Good on the field but a bit short on the mental toughness!!

Good observation.Would add Mealamu there as a definite at 2 as well.

AB 22 IMO:

1.Woodcock 2.Mealamu 3.Franks 4.Thorn 5.Williams 6.Kaino 7.McCaw(c) 8.Read
9.Cowan 10.Carter 11.Sivivatu 12.Nonu 13.Smith 14.Jane 15.Mils

16.B.Franks 17.Hore 18.Whitelock 19.Thompson 20.Weepu 21.Slade 22.SBW

Unlucky: Crockett,Dagg,Toeava,Hoeatta

Journalism at its best!

Let the Kiwis feel the heat!

Honestly, the funny thing about sport journalism is that the audience actually starts to believe what it reads.

Self-fulfilling prophesies are alive and well, until the eventual choke…

3-owen franks
4-brad thorn
6-kaino
7-mccaw
8-read
10-carter
12-nonu
13-smith
15-mils

their replacements weaken the team.

the other positions have contenders, but no clear cut 1st choice

1-crockett/woodcock
2-mealamu/hore
5-ali/whitelock
9-cowan/weepu
11/14-sivi/jane/dagg/toeava/gear/guildford

and of course sonny bill great to have on bench to help break a deadlock.

thorn, read, mccaw, carter, mils – those are the core of the team. especially carter and mccaw.

boks key players, bakkies, vic, schalk, juan, fourie dup, jean, jacques fourie, frans steyn. their backups weaken the team.

other positions, less to chose between the available options.

He was lucky, like Weasel to a differing degree, to time his run with a team that incl 4 Great Players at the same time – Johnno, Lozza D, R.Hill & Wilko. Any team that can fill the other key positions with decent quality will always be in with a shout. Woodwierd also had THE biggest budget of any coach, which he duly wasted on pampering the squad with 6* accom, ice baths and vision coaches…. Meanwhile it was his players who won it for him as humble old Clive wrote the book on ‘Winning’ and modestly declared that success was 60% Management (ie ME ME ME !).

Problem for Woodwierd was, unfort, that as soon as those 4 Greats were gone (2004->) that he was shown up to be the sh*t coach he always was. He TALKED a good game as he entered Fortress NZ in 2005 bedecked and bedazzling with his Ministerial Castoffs in tow, but he maintained at it’s conclusion that the Tour was still “a success” despite leaking a Record 100pts on the back of a 3-0 biyatch’ing.

Dear Old Clive the Jive, u just gotta live him. Life was getting a little boring until Krusty came along. Let’s enjoy him while we can.

In the 2005 Lions tour Woodward failed on and off the pitch in a big way.

He has a wealth of talent at his finger tips. The ABs have a proper 2nd string side unlike the Boks who’s ‘B’ team stands for bollocks! The players bubbling under are as good if not better than the senior players. What a privileged position he is in. Many coaches would die to have the talent that is available to Henry. I can’t see any team getting past the ABs this year. They have some phenomenally players. Henry is also an expert at man-management. How many years have McCaw and Carter been playing? They are still in top form. Compare this with the form of Morne Steyn who has had maybe 2 years in a Bok jersey and he is nowhere along with most of the other 2007 players.

To even imply that Henry hasn’t got a clue in comparison with the farcical nature of PdV’s management is inviting a big klaap! Our players look demoralised, clueless and unhappy. The ABs are full confidence, hungry and committed. That just demonstrates the huge gulf in morale between SA and NZ. I can’t see the Boks winning one game at the RWC this year. Not while PdV the clown is in charge.

Nonu and Snith are the incumbents and are both playing well.

Nonu has not done anything to warrant being dropped for SBW who has an offload but Nonu offers more in terms of line breaking threat imo. And Smith one of the best 13′s in the world so thats settled.

Mils always performs in the big games so i dont think Henry is worried at 15.

AB actually look fairly settled as opposed to us as we dont know whats the starting back row and loosehead is at this point.

Ah, the Logic of Neanderworld

discount 2010 “because FdP and the Hoff” were missing

But “remember 2009″ when Dan Carter and 5 frontline NZ locks were missing.

theres a ~shock~

back under your rock in Neanderworld.

WHY on Earth would any coach drop a player from his side that has been THE dominant player in that position – in the World – over the past 18mths ?

Rather ask the Ques – WHO Timotei is the ‘love-child’ of, because that answer carries no explanation with it.