have definitely improved and added to their squad. But most importantly, they have really improved in the top 2 inches.
Number 9 is going to a position that the Canes target. Generally, in the Saders set-up, the individual rises to the occasion, and Senio needs to do this.
I do think a major difference in the game will be Carter, not only in his general play, but I think his place kicking, on homefield, in tough conditions, will give the Saders a decided edge.
So the Saders to win, but the main thing is no more injuries, no doubt those who watch from South Africa may be thinking differently.
25 May 2006, 14:16 pm
The Crusaders will target any player not on their game and the Hurricanes back 3 will be tested early with lots of chasing pressure by Carter and Mauger. Canes loosies to hunt as a pack, Richie McCaw will have it over Masoe one on one but the Hurricanes trio will balance it out. They will also pressure Senio and if he goes the Crusaders plan B will be sorely tested and it does nullify Carter a bit with a lot of pressure on Mauger then.
Should be a great game and whilst my heart is with the Hurricanes my head suggests that the Crusaders will sneak home.
25 May 2006, 14:19 pm
Ig, so what is the prizes for the fanatsy league?
25 May 2006, 15:46 pm
14 Grote. Your teams are out so you don’t care. You remind me of life in Sydney.
25 May 2006, 16:58 pm
Going for canes as a neutral supporter, but more looking to an open game of rugby more than anything else. Hope it lives up to its pre-game hype. Just glad its not Steve Walsh thats officiating the game.
25 May 2006, 22:28 pm
this game is gonna be spectacular. the loosie battle will be ferocious. a saders pick and drive will get them punished. the saders will need to attack a little wider, perhaps the second channel, just outside holwell shoulder. this way they will use mccaw’s speed over masoe and rodney’s brute strength. saders will take it, but i sure do hope we see a new champion this year.
most important thing for this game is that kaplan is consistent. consistent with how he has reffed this season. if someone (mccaw) infringes once at a breakdown, he must be penalised. if he does it again he must get a warning, and then if it happens once more, its a card that kaplan should be using.
kaplan better have packed his big balls for this game, coz their is gonna be plenty niggle in the tight and loose. and nonu is gonna try his heart out to smash casey.
limited kicking i think, perhaps an up and under now and then. mostly little chips to make most of swirling wind and damp ground. both teams can counter excellently.
enjoy the game.
25 May 2006, 22:36 pm
Groute and Stan, I thought you guys were rugby supporters, but obviously I was wrong.
Seeing the Saders lineup it makes their battle plan clear: keep it tight and target the Canes lineout in the first half then get some more loosies on in the 2nd half and try to match the canes loose trio as the game opens up and the Canes throw everything they have at them
26 May 2006, 01:59 am
ricane, u do have a point. the saders have slowed down their pack and their loosies by having thorne on the blind. they look like they gonna play really tight and try and tire the canes loosies, since they have played every game this year. then speed things up with leo’o and latimer.
i reckon mcclean is right in that this game is gonna be an attacking phenomenon!
26 May 2006, 05:34 am
I see Grant Fox is advising the Canes to watch the Stormers vs Crusaders video, and rip into the Saders at the loose like the Stormers did so successfully.
We’ve just finished setting a Hurricanes display at work and it’s getting very exciting here in Wellington now
26 May 2006, 10:15 am
Ricane,
“setting a Hurricanes display at Work”?
26 May 2006, 10:52 am
Rastsfox, MsCawsome & Tomsta,
I enjoyed reading your well put together posts.
I think the game will be a dour,unrelenting,no risk,forward struggle.With some flashes of backplay.
Conditions-cold,soft underfoot with plenty of dew.
This is the final and there are no prizes for style or finese.Gear and Fa’atau had better make the most of their chances, because they are not going to get many.
26 May 2006, 10:57 am
what time is kick-off sa time?
26 May 2006, 13:25 pm
Thank you for your kind words Cane, you shouldn’t have.
I hear what you are saying about the likely conditions, and if they are heavy, this will certainly encourage a slogfest of a match.
However, there may be a couple of factors that may go against what seems like sound logic. First, is the weather conditions. From the TV coverage I have seen, the rain in CHCH has not been too intense, and Jade being a ground which has excllent drainage, due to its sandy base, should hold together nicely and be in reasonable nick as the sun is meant to shine from about Midday at the latest.
Secondly, there is talk of it being either a nor-wester or little wind in CHCH, which could indicate that it could well be dewy. However, if it is a nor-wester, it could be ideal conditions for an open and expansive game as this is the warm,dry wind from the Mts.
Thirdly, unless conditions are near atrocious, NZ sides tend to still like to use the ball, whether this will be impacted by the pressure of a final, only time will tell. But remember the Saders final try vs the Brumbies that went 90 ms, and that game was played in drizzly, damp conditions. If I remember correctly, there was not a discernable difference in their style on that day.
In saying all that, I think both sides will be cautious about their field position in a final, where 1 penalty may be the difference. However, I do believe that both sides will look to use width, as this is how the Saders play, and this is how I think the Canes need to play to win, as I donot think they have the #10 who can kick them around the field enough to dominate field position. From what I have seen Toeava has the best punt on him of all the Canes players.
If anything will help the Saders in knowing how to play this game, it will be the experience that they have had in previous finals, which will have taught them to trust their style, systems, and personal. Where I think the Tahs have fallen down in the past 2 years is that they have tried to change their game to play the Saders and kick all day (much like they did vs the Canes in Sydney), instead of trusting their gameplan to beat the opposition.
In saying all this diatribe, I think Deans can appraoch the game from 3 perspectives.
1)He can use Carter and Mauger to keep the Canes in their half and put pressure on their lineout, which they should be able to do with the additon off Thorne at 6. This will give the Saders 3 clear jumpers, with McCaw and Mose (who is about 1.96m) who can also be used. If this helps to gain dominant field position, the Saders will look to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
2)I think the Saders could look to go hard and fast at the Canes and look to attack them with width in the early phases. This will help to tire out the Canes henchmen and will also remove them from their point of battle around the rucks, which was the place where the Stormers disrupted the Saders in Capetown, and got the upper hand. Almost like the AB’s vs the Poms 95 WC Semi-final. What the Canes love is a target, and this gameplan would not give the Canes a target, well at least, not a stationary one.
3) As the Saders did last year, when they actually attacked the Canes at their strongest point, they may look to play it tight and take the Canes pack on with multiple pick and go’s, which will force the 3 henchmen into close proximity to the ruck. If this is successful, and they are able to make ground and get frontfoot ball, it should have drawn in the loosies that will give Dan the space to be the man. Much like the end of the 17 phases against the Bulls. One by One the numbers on the blindside dwindled, until there was none.
For the Canes, I would push up the intensity and play smashmouth football. I would be looking to use the looseforward trio to play a really abrasive gameplan, which will initiate contact with the Saders, and particularly McCaw. I would also look at using Umaga and Nonu in much the same confrontational way. Because if you have tied up McCaw and some of the loosies, then you can put Umaga and Nonu one-on-one with Mauger and Laulala, and this is the kind of situations that the Canes need to create, that could lead to 7 pointers.
I think the Canes need to be smart on defense, I know they like to commit a battering ram to the breakdown to make the ball messy, and this could definitely be effective against Senio, but they need to be aware that if they commit too much they are asking for the Saders to attack them and use extra numbers outwide. I personally do not think that they can win if they try and play a field positional gameplan, like the Tahs. I donot think they have the personal to manufacture a complete kicking game, and I think that the Saders lineout, with its additional height and grunt will win mcuh of their own ball. This could also allow the Saders to be able to counter attack.
The key for me in the game is the breakdown. The impact that McCaw has could not only nullify the Canes attacking raids, but it may also give the Saders those counter-attacking opportunities that they so love.
All things being equal, I think the Canes can win.
But I think the Saders will win.
But all things are never equal of the rugby field, so I am looking forward to the game.
Contrary to what the “Boot and All” team have said about no injuries for the NZers, we have Conrad Smith, James Ryan, Nick Evans, Tony Woodcock, Troy Flavell (now back from injury), Andrew Ellis, Sione Lauaki who have all been injured in the S14 (there may be others), and all except Flavell are still injured.
26 May 2006, 13:39 pm
Time to depart, what a load of hypothetical mumbo jumbo.
The reality will be a much better read.
Bring it on!!!
26 May 2006, 22:46 pm
McCawesome, #28 is about the best preview I have read of a game, well done
Cane; I own a gardencentre, so this week we got some propaganda from the Welly rugby Union and set up a display posters, banners and of yellow and black plants and flowers…sorry I was vague.
27 May 2006, 02:17 am
Loved the headline in today’s SMH – Key Matchup McCaw v Kaplan. This should be an excellent game and look forward to watching as a relative neutral – though I hope the Canes win because of their style and approach.
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