Braid at eight for Blues
17 May 2012
Luke Braid will start at No 8 against the Crusaders in a move that sets up a head-to-head with Richie McCaw.
Braid completes his merry-go-round in the back row positions by being named as the eighthman, and he will look to oust McCaw who was named in the position for the Crusaders on Thursday.
In other changes for the struggling Auckland franchise, Peter Saili drops to the reserves in favour of Steven Luatua who will play on the blindside flank. Daniel Braid completes the loose trio at openside flank. In the front row Tevita Mailau comes in for the injured Charlie Faumuina.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders have made seven changes to their team that lost to the Rebels in Melbourne last weekend. Notably, Dan Carter returns to his favoured flyhalf slot, with Ryan Crotty filling the gap at inside centre.
Israel Dagg is back at fullback and Andy Ellis returns to scrmhalf. Adam Whitelock will start on the right wing.
Blues - 15 Hadleigh Parkes, 14 David Raikuna, 13 Ma’a Nonu, 12 Michael Hobbs, 11 Benson Stanley, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Luke Braid (c), 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Tevita Mailau, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 James Parsons, 17 Angus Ta’avao, 18 Filo Paulo, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Lachie Munro, 22 Sherwin Stowers.
Crusaders - 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Adam Whitelock, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Richie McCaw (c), 7 Matt Todd, 6 George Whitelock, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Subs: 16 Quentin MacDonald, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 Brendon O’Connor, 20 Willi Heinz, 21 Tyler Bleyendaal, 22 Tom Marshall.
21 Comments
17 May 2012, 08:05 am
DRAGONS – not a bad backrow for the Saders
17 May 2012, 08:08 am
why oh why is he persisting with hobbs..?…
blues to play out of their skins for this one and win it by a whisker.
they beat them last season and came close this season.
there’s money to be made here boys.
17 May 2012, 08:11 am
this is such a nothing game
17 May 2012, 08:11 am
I wonder what the weather will be like – 5 point Saders weather dependant
17 May 2012, 08:12 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-3: explain
17 May 2012, 08:13 am
because none of these sides will play in the final stew
they are whipping boys
17 May 2012, 08:48 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-6: LOL my ignorance amuses me
17 May 2012, 08:56 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-2: hey, get off butcher’s back…the boy can play
blaady agent!
17 May 2012, 10:01 am
saders by plenty. With Carter in his rightful position expect the backline to operate much more effectively.
No Faumuina and L Braid at 8?
by two tries at least.
17 May 2012, 10:02 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-8:
17 May 2012, 10:04 am
Fern ? whipping boys?
Saders only team to beat Stormers this year, lost by stuff all to the Bulls at Loftus and not sure when last your remoras beat them
keep praying.
17 May 2012, 10:07 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-8:
played himself all the way from 10 to 12 too…..
17 May 2012, 10:09 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-12: Lam gatvol!
Lam hits out at media intrusion
17/5/2012 01:56 AM Lynn McConnell
Blues coach Pat Lam launched a stinging attack on the reporting style of the New Zealand Herald at his weekly pre-game press conference in Auckland on Thursday.
Lam has been in the news again over a text message he received, allegedly involving more racist remarks.
Lam refused to comment on the details of the text message but did say the NZ Herald had ‘crossed the line’ in sending a reporter and photographer to his home at 8pm on Wednesday.
“My five-year-old went to answer the door and to have that there is, by far, unacceptable and I’m not really happy about that,” he said.
Lam said he had made it a policy to be available to the media every week and with phone calls and appointments.
“What the Herald did last night I am pretty annoyed with.
“As far as everything else, I have no comment. I am a rugby coach, I have a job, it’s a simple job, I’m not the Prime Minister and we’ve got a big job ahead and that’s really what I should be talking about,” he said.
Lam said he told the NZ Herald reporter it was an unacceptable situation. His children were standing there watching and that sort of thing should never happen.
“You guys [the news media in attendance at training] have always had the decency to make an appointment to talk but knocking on my door with my family at that time of the night is just unacceptable.
“I worry where that…that sort of stuff is what you read in the British tabloids. They should not be coming to my house at that time. It’s my private time and I’m just a rugby coach. I don’t think any rugby coach has been subjected to that,” he said.
17 May 2012, 10:11 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-12: like carter has been doing
17 May 2012, 10:54 am
Nothing game, just like Force v Rebels…….
17 May 2012, 11:41 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-13:
just keeping him honest methinks…
@Transformation(Transformation)-14:
so hobbs is the next carter..?…errrrrr ok….
17 May 2012, 13:16 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-13:
How does Patsy make a “simple job” look so difficult…….. This deflection of racial abuse through social media and text messages away from his inability to acquire results from the best resourced franchise in Nz is beginning to wear thin.
Now the media are turning against him because one ignorant so called journalist with photographer turns up on his doorstep at the unacceptable hour of 8pm……
Pat has worn out his welcome…he is the laughing stock of Nz Rugby and he is taking Auckland and Blues Rugby down with him….. Time for Pat to take up a more testing occupation other than simple coach…..
17 May 2012, 14:01 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-17: That’s rough – sure, it’s a job in the public eye but that doesn’t give journalists the right to come by any time day or night. I wouldn’t even be happy if a colleague came to my house without a phone call let alone a journo. I’m guessing you don’t have young children?
The guy is obviously out of his depth and won’t be coaching next year but give him a break, let him see out the last couple of months in peace.
17 May 2012, 15:22 pm
saders name an All White pack
expect them to take these sorry blues to cleaners.
17 May 2012, 22:23 pm
@gonzo(gonzo)-18:
Yeah…thought about it later, and I was being rough on Pat and his family…
18 May 2012, 01:57 am
@gonzo(gonzo)-18:
Yes correct……all my boys have left home now…. I do appreciate Pat being protective of his kids…..
Can I leave him in peace for the rest of his coaching tenure at the Blues?…..Do not know really….
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