Cane to tackle McCaw
4 Jul 2012
Sam Cane has been elevated to the Chiefs’ starting line-up for the crunch match against the Crusaders on Friday.
Cane will wear the No 7 jersey and go head-to-head with Crusaders opensider Richie McCaw at the breakdown. The Chiefs have been forced to make another change to their back row, with Alex Bradley stepping in for the injured No 8 Kane Thompson.
Prop Sona Taumalolo is also back in the starting team while Andrew Horrell is preferred to Jackson Willison at No 13.
Chiefs – 15 Robbie Robinson, 14 Tim Nanai-Williams, 13 Andrew Horrell, 12 Sonny Bill Williams, 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Alex Bradley, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke (c), 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Mahonri Schwalger, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Subs: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Romana Graham, 19 Tanerau Latimer, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Jackson Willison, 22 Lelia Masaga.
13 Comments
4 Jul 2012, 07:33 am
Sona Dragon back in his rightful place!
4 Jul 2012, 07:44 am
go out there and have some fun arizona
4 Jul 2012, 08:22 am
Good move bringing Horrell into centre, wasted on the bench. Hang on I thought Robbie Robertson was out injured, will have to wait and see if this line-up is correct.
4 Jul 2012, 10:35 am
Dan v Cruden; Owen v Taumololo; Richie v Cane; Crotty v SBW. Mouth watering
4 Jul 2012, 10:58 am
@viewer(viewer)-4:
Not too convinced Crotty can handle Sbw…….needs to go in high and wrap that ball up……otherwise road kill.
4 Jul 2012, 11:44 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-5: crotty playing off carter can give sbw mini-nightmares if he plays smart. on defence he’ll have to man-up like everyone else facing sonny.
4 Jul 2012, 12:46 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-6:
mini nightmares v many nightmares
5 Jul 2012, 01:52 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-5:
Going high on SBW would be the worst gameplan. The problem is he offloads over the advan line every time, he must therefore have his legs taken from him asap and ensure a loosie is covering the oncoming traffic. Crotty would be swatted away like a fly off SBWs windscreen-hands. Its a massive mismatch, Crotty should just stick to doing the basics very well, and that means puncturing the wheels on the SBW bus and hoping his teammates do their job.
5 Jul 2012, 04:32 am
@The Donkeys Egg(The Donkeys Egg)-8:
Yes you are probably right, I was thinking whats the use of going low on him when he can easily promote the off-load, take a gamble and look to wrap the ball up and hang on like a limpet, hoping your mates come in and take his legs out or hold him up.
5 Jul 2012, 05:09 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-9:
Ideally they would have 1 going high and another going low which, of course, also invites gaps opening up elsewhere. I tend to think the bus should be stopped as the primary focus and then place utmost trust in your team doing their own role. Crotty looks like he has bulked up so should be up for the task but given SBWs height advantage, he risks bouncing off if he goes for the arms & chest while the legs keep pumping. Look what happens when they go high on Fruean – he’s made to look better than he is.
5 Jul 2012, 06:43 am
@The Donkeys Egg(The Donkeys Egg)-10:
Yes you are probably right again, nothing worst than getting pushed off when you are trying to effect a ball and all tackle.There will be times when Crotty will have to use any means possible to stop the Big Man, how bout the cumberland throw, nothing like a good hip toss to get your team mates fired up too.
5 Jul 2012, 07:45 am
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-11:
There is of course slipping in a late hit on him, going on his reaction to Hoeata & Crosswell last w/e, he could be up for some overdue policing. Big matches almost always come down to who shows the best discipline.
SBW has been awesome this season, unquestionably refined his play to looking every inch the Union player. Doubts remain tho, he doesnt seem to have completely deleted the shoulder-charge from his armoury. I was aghast when Ted brought him on with a few minutes remaining of the RWC Final, had he forgotten the YC for the same player for a shoulder-charge in the previous match ?!
The Crusaders should count themselves lucky Kahui is still injured, 2 big units for Chiefs in midfield would have been juicy. As it is, SBW may have the size-advan over Crotty but Fruean certainly will have over Horrell – fine player that he is, he’s a fullback and our memories arent too short that we have forgotten what can happen to a 15 playing at 13 in big matches.
McCaw vs Cane. Retallick vs Whitelock. Cruden vs Carter. Taumalolo vs Franks – mouthwatering !
5 Jul 2012, 08:27 am
@The Donkeys Egg(The Donkeys Egg)-12:
Sbw has improved with his patience, does not overplay his hand everytime he gets the ball. I wasn’t too worried when he came on the field in the final. As for Horrell, hes done very well, and if he plays good tomorrow could be one of the best utility players in the comp, seeing he was top points scorer in ITM cup, playing at first five for Hawkes Bay
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