Kiwi wrap (Mon)
24 Nov 2008
Keo.co.za brings you the latest news from New Zealand’s year-end tour.
All Blacks set to honour legend in style
Having seen off the challenges of Scotland, Ireland and Wales with relative ease, only England now stand in the way of the All Blacks claiming their second Grand Slam in three years.
Along with the Grand Slam, New Zealand will also be contesting the Hillary shield which commemorates the links formed between the two countries by Sir Edmund Hillary.
“The Hillary Shield will be important,” said All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen. “It’s the first time we are going to play for it. He’s a very great man in New Zealand culture and he helped put us on the map really.
“I’m sure someone will be tasked with informing us all about what he has done, where he has done it and the relationship between us and England. We all see him as being the climber of Mt Everest but why is he so close to England?”
Suggesting that no Kiwi could stand the thought of England getting their hands on the trophy named after the most famous New Zealander of all time.
“I don’t think anyone would, would they? It will be one of the few times we will have everyone supporting us anyway,” added Hansen.
A win over England would cap a great year for the All Blacks after the disappointment of 2007.
All Blacks wary of wounded Poms
Despite their heavy defeat to the Springboks, New Zealand are in no way writing off England ahead of this weekend’s clash at Twickenham.
“We will have our hands full this weekend. We’ve got to make sure we recover well and be up for another physical match next Saturday,” said All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu.
Flanker Jerome Kaino reiterated Mealamu’s views.
“The job isn’t done yet – we are not going to read too much into the South Africa scoreline. The loss against South Africa will fire England up, but we want to finish this tour on a high note.
“We are one week away from what would be a big accomplishment, and we are all focusing on that.”
Coach Graham Henry is confident England will pick themselves up from last weekend’s defeat and believes the English public need to give Martin Johnson time.
“We will watch the England game [against South Africa] and start to analyse them. There will be some depression in England after that result. Martin Johnson has got a lot of character, and I have a lot of time for him. He will take things on the chin and get on with things, because that is all he can do.
“It will take time for things to get where he wants to get to. People need to be patient.”
More to follow …
39 Comments
24 Nov 2008, 07:58 am
I reckon NZ will go past 50 on Saturday
24 Nov 2008, 08:34 am
I dont think so.
The English always play well after being spanked. Remember what happened to Australia and France after we put 36 past the English last year? Also a few years back the Aussies put 75 past the English, and they came here and nearly beat us on a wet Newlands.
Dont get me wrong – no chance that they will win – but i do think they will be far more competitive.
24 Nov 2008, 09:07 am
#2 Cheetha Champs:
i may be wrong but didnt RSA win 19-0 against england after they conceded 75 vs AUS that year?
24 Nov 2008, 09:20 am
NZ look good for 50 if they get on top early.
24 Nov 2008, 09:57 am
Think All Blacks will win, but not as easily as most people think. Wonder if Henry will stick to players from Wales game?
24 Nov 2008, 10:56 am
50 is unlikely. England will be on rebound and fight hard. AB’s by about 15 points.
24 Nov 2008, 11:08 am
I’d like to see Big Hits prediction for this weekend.
24 Nov 2008, 13:45 pm
I would like to see ABs surpassing the record Boks set on the last Sat but I doubt England will be that bad yet again. ABs by about 25.
Congrats to the Boks! Although England were poor (and their Danny like rabbit under the spotlight), nothing to take away from visitors outstanding defence and tries which was pleasure to watch.
And good work, John Smit, before the game! (http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_4542571,00.html)
24 Nov 2008, 13:54 pm
# kyer: Nope. 30+/-.
24 Nov 2008, 13:56 pm
# kyer: I think they will too.
24 Nov 2008, 14:10 pm
#7 cane:
Dont hold your breath, altho bank on it including some claptrap like “McCaw will be, was, and always will be, outplayed by Tom Rees”.
Johnno will pick a team for this weekend solely for damage-limitation. Cip must go. Care should be in intensive-care. Sackey is so vastly overrated its just a surprise its taken this long for everyone to realise that. Noon wouldnt know a step if he was confronted by a staircase. Mears should stick to the Hobbits league, Div II. Vickery continues to be seleted in 2002 form. Borthwick is possibly the most average lock in England and definitely the most undeserved Captain, he makes Todd Blackadder look like Pinetree Meads. Palmer wouldnt make an NPC team in NZ. No, I think Manawatu might have him, as a reserve.
Bring in Lewsey, why was he ever dropped ? Flood and/or Barkley are both average but considerably better than Cip. Cueto has so much more game than Sackey. Johnno will now probably pick Grewcock, the Worlds dirtiest player. Stevens should return but will get bent like a hairclip.
The one consistent thing is that Big Twit will continue to make excuses, will never acknowledge the strength of the NZ opposition and will awaken 1 day in a post-2003 World and wonder why noone is off to Trafalgar Square for the parade.
24 Nov 2008, 15:06 pm
It’s interesting whether England will manage to score in the 2nd half, as the ABs have not conceded a single point in the 2nd half in all previous five games (against Australia, Scotland, Ireland, Munster and Wales).
24 Nov 2008, 16:24 pm
#7 cane: Big *** is secretly an AB’s fan – he just can’t get his head around the fact – his comments all stem from his self-denial. Give him a few days to get over englands hiding and he will be back.
24 Nov 2008, 20:45 pm
It should be a lot more, but a one point win would be fine with me…
24 Nov 2008, 23:03 pm
#11 BlackPanther: he was outplayed by Tom Rees, so much for the great McCaw. And then Henry wonders why he wasn’t on the IRB list, open your eyes Teddy, duh.
Bring back Grewcock, he would klapp Bad Brad and show him who’s the real boss
24 Nov 2008, 23:12 pm
#15 Big Hit:
So why wasnt Tom Rees on the IRB list,cos your talking **** Big Hit.Tom Rees is a good average players but not in the league as McCaw,thats a fact.None of your players are in any of the leagues the Kiwis or South Africans players are,proven last weekend by SA(Last in the Tri Nations) thrashing you guys
24 Nov 2008, 23:23 pm
#16 Hurricane: because he was injured all year. The NZ games were only his 2nd international this season and he outplayed the overrated McCaw.
24 Nov 2008, 23:32 pm
biggie biggie biggie 1, 2, 3, you choking Kiwis should always listen to me
24 Nov 2008, 23:40 pm
#18 Big Hit:
We did,you said wait for the AIs then you will see.And what we have seen is the same excuses from you and your weak teams.
By the way England have lost more RWC finals than NZ,so how are we chokers?
24 Nov 2008, 23:43 pm
#19 Hurricane: its the same excuse because its still valid. I would like to have seen a full strength team with Wilkinson, Tait, Moody, Sheridan, Simpson-Daniel etc take the field this Saturday but its not happening. Like you guys wouldn’t be nervous or make excuses if McCaw and Carter were out injured. We seen how your weakened team went against Munster reserves, they were ****.
24 Nov 2008, 23:45 pm
#20 Big Hit: lets make it clear that Munster is a NH club team who sent out a reserve side missing 10+ players
24 Nov 2008, 23:57 pm
#21 Big Hit:
Yep and Munster did better than England did the last time they played NZ.
NZ played a practically new team as well but hey Munster had nothing to lose and good on them,good game.More entertaining than the last RWC dont you think?
24 Nov 2008, 23:59 pm
#20 Big Hit:
That same AB weakened team thrashed Scotland and that Scottish team beat England last game,sort of put things in perspective doesnt it
25 Nov 2008, 00:06 am
#22 Hurricane: no way, the last world cup was priceless entertainment (unless you’re aussie or kiwi, in which case it was just a boasting contest til the QF and then a whinge fest until the final)
#23 Hurricane: not really Wayne Barnes should have binned fat boy whopper and the other useless NZ front rowers for collapsing scrums
Doesn’t it worry you that NZ’s second team is the equivalent strength of Munster’s 2nd team?
25 Nov 2008, 00:12 am
#20 Big Hit: Would have loved to see a full AB side with Somerville, Hayman, Hore, Collins, Kelleher, Gear, McAllister, Mauger and Evans.
25 Nov 2008, 00:15 am
#25 rugby fan: except Henry said he wouldn’t have picked Collins anyway, Mauger is **** at his club, Hayman is average at his club and Gear is rubbish too. Fair point on McAlister, Kelleher and the Hore but most of these guys put money over playing for their country, slightly different to injured guys who are bursting to play but can’t because tey’re injured.
25 Nov 2008, 00:22 am
Have you asked yourself why these players have had a drop in standard, when they were phenominal in NZ?
25 Nov 2008, 00:25 am
#27 rugby fan: phenomenal or overrated?
I watched them in both competitions don’t forget. Generally, in NZ they were playing for winning S14 teams but some of them have joined sides which don’t always win and havent stood out, others have went to top clubs have been ****. Then you have guys like kelleher and mcalister who’ve really shone.
25 Nov 2008, 00:34 am
Overrated is not a word that would pass my lips with regard to these players,they were not going to make an instant hit in a different setting, which has different mindsets, gameplans, conditions etc, etc. Had they stayed in NZ they would have carried on with their form.
25 Nov 2008, 00:36 am
#29 rugby fan: a world class prop should be a world class prop in any setting, Mauger should’ve been a class act too, Gear as well, Collins was done before he left NZ.
25 Nov 2008, 00:44 am
Mauger has suffered from the same treatment he had inthe AB setup of not being picked regularly. As for Gear, he is a winger and a fantastic finisher, but, looking at GP, the gameplan is based on big forwards bashing each other and the ball is rarelly spread to the wingers and Worcester are not a strong a club.
25 Nov 2008, 01:22 am
Did anyone do a thread on Hansen’s spying tactics when at Wales? This after the allegations in OZ. Does make Div’s claim that they cheat at srum more conceivable, doesn’t it?
25 Nov 2008, 01:47 am
#24 Big Hit:
Doesn’t it worry you that NZ’s second team is the equivalent strength of Munster’s 2nd team?
Not Really,i would be worried if i were you though.Munsters second has put up a better fight against the ABs than 6 years of Englands attempts.Thing is if Munster came to NZ they wouldnot have been as tough.If NZ and Munster played both there top teams NZ would clear away easy.If ABs seconds played Crusaders i bet the Crusaders would beat them.
25 Nov 2008, 02:46 am
#30 Big Hit: It does not matter what excuses or moans you come up with BH, the fact remains, the AB’s and Ted have been voted team of the year & player of the year, no wonder people call your lot a pack of moaners, strewth look at the facts son, its all their in black and white, THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!!!!
25 Nov 2008, 02:50 am
#30 Big Hit:
Hey bro, I’ve been thinking about your theory about ABs winning ratio due to NH teams sending weaker teams over to NZ. Then why do we have a 93% winning ratio in NH, when you guys have your top teams out?
25 Nov 2008, 03:02 am
#21 Big Hit: let’s make it clear Munster are best team in the NH who is way stronger than current England. And Ireland, too.
ABs by 40.
25 Nov 2008, 06:39 am
#31 rugby fan: they should still shine
#35 sinba556: not often, have terrible problems with injury, in 2000-2003 we had a relatively unfettered run but since then we’ve always had at least 6 players out.
#36 Nils: Munster 2nds Nils, I know just how strong that team was. They were comfortably beaten by Ulster who are bottom of the Magners League.
#34 CHAZ: team of the year does not mean best in the world. Best in the world is measured every 4 years. You don’t hear Spain claiming they’re the best in the world at football just because they’re ranked no.1. catch a grip and realise Hendry is nothing without winning a RWC just as he was nothing at Wales before he was fired after Ireland and England put 50 points on them.
25 Nov 2008, 12:11 pm
#37 Big Hit:
Spain is #1 one where??Are we talking rugby or another sport.
Henry was fired not due to bad performances but if you look at it he got that Wales team up and winning again,he had problems with players etc so dont for one minute think he was fired cos he lost to England and Ireland,hang on England maybe.But Big Hit you can only do so much with the talent you have,something Martin Johnson is going through now and the 20 coaches before him.
25 Nov 2008, 13:38 pm
How convenient that one 1 hand the Twit can pull excuses like England could be at “full strength team with Wilkinson, Tait, Moody, Sheridan, Simpson-Daniel etc take the field” and then make reference to the AB 2nds struggling against the Munster 2nds.
Firstly, name ONE player that is unavailable to England. Injuries are injuries, they happen to every team so therefore cannot be counted. Name ONE that is unavailable for apart from injury.
You cant because EVERY English-qualified player IS ‘available’. Same for France, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Through the policies of governing bodies in NZ, Aus and SA there are 100′s of professional that are UN-available. This is through no fault of anyone but is a fact. Therefore when you state that the AB ’2nds’ struggle against a club team, then thats not quite the full story is it. The AB ’2nds’, in reality, are the 3rds or 4ths. That is illustrated by 4 of that team being debutants and another 8 collecting their 2nd or 3rd ‘cap’ vs Munster. A quick reference to any touring AB team over history shows that having 1 debutant was the maximum.
2ndly, there are few teams that would be strengthened by either Moody or Simpson-Daniel. Moody is all brim and bluster, gives away stupid penalties and is reckless to the state of being a liability. He is Grewcock without the brazen thuggery, same result tho. Simpson-Daniel ? Average club player, no more.
3rdly, no matter how many times you repeat ‘Rees outplayed McCaw’ it doesnt make it true. The fact that he played without embarrassing himself does not equate to bettering the player. You only need to see how Rees has taken so many bad options these past few games as to know there is more to an openside flanker than breakdown or making takles.
Have you ever considered the fact that all these so-called ‘overrated’ players (overrated by you and ?) are filling spots for up’n'coming England-qualified talent and your rugby team is slowly mirroring the performance of your overrated (overrated by many) football team for exactly that same reason ?
I wonder how many English players would be good enough to play in the S14 without looking stupid ?
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