Williams ruled out
25 Jun 2009
Ali Williams’s comeback from injury has been halted by a recurrence of his Achilles problem and he won’t face Italy.
The lock was first injured in the Super 14 and hasn’t played any part in the Tests against France. Now Crusader Isaac Ross will continue in the second row alongside Brad Thorn on his home pitch in Christchurch.
New Zealand (revised) – 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Josevata Rokocoko, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Brendon Leonard; 8 Kieran Read, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Isaac Ross, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Subs: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Tony Woodcock, 18 Owen Franks, 19 Bryn Evans, 20 George Whitelock, 21 Piri Weepu, 22 Cory Jane.
Italy – 15 Luke McLean, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Mirco Bergamasco, 10 Craig Gower, 9 Tito Tebaldi, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Ignacio Rouyet, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Salvatore Perugini. Subs: 16 Franco Sbaraglini, 17 Fabio Staibano, 18 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 19 Simone Favaro, 20 Giulio Toniolatti, 21 Kristopher Burton, 22 Matteo Pratichetti.
18 Comments
25 Jun 2009, 07:51 am
Achilles Dragon
25 Jun 2009, 09:03 am
Really people he is not that good, All Blacks woun’t really feel the difference, they should play Ross.
25 Jun 2009, 09:39 am
Achilles shouldn’t be messed with.
25 Jun 2009, 10:28 am
#2 Breakdown Boy:
He was the premier lock in the World last year. Monumental for the ABs when he came back from injury during the TriN and then played all 4 (actually 5 incl last Bledisloe in HK) matches on the successful Grand Slam tour where he was ABs Most Valuable player. Has a great range of skills, competed v.well in lineout vs Matfield partic at Newlands and has the added bit of mongrel that acquits him well with likes of Bakkies about. He can even produce superb wipers kicks and neat chips (altho Id rather leave that to others) and has incredible workrate hardly, if ever, subbed.
Show me another player with his allround skills ?
Isaac Ross is one for the future. Brad Thorn is 34. Ross and Williams will partner the AB scrum at RWC ’11. Two massive and athletic players in the cauldron. Matfield and Bakkies will both be close to their Used By date by then.
25 Jun 2009, 12:17 pm
#4 WakaNathan: Copy and past from the last time you commented on Williams.
Really dont agree he was the premier lock! Matfield and Bakkies are so far ahead of him.
Even O’Connel and O’Callaghan are way better.
Even Ryan Jones is.
His only “skill” is to be a dirty player
25 Jun 2009, 12:22 pm
#2 Breakdown Boy: agree, no loss.
25 Jun 2009, 12:27 pm
#5 bokfan1:
the only thing that is copied and pasted is your pathetic hit’n'run attempt on a thread about a NZ player being “dirty” which is exactly the same as previous before you quickly ran away to Mummy/Cab and cried about your mistreatment.
Oh boo hoo.
Who gives a sh*t what you say. Run away now, it must be playtime !
25 Jun 2009, 13:42 pm
#6 Big Hit:
Big Hit and his typical 5 cents worth.
Are you saying we have a number of talented locks that can just fit right in?
We have been thin on the lock scene for a while now,and really he would be needed in the tri nations anyways,but he will not be match fit so why he needed to pay this game.
#7 BlackPanther:
lol
25 Jun 2009, 13:58 pm
#8 Hurricane:
They should persevere with Ross, Italy is the perfect opponent for this stage of his career. He looks promising too, big unit and athletic. So its good that he has this next chance.
A shame to see likes of Jason Eaton drop down the pecking order, he was superb before he did his knee. Cant be easy seeing a Hurricanes reserve jump the queue either. Presumably he’ll be on the boat at the merest sniff of a contract abroad.
25 Jun 2009, 14:03 pm
#9 BlackPanther:
yep,know where you are comin from BP.But its still a shame that Ali seems to be getting injuredd quite a bit lately,i still think he has still a bit in him.Ross is good,and a real up n comer.
Eaton i thought was going to be a very good AB lock.He had it all going for him but never really loooked the same since the injury.He will go as you say to a contract,i hope he does he deserves to be played.
25 Jun 2009, 14:16 pm
#10 Hurricane:
Clearly his confidenc has evaporated. He doesnt hit rucks with any ferocity, which had been a strength other than his pace and athleticism around the pitch.
My only hope is that by plucking Bryn Evans out of thin air, the selectors have unearthed a gem in the same way Eaton landed in a AB touring squad from outside the main route. Fingers crossed, you can never have enough quality tight-fwds.
25 Jun 2009, 14:25 pm
#11 BlackPanther:
Exactly
Bryn Evans did exactly that,came out of thin air really.Didnt see or notice him at all really.
This year could be a very hard for NZ,OZ are looking like a very good team is getting built.SA is still a bit of an unknown yet,cant really take to much from the lions 1st test.Second test should be better
25 Jun 2009, 14:48 pm
#12 Hurricane:
Boks have a massive advantage this season due to the buildup and matches with the Lions. Meanwhile both NZ & Oz experiment against teams that are themselves not entirely in peak form. Boks play ABs twice at home.
In these circumstances, if Boks dont win the TriN this year they never will. Settled squad, home advan, experienced players.
What they risk, however, is sticking with the same squad as they seek success and then turning up to the RWC’11 with players nearing Used By date or injuries and not suficient quality/experience in the reserves. ie haveing their success between RWCs.
Yes, sounds familiar innit. In many ways, if they have success this year it could be their undoing later. Oh the irony.
As for the ABs, the RWC at home is surely now the goal. What is are their best chance ? Internal strife and bickering. A few painful defeats. A scandal or 3. The public giving up on them.
Just like 1986, then. Post Cavaliers, the whole Baby Blacks vs France. NZRFU shambles over hosting. Losing the Bledisloe.
Similar thing happened with Laurie Mains ABs in 1994, losing to France 2-0. And didnt the Jafas hate Laurie and love Harty. And we all know who were the best team at the ’95 RWC.
ABs with their backs to the wall, at home, is nigh unbeatable.
25 Jun 2009, 19:35 pm
#8 Hurricane: Williams is just returning from injury, he’s hardly going to be in top form and he wasn’t great in these early games last season either. That said, he could with the game time to ease him into the 3N.
26 Jun 2009, 02:56 am
#10 Hurricane: remember when Eaton thought he was a neaanderthal cave man?
26 Jun 2009, 04:20 am
#14 Big Hit:
That right BH,Italy would have been a needed game for him.
#15 Big Hit:
lol
yep i sure do,damn he looked terrible
26 Jun 2009, 04:34 am
#16 Hurricane:
You can forget about that, Ali Williams is a no body he wouldn’t even get in the Scottish team. And you cant take that to the bank!
26 Jun 2009, 04:49 am
#17 Wayne Barnes No.1 Ref:
excellent nice post,well thought through i must say.Ali wouldnt make the Scottish team is correct but he would make the English team
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