Blacks change six
20 Jun 2012
New Zealand have made a half dozen alterations to their team to face Ireland in Hamilton, including the injury-enforced replacement of Dan Carter.
Aaron Cruden comes in at pivot for Carter who has a hamstring strain, with Hurricanes No. 10 Beauden Barrett providing cover on the bench. Elsewhere in the back division, Hosea Gear and Ben Smith start on the wings in place of Zac Guildford and Julian Savea who drop out of the squad altogether.
Lock Luke Romano to make his debut in place of Brodie Retallick in a revamped pack. Richie McCaw takes plays at No 8 in place of the concussed Kieran Read, with Liam Messam at blindside flank and Sam Cane on the openside. Adam Thomson plays off the wood, with utility back Tamati Ellison and veteran hooker Keven Mealamu beefing up the bench.
New Zealand – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Richie McCaw (c), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Brodie Retallick, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Beauden Barrett, 22 Tamati Ellison.
232 Comments
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21 Jun 2012, 14:10 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-196:
glad you know it, pops.
@Dawn(Dawn)-197:
ja, its a classic but then again most of nandos ads are.
21 Jun 2012, 14:12 pm
@cane(cane)-199:
You referring to to SA?
21 Jun 2012, 14:13 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-185: And thus making Tiger Woods the pimp in a whorehouse! On a seriuos note tho, I could remember a time looking at the AB’s play rugby and admire them for it. You used to be innovators within the boundaries of the game. Now you’re just a band of thieves. And you condoning it and actualy lambasting other teams for being to lame to catch on, certainly is not going to change it. I read the papers. I know what the AB brand means to NZ. Obviously I’m not the only Saffa that feels this way but I’ll bet my life on it there are more in other countries. Soon to be added ’cause you’ll be playing on a continous basis in ARG now too. Wanna bet as soon as the novelty wears off, they’ll see you for what you truly are? And by you, I mean AB’s
21 Jun 2012, 14:16 pm
Perhaps we should just clarify this “driving maul” for the benefit of our Bulls brothers here. Because a vast number of them are going to be bitterly disappointed having rushed out to go and have a look at Menlyn’s new drive-in section.
21 Jun 2012, 14:18 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-191: You keep your blinkers on mate. Debateable my ***!
21 Jun 2012, 14:18 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-192:
I like to see it (the RWC) spread around.
I think Argentina or Japan is okay.
But the USA a waste of time.
And when a RWC is allocated to SA/Aus/NZ then matches could be allocated to Namibia/Zim/Fiji/Samoa.
Or in the NH, when France gets a RWC, some matches in Romania/Italy/Georgia or perhaps Spain.
21 Jun 2012, 14:20 pm
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-198: funny clip..was that Tank lenning (sp?) as frontrow grunt?
Ive always maintained the Bok/AB rivalry is the greatest, always will be to me…
21 Jun 2012, 14:22 pm
@ossewa(ossewa)-202:
I suppose I am.
21 Jun 2012, 14:24 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-203: fair enough, youre entitled to your opinion… the ABs do as much as other nations, if you refuse to admit that then I cant help you… take a look at your belove bokke this weekend and watch tem push the boundaries too…
as Cane said earlier, until they clarify and simplify the laws, there will always be conjecture..
when youre on top people always want to knock you off, and unfortunately many will use whatever means necessary…
I think the clip Bokfan posted says it all, a bit of jealousy because you guys are only winning 30% against us since reintroduction… Id be looking for shadows too
21 Jun 2012, 14:26 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-204: Hahaha. They should know what it is, they invented it.
21 Jun 2012, 14:36 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-147:
What are you on about??
I am Maori, my whole family is Maori, yet you think we support the boks??
I have never ever seen a Maori support the Boks against the ABs.
But hey i have lived here all my life, you were here for what 5 weeks, course you would know.
21 Jun 2012, 14:45 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-209: The laws don’t need clarification nor does it simplification. Almost all of the laws are straight forward. At least the ones that matter. I think referee standards slipped as soon as “interpretation” came into it. They are not there to interpret the law. Just to enforce. Why is it that at the beginning of every season the referee boss will come out with a statement on what laws they will realy enforce that year but then totaly forgets about the laws they focused on the year before. Blocking from a kick seems to be legal again. Was the offside line ever been forcefully applied. The Driving maul is back in fashion but you only see a handfull of penalties for pulling it down, yet it happens half the time and the other half players join it from the side. Touch judges are called asst referees for last how many years, yet they mean jackshyte other than to lift their flag for either a line-out or foulplay. I’ll admit their is 50/50 situations and he has to call it one way or another, but players not bound at a ruck is off-side. Plain and simple. How is that in any way difficult to enforce or “interpret”. Similarly the offside line. A line-out jumper impeded in the air is seriously not a 50/50 call. It either happened or not. Why are they missing such alot of obvious things? As you can see, I have a lot to say about referees. You probably feel it’s the favorite Saffa past time, but the fact that they’re not enforcing the law properly and have to “interpret” should not sit well with you or any other rugby fan. Whether the AB’s benefit because of it or not. It ruins the game in its entirety, let alone influences the results. There…I said it.
21 Jun 2012, 14:48 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-211:
maybe you’re mixing with the wrong maori’s ?
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-212:
go on… say it…
21 Jun 2012, 14:50 pm
The mighty All Blacks starting to panic?
21 Jun 2012, 14:54 pm
@toulon says(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-213: you’re full s.hit, blaady agent.@Hurricane(Hurricane)-211: don’t worry hurri, they’re just yankin ya chain. maoris don’t support boks
21 Jun 2012, 15:00 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-215:
21 Jun 2012, 15:39 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-212: If you’d indulge just this last comment on this…I say penalise the fck out of teams who transgress any law. If the game is stop-start, so be it. It’s was never up to the referees to make the game flow. That is up to the players. Like I said the ref’s are there to enforce the law and keep teams honest. The so-called ‘flow of the game’ only realy struck a chord in your side of the world anyway, but who doesn’t like a flowing game of rugby? Downside to this, it breeds cheating, or like you keep on telling us, the bending of rules. Ala McCaw. Penalise them. Every single time. You would be suprised how quickly players start cleaning up their acts and the game starts flowing all on its own accord. Btw, penalties is as much part of the game than scoring tries. Ultimately why we have a ref. He’s not just there to award a try. Blow it to the letter of the law.
21 Jun 2012, 16:31 pm
@nama1(nama1)-65: Victor Vito is our backup No. 8 and hes injured. Of the other three Colin Lowry[Blues] and Nasi Manu[Landers] aren’t up to scratch yet and may never be and KaneThompson[Chiefs] is not eligible.
21 Jun 2012, 16:39 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-212: farking BRILLIANTLY written post Gutsy! A few spelling and grammar mistakes,
but the sentiment, the emotion and the point it makes was very eloquent and forceful!
I can only agree with you and I spend half the time wondering what the hell the ref is looking at! Another law is the put in at the scrum – it is NEVER enforced anymore. Sometimes the TV camera is over the TJ’s shoulder and you can see form there the ball put in under the lock’s feet, and yet no whistle or flag!
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-217: I must agree with this statement too! It will only take a few ruined Test matches for constant penalties for that nations Union (NZRU, ARU, RFU or whoever) to get their own teams in line!
The whole “flow” thing was for the Aussies mainly, and of course we all prefer a flowing game with running, but NOT when blatant off-the-ball incidents happen and refs then do not penalise for fear of ruining the flow!
There could be a system also where 3 penalties against 1 player equals a yellow card or something similar. Players would QUICKLY make sure not to enter from the side, be offside, stay bound etc etc.
I go back to the stats for the 3Ns 2010 where NZ had something like 43 penalties before a yellow was issued, while Aus had 6 and SA had 7!! Now someone tell me that doesnt suggest something is very wrong.
We all remember Rolland giving McCaw his “final, final warning” after having just given him a “Final warning” with the ABs in the red zone! And still no card!
(Lets not even begin on McCaw in the RWC final! – which again is Joubert’s fault for not laying down the law – excuse the pun)
If McCaw et al. (and I include Pocock, Brussow and similar players there) knew that 3 penalties = a yellow card, it would quickly clean up.
This would then leave the ref to APPLY the laws and hopefully TJs can then watch for off-the-ball incidents like jersey pulling and obstruction!
21 Jun 2012, 16:52 pm
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-219: the one about yellow cards has been proved wrong plenty of times – the cards were given for foul play (spear tackles, shoulder charges, high) not repeat infringements so the number of penalties per card is irrelevant
And the final warning…no one could understand the poor ref’s accent…he said it was the final warning “in this particular area of the field” but the next time richie infringed was not in the red zone. Rewatch that famous (but inaccurate) youtube vid about ABs at the breakdown and you’ll hear it
21 Jun 2012, 16:58 pm
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-219: That is about as good as it will get re my spelling and grammar but not for a lack of trying. Anyways, you got the point. I always found it funny, strange probably better, that teams had to study the ref. The way he interprets the laws. What this realy says is that on that particular day the Rugby Union Laws will be applied according that particular ref. Which is complete BS! The laws are written in black and white and there for all to see. Not only do they apply it differently, depending on the individual but you sometimes even see the same ref apply it differently in the same game!
According to me there is fckall conjecture to the laws of rugby. I’ll allow him discretion as to how much time he gives supporting players to clean-out, as long as the same applies all the way thru. After that the law of what constitutes a ruck governs and then all the subsequent laws apply after that. Not his fckn job to clean up the game. His one and only mandate is to enforce law.
21 Jun 2012, 17:17 pm
@gonzo(gonzo)-220: So where is this “red” zone exactly? Behind the tryline? Can’t remember the exact game but just the other day a player got a yellow card for repeated infringements and that was somewhere close to halfway. I can agree with that. Fck the red zone. If it is a given that teams can score tries from behind their own goal line, ala Sardouny or Joe Pietersen vs Highlanders(?), why should 5mtrs from the tryline be more important than anywhere else. That particular the AB’s infringed 3-4 times in quick succesion and the bulk of that was McCaw. What made it worse, it was towards the end of the game with them in the lead but undersiege. Cynical maybe? You tell me…
21 Jun 2012, 17:19 pm
You guys realize these “New Zealanders” on here are just another version of Kitchener right?
21 Jun 2012, 18:01 pm
@STBUR(STBUR)-223: Hahahaha well said! Im sure most of them are (Cane seems ok) but Im also sick of threads disintegrating into t it-for-tat insults about car hijackings and sh@gging sheep!
So we are trying to “reach out” and educate
21 Jun 2012, 18:12 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-221: I hear you and wish it could work like that, but only in a perfect world…
Look at soccer – often used as an example where the refs cant influence the result – but even in the Euros there has been an obvious goal disallowed, and the ability of certain players to dive and act injured can result in a penalty or not, and can change the result.
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-222: Excellent reply and I agree 100%! Playing the ref like that is calculated unsportsman or dishonourable playing. “The ref said I must stop, but that was in my 22. Out here on the halfway I can still do it” – NO!
Its a bit like the bankers and banks who will carry on speculating and losing other people’s money or people who avoid tax through loopholes. You know its wrong, but lets carry on until we get caught.
Sport should be a bit better than that and aim for higher morals and ethics.
“Repeat infringements” (as Gonzo calls them) become AS bad as any other reason for a yellow because it means you are knowingly and purposely continuing to do something that you have been told is illegal or contrary to the rules and spirit of the game! Hence my recommendation for 3 penalties = 1 yellow for a player.
Refs need to be stricter and penalise all players regardless of their reputation
21 Jun 2012, 22:04 pm
@bokfan1(bokfan1)-225: I agree with some of your points, “interpretation” by the ref should be minimised. But surely they should differentiate between certain penalties – a dangerous tackle, accidental offside, prop dropping his bind, and tackler not rolling away 1m from the try line are all very different.
And for anyone wondering why Carter was pulling jerseys, have a look at 1:06 where he’s pushed in the throat, off the ball, by a front rower.
21 Jun 2012, 22:05 pm
Should post the link i guess
http://www.rugbydump.com/2012/06/2644/all-blacks-vs-ireland-2012-2nd-test-full-match
21 Jun 2012, 22:14 pm
@204 katman
hehehe,sweeet!
21 Jun 2012, 22:58 pm
I see O’Neill wants to send either an ANZAC or a SANZAR team over to the NH to play the B&I in Lions in 2015…veery interesting…
21 Jun 2012, 23:07 pm
@Rage(Rage)-229: That could be cool. Although the Stormers fans will still ***** about not having Grant and Little Joe and JdJ and Vermeulen and Brok and Aplon and Kolisi and Duvenhage in the team.
21 Jun 2012, 23:25 pm
hehe,I doubt it! I mean,that team could contain stars like Genia,Pocock,Carter,SBW,Bismark,Stegmann..Duvenhage,Brock & Grant are welcome to apply for the kit master/waterboy positions,though.
22 Jun 2012, 11:22 am
@gonzo(gonzo)-226: Agree Gonzo – all those transgressions are different, my emphasis is on the “REPEATEDNESS” of the offences. Being offside in a ruck, or playing the ball when off your feet (or similar) are less serious and can happen to any player trying to win the ball.
But repeatedly doing those actions, after being told not to by a ref, becomes much more serious as it is cynical and unsporting. If a deliberate knock-down is a professional foul and can be yellow card, so then should being offside at a ruck 3 times in 1 match. No?
Thanks for the link to the video. I totally agree that elbow from the Irish player was not on. But it does not directly interfere with the play taking place or ability for either team to get to the ball. There have always and will always be scuffles off-the-ball – its something we probably all love about rugby.
So I think Carter’s transgression at 1 hour 20 mins is worse:
As he goes through the tackle making no attempt to bind on his side.
He then grabs 2 Irish jerseys (who are basically the 2 Irish players defending that ruck).
He keeps holding on to them and drags them away from the tackle/ruck/ball and does not allow them to have a fair go at winning the ball (Whitelock is helping him too). Bearing in mind Franks was quite isolated so they wouldve had a good go. Or at least Woodcock wouldve had to go into the ruck.
But this allows Woodcock to pick up the ball unopposed go.
(I will say the Irish tackler on Woodcock appears to enter from the side, although Im not sure there is even a ruck situation left there as there are no Irish players at that point, and a ruck is at least 2 players, no?)
Then when the Irish hooker DC is holding goes to tackle Woodcock, DC then proceeds to push the players head into the ground!
Of course, as we see, Nigel Owens blows up the Irish for sealing off/diving over, so what do I know?
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