Smith blow for All Blacks
25 Jul 2012
All Blacks centre Conrad Smith has been ruled out for six weeks with an eye injury.
Smith recently underwent treatment to his left eye to repair a detached retina. He is not expected to return to training for at least six weeks, which means he will miss at least two matches of the Rugby Championship.
Sonny Bill Williams has decided to leave New Zealand rugby at the end of the current Super Rugby season, and so is also unavailable for the Rugby Championship. What this means is that the All Blacks will play those first two Tests against the Wallabies without their first-choice centre pairing.

146 Comments
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25 Jul 2012, 12:18 pm
@NZINCHINA-87: How about Clive Norling in 81?
8 min over time, awards Hewson a dubious penalty, and then marches him forward 15 meters to win the series after the boks had to sleep under the stadium in sleeping bags
25 Jul 2012, 12:19 pm
@Skeppie-99:
yer I
25 Jul 2012, 12:20 pm
@Skeppie-99:
25 Jul 2012, 12:21 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-101:
he wasn’t a kiwi not our problem and he didn’t admit to cheating after the series
99 Skeppie just trying to make the point that it happens to every team and you only see what you want to see
25 Jul 2012, 12:21 pm
@NZINCHINA-98: Where is the quote from? Look I am not arguing the point that historically some NZ teams have had the misfortune of some bias refs in SA but it does work both ways…in 81′ Clive Norling basically took the series away from the boks. I reckon it’s fair to say that all in all over time it’s probably all evened up, swings and roundabouts.
25 Jul 2012, 12:23 pm
@97 yup hurridoos, that be right ya whinging git!
25 Jul 2012, 12:26 pm
@NZINCHINA-104: 100% right and that’s cool, the point is we are supposed to sometimes be one eyed, we love the sport and we love our teams but I think most people start going a bit psyco when their team loses…rather than moan about silly things we all need to sometimes doff our hats to the team that got one over us.
25 Jul 2012, 12:27 pm
@NZINCHINA-96: We all know apartheid was sinful. South Africa have acknowlledged that. If the NZRU took part in it too, they should maybe also acknowlledge the part they played?
25 Jul 2012, 12:28 pm
@Skeppie-107:
I’m out the door good chatting, i’ll try and find that quote at a later date so you don’t think i’m doing a Fernly – cheers
25 Jul 2012, 12:28 pm
@NZINCHINA-104: it was also the flour bomb test if memories correct,? which would suggest a lot of injury time due to Knight getting hit by one..
25 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
There is some karma in sport.
Consider the extraordinary case of Brian McKechnie, a dual international who represented New Zealand at rugby and cricket.
As a rugby player, he kicked the winning penalty goal against Wales in 1978 when Andy Haden dived out off a lineout near full time and was apparently awarded a penalty (the referee later said the penalty was for a completely separate incident). The penalty secured the “Grand Slam” for the All Blacks against the home country unions.
As a cricketer, he was the batsman at the receiving end of Trevor Chappell’s underarm delivery in 1981.
25 Jul 2012, 12:29 pm
@whatever-106:
sounds like you are whinging little kid. You angry little fella?
25 Jul 2012, 12:32 pm
@willievz-111: karma in sport? thats the problem, you make your own luck, its a fundamental basic..
youre welcome..
25 Jul 2012, 12:32 pm
@NZINCHINA-109: Cool, see ya later
25 Jul 2012, 12:33 pm
@willievz-111: Going by that, the ABs are in for a lean few years
25 Jul 2012, 12:34 pm
@RWC’11 was fixed-108:
Exactly.
NZRU sat back and let the South Africans call the shots back in those days. Anything to play rugby.
So going on that NZRU are just as pathetic, to a point as was the South Africans
25 Jul 2012, 12:35 pm
its big robie fruean’s chance but am not really sure about him at international level. anyway we have all the other options but this is a big blow
25 Jul 2012, 12:37 pm
@nkqo6-117: Fruean wont be there. imo..
25 Jul 2012, 12:38 pm
@Hurricane-116: Agree, no one can argue that there was some unsavory politics.
25 Jul 2012, 12:41 pm
What will be the ABs 15 for the first test against Aus?
15. Dagg
14. Jane
13.
12. Nonu
11. Gear
10. Carter
9.
8. Read
7. MaCaw
6. Vito
5. Whitlock
4.
3. Franks
2.
1. Franks
Curden
???
25 Jul 2012, 12:43 pm
@Hurricane-76: First post and I also get that stupid “slow down” message… What’s going on here?
You’re wasting your time, mate.
“There are none so blind as those who will not see…”
25 Jul 2012, 12:44 pm
Don’t you just love how keo sets up these Kiwi threads – one a day – like a kiddie’s play area at the steakhouse so that the adults can enjoy their meal in peace. Well done, keo – the Spur of rugby blogs.
25 Jul 2012, 12:45 pm
@>^..^< katman-122: haha
25 Jul 2012, 13:24 pm
@>^..^< katman-122:
I think it’s important for Sue to have a safe environment to express himself in.
Away from sharp objects and sharper judgement.
Just the affection and support of fellow Keolings to facilitate his continued emotional development.
25 Jul 2012, 13:41 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-124: Ja-nee, it’s really super. And the benign topics of discussion on these threads are the rugby blog equivalent of Secret Tribe chicken strips and a half-portion milkshake. It’s so reassuring.
25 Jul 2012, 13:56 pm
for years, the kiwi whinge was that gert bezuidenhout refused to address them in english during the ’76 series.
now they’ve managed to work that what he was saying translated into something like “you okes don’t have to live here”
these urban legends are too wonderful.
25 Jul 2012, 19:25 pm
ABs will use Ellison or Ben Smith at #13. Robby Fruean has been hearing “up your work rate” for years now from the selectors, but he hasn’t progressed. Prone to lapses on defense.
25 Jul 2012, 19:59 pm
@chPiet Robbertsearo-126:
urban legend, dont forget Piet Robbertse he was a beaut as well, rewatch the tape good ole boy and tell me he didn’t cheat
25 Jul 2012, 20:02 pm
It was the second worst performance I have ever seen in an international match by a referee (the worst was by Gert Bezuidenhout in the third All Blacks v Springboks test of 1976. Bezuidenhout was incompetent and a cheat….
25 Jul 2012, 20:03 pm
This would without doubt be one of the worst “Hometown Harry” refereeing performances I have ever seen; almost as bad at Gert Bezuidenhout’s crooked effort at Ellis Park in 1976.
25 Jul 2012, 20:05 pm
For those of us with painful memories of more than 30 years ago, there could be only regret that Lawrence wasn’t around in 1976 when at Johannesburg his countryman Gert Bezuidenhout failed to award a penalty try when Bruce Robertson was blatantly obstructed
25 Jul 2012, 20:07 pm
that Bezuidenhout admitted with those words that he cheated; …
25 Jul 2012, 20:09 pm
There is no glory in playing test rugby if you feel cheated by referees. … Gert Bezuidenhout (the referee of the fourth test) is alleged to have declared as much.
25 Jul 2012, 20:11 pm
It took a while Charo but I found it…
“The referee who awarded that penalty [against Bush] came and saw us off from the airport the following day,” Williams remembers. “We had him on about not only that decision but a lot of them he made throughout the tour.
“He said to us, ‘listen boys, you can go to your home, I have to live here’.
25 Jul 2012, 20:22 pm
Gert Bezuidenhout (the referee of the fourth test) is alleged to have declared as much. It is said that he told the All Blacks it was all very well for them to be upset, but he had to live in the country.
What an absolute pathetic excuse for poor refereeing.
The truth was that Craven, John Vorster and both the Afrikaans (Gerhard Viviers) and English speaking commentators immediately indicated that the incident in the fourth test should be a penalty try. South Africa as a nation didn’t want to win with illegal tactics. Gert Bezuidenhout with his remark left a lasting impression that South Africa as a nation was morally flawed and emotionally dependent on winning test matches.
25 Jul 2012, 20:24 pm
Hey Charo it would appear your own commentators didn’t think it was an urban legend but thats ok if you do.
25 Jul 2012, 20:43 pm
So if Bryce was crooked and on the take how would we describe old Gerty?
25 Jul 2012, 21:04 pm
Hey Charo you old urban legend where are you, you must be with your Pomy mates talking about the Chinks, J aps and the *******.
25 Jul 2012, 21:05 pm
***** should read silverbacks
25 Jul 2012, 21:11 pm
Shame on you Gerty, not only did you blatantly cheat but you were also dumb enough to admit it – goodnight.
25 Jul 2012, 21:29 pm
@NZINCHINA-136: Hell NZ you are absolutely right about those cheating refs from SA but you had better sweep that mat in front of your front door mate because there is an awful lot that thte Kiwi refs have to answer for going back before the flour bomb tour a lot of which continues to this day, not to mention the “Fax”.
why can’t we just acknowledge that the biases run so deep in our psyches that both cultures will steep to the lowest of lows in an effort to beat the other – not a healthy state of affairs. By the way we can include the ozzies in this conversation.
About time we learnt to respect each other and fight fairly on the rugby battlefield, whether that leads to defeat or not ( RWCs not excluded)
25 Jul 2012, 21:57 pm
China, save your breath. no doubt there will be a long thread on bryce tomorrow so you can come in guns blazing in the morning. With pdv, smit and lawrence all retired from international rugby there will be no more excuses
25 Jul 2012, 22:00 pm
Noodleboy wound up tight.
We can’t talk about cheats without mentioning POB.
26 Jul 2012, 05:15 am
Neither POB nor Bryce got gold watches from Louis Luyt, did they?
26 Jul 2012, 09:18 am
cruden 10, carter at 12, and nonu at 13?
26 Jul 2012, 10:12 am
Robbie Freuen – time for the AB call
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