Blacks cut senior boys
10 Jul 2011
The All Blacks have named a Tri-Nations squad featuring some notable absentees.
The inclusion of Highlanders lock Jarrad Hoeata is dominating the back pages in New Zealand, but the players not in the mix are more interesting. Among those are men previously favoured by Henry – Joe Rokocoko, Neemia Tialata and Luke McAlister.
Furthermore, the duo of Cory Jane and Sitiveni Sivivatu only make the squad as cover for Isaia Toeava (hip), Hosea Gear (hamstring) and Israel Dagg (thigh muscle). The five have, however, done little to aid their cause this season.
With Tony Woodcock still injured, the Crusaders’ impressive prop Wyatt Crockett is included in the group. Corey Flynn, Richard Kahui and Piri Weepu also return after injury ruled them out of contention for last year’s Grand Slam tour to the northern hemisphere. Crusaders wing Zac Guildford receives a recall on the back of a good Super Rugby campaign.
Henry has backed Colin Slade as his deputy to flyhalf Dan Carter, despite two broken jaws forcing him to miss the bulk of the season. This is the most worrying position for the All Blacks, with a massive gulf in quality between the incumbent and his replacements.
Henry said he placed a high premium on winning the Tri-Nations, even though the World Cup is a primary focus.
‘The Tri Nations also remains an important competition for the team this year. We are proud of the record we have achieved over the years and the fact that we have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 and it is crucial as we look to build towards the Rugby World Cup,’ he said.
All Black Tri-Nations squad -
Backs: Mils Muliaina, Israel Dagg, Isaia Toeava, Hosea Gear, Zac Guildford, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Ma’a Nonu, Dan Carter, Colin Slade, Jimmy Cowan, Andy Ellis, Piri Weepu
Forwards: Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Adam Thomson, Liam Messam, Brad Thorn, Ali Williams, Sam Whitelock, Jarrad Hoeata, Ben Franks, Owen Franks, John Afoa, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Corey Flynn, Andrew Hore
Injury replacements: Wyatt Crockett, Cory Jane, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Ben Smith.
243 Comments
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10 Jul 2011, 07:46 am
If DC gets injured or his indifferent form continues the AB’s are goin to have a scary WC…..
10 Jul 2011, 07:47 am
AB Dragons, BTW!!!!
10 Jul 2011, 08:30 am
@Siyavuna(Siyavuna)-1: If DC gets injured, kiwis won’t win, simple
10 Jul 2011, 08:39 am
Fark, the ABs select Piri piri Bushpig?
Its all over rover.
10 Jul 2011, 08:43 am
Piri’s as good as any and he’s a very good goalkicker too. Robbie Freuan is unlucky not to make the list. Slade’s good #10 backup.
10 Jul 2011, 08:47 am
Piri’s as good as any… 30kgs lighter.
ABs quota player?
10 Jul 2011, 09:00 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-6:
keo’s quota blogger…..
10 Jul 2011, 09:03 am
@gretep(gretep)-7: Your Mum?
10 Jul 2011, 09:11 am
I’d like to see Cruden on with Piri; thay have as good a combination going as Genia/Cooper. Cruden was given a list of ‘work ons’ which he did very well and deserves to be rewarded IMO.
Ben Smith deserves to be there more than Jane on form but I guess they’re hoping Jane will pull himself together in a black jersey.
They should have another specialist openside flanker, but I assume they are intent on working Richie hard to get him back into matchfitness and his usual top class form.
Apart from that the squad is acceptable to me and as expected.
10 Jul 2011, 09:11 am
Pretty impressive, but not unbeatable. Reds beat the bulk of this team. The addition of Ali, and Kaino will add value. Despite the big hu ha about the Boks C team could blow up big time in the kissing cousins faces. If the Boks win or even lose marginaly, the worry will be excaberated knowing the Boks best await at home and on the way to defend their title! Go Bokke!
10 Jul 2011, 09:14 am
robbie freuen very unlucky.
he’s playing fantastic rugby, he’d be my preferred 13 if i was henry….particularly if henry goes the dan carter-sonny bill route at 10/12.
combinations/combinations
10 Jul 2011, 09:45 am
1. Tony Woodcock…………………. Dean Greyling
2. Keven Mealamu………………… John Smit (c)
3. Owen Franks…………………….. Werner Kruger
4. Brad Thorn………………………… Flip vd Merwe
5. Ali Williams……………………….. Johann Muller
6. Jerome Kaino……………………. Deon Stegmann
7. Richie McCaw (c)………………. Jean Deysel
8. Keiran Reid……………………….. Danie Rossouw
9. Jimmy Cowan……………………. Ruan Pienaar
10. Dan Carter……………………….. Lwazi Mvovu
12. SB Williams……………………… Wynand Olivier
13. Conrad Smith…………………… Juan de Jongh
14. Hosea Gear……………………… Bjorn Basson
15. Mils Muliaina…………………….. Patrick Lambie
16. Andrew Hore…………………….. Adriaan Strauss
17. John Afoa………………………….. CJ vd Linde
18. Sam Whitelock…………………. Al Hargreaves
19. Adam Thomson……………….. Heinrich Brussow
20. Andy Ellis………………………….. Charl McLeod
21. Colin Slade………………………. Adi Jacobs
22. Isaia Toeava…………………….. Ryan Kankowski
Challenge accepted.
But we have some strange problems in the backline. Unless PdV is planning on using Aplon as a fullback and Elton makes his test debut. Neither of which sounds great.
Rossouw is supposed to be at 4, this will put Flip as good backup for 4 and remove Hargreaves, but then you have Kanko or Johnson at 8, or and 8 and 7. Oh well. And I’m sure Chiliboy will be on the bench, eventhough Strauss is better.
I don’t know if CJ can recover in time, but he can backup tighthead. Otherwise we have only 1 damn tighthead and then we have to use Coenie on the bench.
Difficulties everywhere. The AB are much more specialized and settled.
10 Jul 2011, 09:46 am
Hmmm… Not sure about Slade ahead of Cruden. Cruden’s really impressed me this year. Good decision-making. Pace to burn and a decent boot as well. Tough one. And the All Blacks just don’t have a quality scrumhalf IMO. Interesting TriNations ahead.
10 Jul 2011, 09:50 am
mentioned it yesterday during the final that fruean is not ab material yet, he is wa too raw & his error rate is too high, plus his defence is weak, the reds 12 was beating him with ease the whole day yesterday. He’s still young and can still improve for now Snakey is the incumbent.
Piri is a GH favourite, when fit he can be a tricky customer like we saw last year when he came on the tri-nations and controlled games with ease eg soccer city.
Not a bad team, rokocoko didn’t appl himself or play brilliantly. Jarrad Hoeata deserves his spot there as he is a future all black @ 4 when thorn calls it quits.
10 Jul 2011, 09:54 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-12:
I would have sent
Juandre Kruger in Hargreaves’ place,
Stephan Terblanche in Adi’s place,
GvdHeever in Odwa Ndunganes place,
Ebersohn in Jantjies’ place,
and maybe consider Gerhard Mostert too.
That would have seemed more solid.
Anyway, we will have to see what positives we can take from this adventure. If the boys lose heavily, what will it mean for the reputations of the fringe players?
There are 8 A-team players in that squad.
10 Jul 2011, 09:56 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-14:
Can’t see Hoeata in ahead of Whitelock. But Williams is still recovering so……
10 Jul 2011, 09:59 am
agile t*t: lwazi’s surname is mvovo & not mvovu #jusayin
10 Jul 2011, 10:03 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-17:
#and?
10 Jul 2011, 10:09 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-17:
Oops.
10 Jul 2011, 10:12 am
agile t*t: i agree to an extent, sam play in the loose is fantastic but GH might look @ the fact that jarrad covers both lock & blindside with equal proficiency.
10 Jul 2011, 10:18 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-20:
I wouldn’t worry about that.
10 Jul 2011, 10:19 am
Bloody Olivier is going to lose us the tests. He is the ultimate backline quota of note.
10 Jul 2011, 10:23 am
I reckon that these players are going to experience burn out
The S15 is just too long and the NZ and SA derby’s too taxing on the players
Watch this space
10 Jul 2011, 10:26 am
Also watch the replay of yesterday, Crockett drops his bind and binds illegal.When he shoves he does not even bind at all.
Keep an eye out for his binding
10 Jul 2011, 10:26 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-15:
I agree on all accounts but Kruger… he’s another Ross Skeate… but yes it is ‘Party-boy’ Hargreaves… he ain’t a lock in any sense of the game of union!
10 Jul 2011, 10:27 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-22:
Don’t worry, he is the best defending centre in South Africa.
10 Jul 2011, 10:27 am
Donnelly, Todd, Mathewson, Ranger, Fruean, Maitland
Unlucky!
10 Jul 2011, 10:28 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-22: Snor has already lost the Boks these tests by sending a 2nd/3rd team, and he is going to lose the Boks the Tri-Nations and World Cup by being unprofessional and clueless.
Lying about the injuries is diabolical, unless all those players are really injured, in which case, South African players are soft.
Deans and Henry seem to have their squads and game plans under control. De Villiers is all over the place, contracting in any-one who has ever coached anything. What does he actual do these days, other than press conferences? The scrums? He has someone else for every other role.
10 Jul 2011, 10:29 am
the crusaders players will be ‘rested’ as gh said last week. Other dudes like Adam Thomson are well rested – injuries & not participating in the playoffs.
10 Jul 2011, 10:29 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-25:
I know Hargreaves must a be a favourite of someone’s, so I don’t want to be too insensitive, but I think Hargreaves is really an average lock. Average for SA.
We had a good look at the two last CC.
But Hargreaves was U/21 Captain, so, I don’t know if they think that should count for something……
10 Jul 2011, 10:30 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-15: Now why would you wanna take Zimmerframe Terblanche with, team photographer?
10 Jul 2011, 10:30 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-22:
Really?
In a country lacking quality 12′s WO yet again had all the best stats of ANY RSA centre in this years S15… most metres run, most line-breaks, most line-break assists, most tackles…
So just who the fark would you select smarty-pants?
10 Jul 2011, 10:34 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-28:
What really makes me smile, is that they sent Spies on holiday right after the S15.
Then they give him his “medical” and conclude that “whoopsie daisey” we have another injured here.
But he pitched up on the final day of training.
10 Jul 2011, 10:34 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-28: So has Henry and Deans
Go and look at their coaching staff and then blag off against PDV
Even Braam is coaching the Aussie kickers, what is Deans doing seeing that he us an ex fullback
You just anti PDV and that is blurring your judgment
10 Jul 2011, 10:34 am
*daisy
10 Jul 2011, 10:35 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-26: He is a turnstile at international level and a 12 needs to be more than pretend to wave the opposition through his channel.
10 Jul 2011, 10:35 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-28:
What does he do?
Why, he travels to Palestine when he should be preparing for the Tri-Nations, not to mention the most important tournament of his tenure which directly follows the 3nat.
But then he has Rassie doing the real coaching with the first-choice Bok team and Smit marshalling the 2nd-stringers so why not head to the middle east for some diplomatic hand-shaking?
10 Jul 2011, 10:35 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-32: Look at his international record, period.
10 Jul 2011, 10:36 am
@JL1(JL1)-31:
Well, in place of Adi Jacobs. Who else? Robert Ebersohn? Jaco Pretorius? JL Potgieter? Stephan Dippenaar? Deon v Rensburg?
10 Jul 2011, 10:36 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-30:
RSA might be a flanker manufacturer… but they are severely lacking at lock… the U20 RWC is a case in point… only two were selected in a 30 plus squad and that Etsebeth was the pick of the bunch and he was OWNED!
NZ on the other hand had 3 players over 204cms and this at 19 yrs old…
Hargreaves is AVERAGE in every sense of the word on the paddock… he’s like a Ralepelle!
10 Jul 2011, 10:37 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-32: Are you telling me that you would select Olivier as the no 1 inside centre if all the other candidates were available? Really? If so, don’t be so stupid as to call others names.
10 Jul 2011, 10:38 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-39: Anyone, pick my aunt, she is faster over 100m
10 Jul 2011, 10:38 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-36:
He defended well in the Tri Nations last year. How many tackles did he miss?
10 Jul 2011, 10:40 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-38:
Yes pal… answer the question… just who would you choose that is in better form at 12 that will fit into that backline?
10 Jul 2011, 10:40 am
@JL1(JL1)-42:
Over Stephan, or Adi, or both?
Terblache didn’t look too shabby when he scored that try against the Bulls recently…….
And we know he is preferred above Adi, that is why I said that I would rather have taken him. And I’m serious.
10 Jul 2011, 10:40 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-43: And how many tries did we score again.
10 Jul 2011, 10:41 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-43: Who is the defensive leader in the backline, Mossie
Now who will fill that role
10 Jul 2011, 10:41 am
@Michael(mikeybrass)-41:
See above dilettante!
10 Jul 2011, 10:41 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-44: Seriously? You’d seriously chose Olivier as the first choice inside centre every time? Enough said.
10 Jul 2011, 10:43 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-48: Actually, Aussie-wannabe, I am lamenting that SA doesn’t have enough quality inside centres for international level outside of JDJ (when Mossie is fit for outside centre) and JDV.
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