Blacks braced for battle
13 Oct 2011
Richie McCaw defies injury to start the semi-final against Wales, while flyhalf Aaron Cruden is elevated to the starting line-up.
Richard Kahui and Israel Dagg also come back into the side after injuries and run on at wing and fullback respectively, replacing Sonny Bill Williams (bench) and Mils Muliaina (injured). Cruden replaces Colin Slade, who torn a groin muscle against Argentina. Stephen Donald provides pivot cover on the wood.
McCaw has nursed a serious foot injury throughout the tournament and hasn’t trained with the squad on-field as yet. His first involvement with the collective will come at the captain’s run on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Andy Ellis is preferred to Jimmy Cowan as scrumhalf cover, while Ben Franks is also named on the bench after missing the win over the Pumas as a late withdrawal with stomach problem and Victor Vito is the loose forward reserve due to injury to Adam Thomson.
Speaking about the weight of responsibility on Cruden, the fourth flyhalf the All Blacks have used at the tournament, coach Graham Henry said: ‘He’s a bright rugby player, he knows the game well, he’s captained a lot of teams, he directs the traffic well.
‘It’s a big game isn’t it, the biggest game he’s ever played in, the biggest game a lot of them have played in quite frankly. I’m sure it’s challenging but he seems to be handling it well.’
Henry scoffed at the suggestion that the halfback pair of Piri Weepu and Cruden ‘didn’t get the job done’ despite victory against the Wallabies in Sydney in September last year.
‘In Cruden’s case he’s a year older, a lot more experienced, and I think that’s important,’ Henry said. ‘You learn from those experiences. That was his first big test. Very seldom are people the finished product in their first outing. You get better with age and he’ll be a very good footballer as time goes on. He’s a very good footballer now.
‘Piri was in that game, and he kicked a lot of penalties and conversions, and played particularly well. We finished up winning, so perhaps he did get the job done.’
There were reports that Sonny Bill Williams would start ahead of Kahui on the wing, but Henry was emphatic in his support of the latter. Sonny Bill has been a great player to bring off the bench. He can play a number of positions now and has become a bit of a supersub.
‘Richard has played superbly. We held him back last week but this World Cup he’s played some top footy. He seems to handle the big occasion well, it seems to bring the best out of him, and perhaps this is his best position. We didn’t have any doubt that if he was right he’d be picked,’ he said.
New Zealand – Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Richard Kahui, Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock.
Subs: Andrew Hore, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Victor Vito, Andy Ellis, Stephen Donald, Sonny Bill Williams
92 Comments
13 Oct 2011, 21:33 pm
Have to wait another week for those welsh dragons, Ritchie.
13 Oct 2011, 21:41 pm
Against Wales? Don’t you guys have some kind of an editor?
13 Oct 2011, 21:43 pm
this is going to be fantastic & the fact that i don’t prefer any of these sides makes it even better…i actually don’t mind if craig is “a bit lenient”
13 Oct 2011, 21:45 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-3: Very good!
13 Oct 2011, 21:46 pm
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-2: mhlekazi ndiyakubhotisa…
nawe ukuba you were updating the website while in hurry to get to the pub u’d be making these errors
13 Oct 2011, 21:47 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-3: Will we see a facebook war over the Tasman Sea. One side saying: Graig never to officiate again”, while the other side saying: “From now on all our games to be reffed by Craig” !
13 Oct 2011, 21:48 pm
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-2: They probably have France vs SA in the other semi!!
13 Oct 2011, 21:49 pm
I want New Zealand to win against The Wallabies. But my greatest fear is Cooper if he regains his mojo. He is due a massive game especially with the crowd giving him tough time. Backlash is bound to happen. Gee hope id does not happen.
13 Oct 2011, 21:50 pm
Couldn’t possibly throw my support behind either of these teams.
A bit like kissing your sister.
So I will just sit back and watch the drama unfold as a pure neutral.
And wait for the tears.
13 Oct 2011, 21:52 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)@scar(scar)-7:
Can you believe it. Keo is gonna MOER Ryan Vrede. Or he must report him to Mbalula.
13 Oct 2011, 21:54 pm
Duh, don’t drink and write Ryan
13 Oct 2011, 21:55 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-5: Nam ndiyavuma Xhego. Ndiyathemba ukuba umqabaqaba okwegqabi levinika. Sundays game is making nervous.
13 Oct 2011, 21:59 pm
This is NZ time to take the whole thing.
Play the right way vs Oz and they will take it
Copy Bok tactics,the AB line is far more clinical and Joubert wont make it a free for all at breakdown.
In last 25mins,AB’s will run riot.
AB’s by 10
13 Oct 2011, 22:05 pm
Who cares. This WC is tainted.
13 Oct 2011, 22:06 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-14: Lol.
13 Oct 2011, 22:08 pm
Game of the tournament.
The winner will take the world cup without any doubt
Sadly it will probably be NZ.
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-8:
Why do you not like Quade ?
Rugby needs people like him
And that includes the sublime skills and personality
Just imagine every player being a goody- goody like Morne Steyn
It will be boring, man
13 Oct 2011, 22:10 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-13:
Well they have taken their time about it. Their Kiwi referee had to do something to ensure the Boks didn’t ‘fluke’ another RWC.
13 Oct 2011, 22:13 pm
@mudrockshark(mudrockshark)-14:
lol sore loser.
13 Oct 2011, 22:15 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-16:
Agree. It is gonna be massive.
You misunderstood me on Cooper. I like him, he is typical example of what sport is all about – ENTERTAINMENT. Morne Steyn is like a unonkala (a crab). Nearest interpretation – one trick pony. Never and will never like his rugby.
13 Oct 2011, 22:22 pm
Kiwis will take this one. Aus got absolutely dominated by the Boks except at the breakdown. With Reid and McCaw there Aus are going to have a tough time and this time they come up against a real no.8 and not a Michelin man like Spies. ABs have a devastating backline.
13 Oct 2011, 22:29 pm
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-19: bwahahahahaha “wadidiyela unonkala”
13 Oct 2011, 22:32 pm
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-20: if stuart barnes is to be believed, pocock is just THAT much faster than ‘metatarsal’ mccaw, that & a lenient craig…kuzoshuba!
13 Oct 2011, 22:39 pm
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-20: Agreed. All Blacks should win fairly easily as long as they use their forwards and smash the Aussies up front. If they try and run the Australians off the park then you bring them into the game. The boks needed to be more adventurous in their approach and the All Blacks need to be a little more conservative.
13 Oct 2011, 22:50 pm
Good AB team, should be a great game. Hope for their sake Richie lasts the 80 and Cruden does well
Could be a blessing in disguise for the ABs as well, if Cruden does, as a possible future 10
13 Oct 2011, 22:51 pm
I see Helen has stepped in as sub-editor at Keo.
13 Oct 2011, 22:54 pm
Just watched Rugby Club on Sky and they analysed Jouberts refereeing between Aus and ABs. Joubert is definitely way more strick against Pocock and I think the breakdown is going to be less of a problem
I wonder what the Aussie strategy will be, i.e. will they run that inside attack line where Digby comes across and attacks the 9/10 channel to test Cruden. Especially after Read’s missed tackle against the Argies last weekend
13 Oct 2011, 22:56 pm
The bench looks strong……but only if I take Spooners self-imposed advise and “ignore” Ellis and the Duck.
If ABs can get past the Wallas, with those 2 getting anywhere near the pitch, then I’ll loosen my tie.
B L A C K !
13 Oct 2011, 22:57 pm
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)-
Relax as there is not too much to worry about.
Too many of the Aussies(REDs contingent) are being asked to peak for a third or fourth time(S15,TNs, 1/4s vs.SA and now against ABs) while the rest for the third time and all in less than 2 and 1/2 months or so.
You can scour the annals of sports’ history and I doubt you will ever find that being done successfully. Or you can phone Noakes and ask him if it is at all possible and he WILL give you a resounding NO.
But any horse has to run the race to win it and any horse,like Babaro, can break a leg.
I will take the former while anyone else messes up by concentrating on the latter.
13 Oct 2011, 23:01 pm
@ET.(ET.)-28:
yessus, wtf are u on about tonight? u speaking in funigalore again? nee man.
13 Oct 2011, 23:01 pm
@Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata)@ET.(ET.)-28:
You can only peak a set few,number of times in a season e.g for a good SA racehorse say for the Met in Jan. and then the July in July. Everything in between is below 100% and thus merely prep.
For the ABs the TNs was merely prep. and was not focussed on.
Know too that any SH team that wins the TNs in RWC year never wins that WC of that same year.
13 Oct 2011, 23:02 pm
@cab(cab)-29:
Jou lelike Tannie se …….?
13 Oct 2011, 23:05 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-16:
Do you still doubt you possibly witnessed the start of the newest disaster and that with Warner being unfornately run out for a duck?
Where is Steyn?
13 Oct 2011, 23:05 pm
@ET.(ET.)-31:
yessus u lucky u not near me right now, thats one thing u will get a lekker haymaker for, they’ll need to call the maxillofacial unit.
13 Oct 2011, 23:08 pm
if that heavily strapped right knee of cruden’s acts up and Beaver has to get on the pitch then the blacks will see their moer.
13 Oct 2011, 23:09 pm
@ET.(ET.)-28: I think you have a point, the Aussies have not looked as sharp as in the S15 and then the TN
13 Oct 2011, 23:10 pm
@cab(cab)-33:
Jy is ‘n ware verkrampte moerskon want die woorde wat uitgelos is is maar net ” mooi ding”. En onthou dis net jou tannie(aunt).
13 Oct 2011, 23:11 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-34:
grazed his knee skateboarding, von Trapp. He doesnt want it to get “as infected and poisonous as a Bok fan”.
apparently.
(I might have made that last quote up tho. Then again….).
13 Oct 2011, 23:12 pm
@danuk(danuk)-35:
They have been rather lethargic and lacking total focus to be inventive for long periods in most games.
Defending you can do more easily. It is like driving an automatic.
13 Oct 2011, 23:15 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-37: a plaster would’ve sufficed surely, not that heavy bandage.
13 Oct 2011, 23:15 pm
@ET.(ET.)-38: Yeah, plus their forwards only had a real physical presence for the 1st 10-15 mins last week. Will be interesting to see how the ABs go, but if the Aussies crumble like against the boks then it could be a proper spanking. Especially if the breakdown is heavily penalised …
If that happens then I expect there might be a yellow
I can’t remember what tactics the Aussies played in the TN game they won. They’ll definitely have to kick better if they want to stand a chance
13 Oct 2011, 23:15 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-39: ‘heavy-looking’
13 Oct 2011, 23:16 pm
tannie was ANC, ma was PFP, ek wissel tussen AWB en witwolf wanneer jy in die omgewing is.
13 Oct 2011, 23:20 pm
@danuk(danuk)-40:
Remember too that the WC is in N.Z. and the Wallabies struggle there in recent times. In the TNs game in N.Z. they were given a resounding hiding a few short months ago with Horwill, Pocock, Genia, Beale Cooper and the rest all involved.
13 Oct 2011, 23:22 pm
@cab(cab)-42:
Wat de fok het enige van dit te doen met die saak van rugby?
Ek hou van witwolwe soos jy want dan weet ek waar ek staan met jou.
13 Oct 2011, 23:24 pm
@danuk(danuk)-40: in brisbane the aussies defended like men possessed, cut down space on 1st phase defence pretty quickly and isolated midfield players. they attacked the breakdown with zeal often forming pods of 3 to blitz opponents off their feet…with the resultant quick ball the did their thang with genia going more than 3 phases & waiting for the mismatch and like magic there were mealamu & franks & gone was genia like a flash.
13 Oct 2011, 23:25 pm
So Wales are playing the ABs in the semis
Keo jou do-os
13 Oct 2011, 23:26 pm
@ET.(ET.)-44:
dankie.
skepskop hom tussen die pale deur in sy hol.
13 Oct 2011, 23:26 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-45:
Aussies played cr@p against the Boks
They better up their game big time
13 Oct 2011, 23:27 pm
Keo is jy dronk vanaand?
13 Oct 2011, 23:29 pm
@danuk(danuk)-40:
The important thing about that last TN game in Aussieland which got them the trophy is that the ABs were simply not interested in the trophy as they know they have never ever won the WC every single time they won the TNs of that year. You can check that out for yourself.
That game, like the PE game, was just part of the AB prep. for this WC.
13 Oct 2011, 23:30 pm
@ET.(ET.)-50:
Bullsh-it
13 Oct 2011, 23:31 pm
@cab(cab)-47:
Nee, ek sal nie so wreed wees saam met jou.
Jy is somtyds OK veral as jy op HG te werke gaan.
13 Oct 2011, 23:32 pm
@Boksarenumber5(Boksarenumber1)-51:
Yes, yours stinks.
13 Oct 2011, 23:33 pm
i don’t believe any of that ‘not interested’ klaptrap, they were ambushed by aus straight up & down
13 Oct 2011, 23:35 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-37:
” grazed his knee skateboarding ” his way to Disneyland.
13 Oct 2011, 23:35 pm
@ET.(ET.)-52:
wattehel?! geen probleem met HG, hy is net bietjie suurgat omdat ons uit is, maar wat van jou? jy hop heen en weer soos ‘n jags springhaan waneer Sa verloor – dus mos kak vorm daai.
13 Oct 2011, 23:36 pm
@ET.(ET.)-53: @ET.(ET.)-53:
Jy praat twak
13 Oct 2011, 23:37 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-54:
Aussies donnered the ABs that day, hope they do it again this weekend
13 Oct 2011, 23:38 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-45: ok, so them having any gas left will be interesting. Did the ABs not come back at them in the 2nd half
I have a gut feel Nonu might have a stormer, plus Dagg and Kahui
13 Oct 2011, 23:39 pm
Jane also looked dangerous last weekend … all that late night drinking and smoking …
13 Oct 2011, 23:42 pm
Aussies vs Wales final
That would be awesome
Wales RWC?
13 Oct 2011, 23:43 pm
@cab(cab)-56:
All of my life it has been, like for many other millions, any other team but the racist, now neo-racist one. And that will only end when I am convinced about total non-racism prevailing.
Thus I was happy with ’55, ’74 and more B.Lions, any AB or Wallaby or Wales, or France, or England or etc. teams against SA.
13 Oct 2011, 23:43 pm
@Boksarenumber5(Boksarenumber1)-57:
Jy rook dit en meer.
13 Oct 2011, 23:44 pm
@ET.(ET.)-63:
Jy praat twak jong
13 Oct 2011, 23:44 pm
ANYONE BUT AUS, PLEASE LORD.
It’d actually be good for the world game if Wales or France win, but still, looks like another 3N team will. Wales are solid but will kak themselves taking on a 3N team in front of a billion TV audience
13 Oct 2011, 23:49 pm
@ET.(ET.)-62:
so u reckon jan boland coetzee or morne du plessis or wynand claasen were racist?
u far too quick too judge and sounds like u just got a bugbear from days gone by, which will never change, a win for the Boks is very good for the whole of SA, it unites ppl like no other, bizarrely enough, even u are here on a verkrampte rugby site of hoe?
13 Oct 2011, 23:55 pm
Go ABs. Fck them up for us. Please. I hope Nonu destroys Cooper.
On the other hand. My sources at BRISBANE BRONCOS tell me Quade has already signed there. AND apparently SBW has signed with a League team in New Zealand. Will be a loss.
13 Oct 2011, 23:58 pm
@SexyTime(SexyTime)-67: Richie and Nonu gang tackle, Richie low and Nonu around chest … Quade carried off, tackled out of his boots …
14 Oct 2011, 00:00 am
@danuk(danuk)-68:
I would forgive Bryce to see that.
14 Oct 2011, 00:00 am
@danuk(danuk)-59: yeah AB’s switched tactics to pick n drive, kept it tight & earned the right to go wide…2nd try was after 22 phases or something like that…halftime score was 23 -3 to the wobblies and keewees clawed their way back only for genia to sucker punch em again by peeling off a ruck & skinning two fatties & then offloading.
14 Oct 2011, 00:09 am
@cab(cab)-66:
Have you seen me name individuals? I look at structures and their historical tendencies and if that bothers you do you think I care?
So the people of Tokoza or Umlazi or wherever have benefitted from the 2007 WC win?
When you have not consistently walked the streets of any township then such garbage is written.
Sleep beckons you.
14 Oct 2011, 00:38 am
you gotta love boofhead Hansen
No. He’s being Matt Todd. Don’t read too much into it, he’s just at training. The poor bugger is just at training and that’s it. We’ve got plenty of people we can turn into David Pocock, just put a green bib
on them and say ‘you’re David
Pocock’.”
- All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen explains exactly what Matt Todd is doing. Todd is an openside flanker, which would fit nicely if Hansen wanted him to ‘act’ as mercurial David Pocock in
training. It could also have meant back-up if Richie McCaw had looked likely to miss the semi-final against Australia.
14 Oct 2011, 00:38 am
Quade ‘revolving door’ Cooper playing league ?!
now that IS a funny thought !
notwithstanding that he has already signed on with ARU for 1 more season….
14 Oct 2011, 01:13 am
Ozzies have a terrible record with Joubert (2 from 5 I think it is).
Also the crowd will come into play with the referee, and the Eden Park issues they have, and it’s bound to be wet.
Plus the All Blacks got away with standing about 2 metres off side in the last game they played and almost won it.
Plus, if Cooper stays on the field they are stuffed – Barnes is a much more solid option.
ABs by 16 at least -which is the same score I predicted in the Eden Park Tri Nations game. Put ya money on that.
14 Oct 2011, 01:19 am
Gonna be battle of titans, the pinnacle. Aus-SA QF was fitting prelude, one of the most brutal (and clean, fair dues to both sides) Tests of recent times. Shame Brussow went off injured.
Unless ABs are by 8+ points ahead at the sound of siren, there cannot be a peace of mind.
Bring it on.
And go Welsh young lads.
14 Oct 2011, 01:26 am
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-20:
Which game did you watch…reads of paper has been inked with pocock being the man of the match!
14 Oct 2011, 01:28 am
@danuk(danuk)-26:
Joubert has moer in against aus..watch!
14 Oct 2011, 01:32 am
When the All Blacks get every decision on the weekend they can thank the people from here for all the pressure we have put on the referees to watch Pocock.
Funniest thing I’ve ever read that the All Blacks have asked for the ruck to be policed with greater scrutiny. That’s about the equivalent of Hitler asking people to make sure the jews are looked after.
For me – that’s the final admission that Pocock is now more dominant around the ruck than McCaw. But I find it a little hard to swallow that after years of getting away with murder, they are now complaining because someone is better than them at it.
14 Oct 2011, 01:39 am
Pocock is OK. Or McCaw. You have Brussow. What’s the difference?
You’d welcome them with open arms had SA a chance to recruit them.
14 Oct 2011, 02:02 am
Wales?!?!?! Vrede, you being inhaling the campervan exhaust fumes again!
14 Oct 2011, 02:35 am
@ET.(ET.)-62: See- pseudo intellectuals like you don’t really read… stuck in your eternal rut.
You can support Wallabies although Australia had a “White Australia policy” that only expired in the 1970′s; genocidal policy of stealing aboriginal children (Stolen Generation) that also ended in the 1970′s and of course the current marginalisation of aborigines (no political representation, police brutality, rampant alcoholism, child abuse and life expectancy of like 53)
So I axe you, ET, madala, what is the good counter-racist fight?
14 Oct 2011, 02:46 am
And in the other semi final the Wallaby line up to take on the French looks like this…
Australia: Kurtley Beale/Adam Ashley-Cooper, James O’Connor, Ashley-Cooper/Anthony Faingaa, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Radike Samo, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, James Horwill (capt), Dan Vickerman, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu. Res: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Faingaa/Rob Horne.
14 Oct 2011, 02:52 am
@svs(svs)-81:
SVS extraball is non ‘corpus’ mentis, no use trying to debate with him.
14 Oct 2011, 03:07 am
Rattling the Wallabies with brutal physicality from the whistle is the key to this game. Getting Cooper out of his rhythm early is crucial, don’t want him feeding ball into that dangerous backline.
Bring it home black.
14 Oct 2011, 03:15 am
@DAS(DAS)-84:
Easy on paper but the game will be played on grass…best of luck to both teams and may it be a great game for all.
14 Oct 2011, 04:08 am
@umfolozi(umfolozi)-65:
What’s your beef with Aus, John ?
14 Oct 2011, 05:14 am
Have to confess as an AB supporter I have a lot of sympathy for the Bok supporters in what they went through in that quarter final. Only difference is AB fans tend to blame their players a little bit more then the ref, although if I had the power of voodoo then Wayne Barnes would have had a lot of problems.
The similarities between the two QF’s are quite remarkable, both teams totally dominated territory and to a lesser extent possession. Both team suffered critical injuries (AB’s Carter and Evans, Boks, Brussow). Refs in both games made big calls on forward passes however it was more there failure to penalise for infringements that was the issue, and both teams had some questionable selections AB’s didn’t play Howlett and Mauger, Boks didn’t start with Bismark and Hougaard.
And with the S14 final and the last TriN win against the AB’s they did manage to have the nice rub of the green of facing a team coming back from SA. I hope their luck is about to end!
Aus is unpredictable though, like a lot of AB supporters I was hoping for SA to take out Aus, not because I considered our chances against the Boks were any better, just that it wuld be easier for my nerves as you knew what the Boks were going to do (well apart from them changing their tactics against Aus).
14 Oct 2011, 07:32 am
I wonder how many picking an All Black win this week were also picking a Springbok win last week. To be honest I think it will be very close and may well come down to Joubert, although I hope not. I think the Wallabies will clinch it, this AB team is nowhere near its best and has huge pressure. That being said, I wouldn’t mind it if the ABs won, they’ve had an awful year, and it would really lift national moral.
14 Oct 2011, 11:49 am
@Eight Ace(Eight Ace)-86:
Just don’t want them to win Mike, what can I say…
Sorry mate. Hoe gaan dit daar onder
14 Oct 2011, 12:48 pm
Looks like bias against South Africa runs in the Lawrence family:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=4302
15 Oct 2011, 04:59 am
Wales….Wales…thought you guys would know who is playing who…that must mean the Boks are playing Ireland
15 Oct 2011, 05:11 am
@corms(corms)-88: Thanks for the sentiments, NZ could do with a lift after all that has happened and being a smaller country than Australia the tragedies are more concentrated.
I picked the Boks to win last week and there was no reason at all why they didnt..it was more a case of good luck and them losing than the Wallys ‘putting them away’. Still all considered, the Boks and Wallys really struggled the whole game to
gain ascendancy which showed that they were quite evenly matched. Looking at how hard the Boks had to work for their wins over Wales and Samoa, the fact that Ireland beat the Wallys and their form to really demonstrate anything other than luck more than ability has me comfortably favour the AB’s in a very relaxed manner.
It will be the game of the decade no doubt ( for these two teams) but cant see where they can out gun us. Enjoy !!
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