Carter out, Cruden starts
6 Sep 2012
All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter has been withdrawn from the side to face Argentina at the weekend.
Carter was initially named to start but has succumbed to a calf strain. Aaron Cruden takes his place, with Beauden Barrett covering on the bench.
Julian Savea has finally been given another start for the Blacks. The Canes winger, who scored a hat-trick against Ireland on debut, has not featured since the second Test. He is one of five changes to the run-on XV for Saturday’s Test.
Victor Vito also gets a start ahead of Liam Messam, but coach Steve Hansen has resisted resting captain Richie McCaw. McCaw starts but in all probability will only play 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, Argentina coach Santiago Phelan has finalised his team for Saturday’s clash. The Pumas had named their starting side on Tuesday, and on Thursday confirmed their bench.
The last time the two teams met was in last year’s World Cup quarter-final. The All Blacks won 33-10.
All Blacks – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Victor Vito, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Liam Messam, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Beauden Barrett, 22 Ben Smith.
Argentina – 15 Martin Rodriguez, 14 Gonzalo Camacho, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Santiago Fernandez, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Juan Martin Hernandez, 9 Nicolas Vergallo, 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (c), 7 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 6 Julio Farias Cabello, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Manuel Carizza, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Eusebio Guinazu, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Subs: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 19 Leonardo Senatore, 20 Thomas Leonardi, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
59 Comments
6 Sep 2012, 00:59 am
Boom! Yes please! “Die bus is vol” dragon.
6 Sep 2012, 01:09 am
I think the ABs will take this one, for the Argies sake, I hope its not a massacre ! ABs by 25..
6 Sep 2012, 02:31 am
I’m getting better. Team exactly as I picked it. Makes a change from Bokke fans who want every man and his dog in their team whether they injured or available or not.
6 Sep 2012, 03:31 am
Hansen seems to be making the right calls at the moment with the changes he has rung. Smith for Sbw and Woodcock for Crockett are no brainers. The elevation of Retallick off the bench to partner Romano would see two bulkier ball carriers and ruck cleaners to help stiffen up the breakdown area where Argentina had some success against the Abs in the Wc 1/4 final.Charlie Faumuina taking Ben Franks spot on the bench will give the Ab coaches an insight into whether he can scrummage at this level against top class opponents and try and refine his running/physical game. As for Savea he is the future and the greater work at test level he is exposed to the better, yet he needs to be shielded somewhat, so the Ab coaches will need to bring him on in a calculated fashion and this game is the right time to give him a gallop.
6 Sep 2012, 03:40 am
@Te Rangatira-4:
Forgot about Vito, needs a run to blow out the cobwebs and also tells Messam that his spot isn’t.
6 Sep 2012, 03:40 am
@Te Rangatira-5:
safe.
6 Sep 2012, 04:11 am
@Te Rangatira-4: You got it all sussed Bro. However. Carters out now. Cruden takes his place with Beauden Barrett on the bench so I still havent selected a 22 exactly right.
6 Sep 2012, 04:16 am
Great. Cruden needs a run.
6 Sep 2012, 04:32 am
Good to see Savea back
Happy with the locks since I believe Romano and Retallick are our best combo
ditto Nonu and Smith
The ABs lack of accuracy is starting to remind me of the old helter skelter Chiefs that Foster won nothing with
I better be mistaken
6 Sep 2012, 04:42 am
@rewa hard-7:
You got closer to it than me, gonna be a good game this weekend.
6 Sep 2012, 05:02 am
@rewa hard-7: you don’t need Carter. Hell you can leave Richie at home and send Kevvie to do headbut demos and still nail the Argies by at least 30. This All Black team is simply untouchable.
6 Sep 2012, 06:10 am
@kwas-11: We need to do it by 50 for the hardcore to be satisfied. However a 1 point win vs The Bokke will do me. This squad will do OK this year but they gonna have to start pensioning off the oldies pretty soon.
6 Sep 2012, 06:51 am
Silly stuff Kwas when that kind of talk starts you usually start losing!
6 Sep 2012, 07:13 am
@Te Rangatira-5: i don’t think messam’s worried about his spot…he was in top form against the wallabies plus the bloke can do with a rest after taking the chiefs to the summit.
6 Sep 2012, 07:24 am
@Transformation-14:
Messam has played pretty good for sure, but don’t think he has nailed the Ab blindside spot down.
6 Sep 2012, 07:39 am
@Te Rangatira-15:
I reckon he has. He’s been one of the better All Blacks so far this year. His workrate is very high attack and defense and Hansen has said so himself.
6 Sep 2012, 08:38 am
If there is 1 admiring prospect from a saffa fan to a allback team… It is the fact that no matter what team the allblacks sents out they’ll always come out top(with distinction!!!!!!!)
But lately I’d got very fond of cruden’s playing style and I do believe his running game is great…
We saffas need to earn 1 thing from the aussies and blacks… And it is the fact that there is capable players to fill in/replace the veterans/experience guys in a team…
6 Sep 2012, 08:55 am
Dangerous Dragon Cruden black will want to try free as much quick ball as possible and try prevent Arg keeping it a close encounter….
It also seems current and last blacks coach have no provincial bias problems..
Heyneke has so much history / Baggage with the Bulls it will always be a challenge for him but he needs to really step up and cut off things with the Bulls and not let it curtain his potential with the Boks.
6 Sep 2012, 09:10 am
Still not happy with the centre combo – when is Kahui back ????
6 Sep 2012, 09:16 am
@stew-19: That kid is quality!
6 Sep 2012, 09:20 am
@Skeppie-20: Yes he has it all to become a great AB ….. Would have also liked to have seen the likes of Rene Ranger in this game but i suppose they have to let Nonu and Smith get some synergy before the Bok game
6 Sep 2012, 09:23 am
Carter is getting injured more and more these days. Probably will start to happen with a body that has played that much top level rugby.
Not a big loss, Cruden is a top class fh.
6 Sep 2012, 09:24 am
@xtremebull-17: Good post. Agree.
6 Sep 2012, 09:27 am
@Maori_Fulla-16:
Mate don’t get me wrong, I punted for Messam to take the No6 spot,but I still think he has to put in a few more consistent performances to nail that spot, thats all and I hope he does.
6 Sep 2012, 09:27 am
@Maori_Fulla-16:
Yeah def been one of the better Abs. After years of promising so much he’s finally delivering in the black jersey.
You’d have to think he has that no 6 jersey nailed down now.
Perhaps a bit of player management going on considering he played semis and finals of the S15 as well as both games against the Wallabies.
6 Sep 2012, 09:33 am
@Puma-22: There is player management in effect here .. Carter and even McCaw should be playing less but i think it will be hard to stop the Ultimate Warrior Sir Richie from not doning the Black .
6 Sep 2012, 09:36 am
Retallick before Whitelock? That’s why the AB’s are progressive and the rest languish behind trying to play catchup.
6 Sep 2012, 09:39 am
@stew-19:
What is wrong with Nonu and Smith combo?/
Proven many times to be very good, in fact one of the best combos.
Reasons as to why Kahui spent time in the ABs on the wing.
Kahui is a huge sicknote, gets tackled and a limb falls off.
I understand he is a good player but he needs to sort out those injuries.
6 Sep 2012, 09:40 am
@stew-21: Ranger has got some serious talent but mentally I think he can also be a liability. Kahui can be groomed into a fantastic 13, I just wonder if Conrad Smith could ever play 12? He is defensivley sound but I am not sure if he would operate as well in less space. If he could that would be a really good centre combo for the AB’s.
6 Sep 2012, 09:48 am
@Hurricane-28: I really think we have a weakness at 12 ( not much ) but i see Nonu more of a 13 than 12 … maybe i have SBW withdraw syndrome but loved the fact that we had a great distributor at 12 again …. Hope that Nonu / Smith prove me wrong.
6 Sep 2012, 09:50 am
@stew-21:
Hi Stew…..interesting that you wold like to see Rainger in the Ab mix, I’m trying to work out where he actually ranks in the Ab winger poll. At the end of the day he can be a devastating player on his day, but sad to say he is too prone to error for the top level at the moment. Once he puts together another consistent s15 season, probably next year when the Blues lift the trophy he may get a sniff of an Ab jersey.
6 Sep 2012, 09:52 am
@Skeppie-29: I would love for Ranger to be groomed by W Smith – not only is he good on attack but hell he loves to put the big hits in .
6 Sep 2012, 09:55 am
@stew-30:
hehe….Sbw withdrawl syndrome…. Greatstuff…..Nonu and Smith will do just fine, don’t you worry.
6 Sep 2012, 10:00 am
@Te Rangatira-31: Where would you say his best position is ?
6 Sep 2012, 10:01 am
@stew-34:
Centre I think..
6 Sep 2012, 10:11 am
@Te Rangatira-35:
He was shown up by Tamati Ellison in the Otago v Northland game however.
6 Sep 2012, 10:56 am
@pompies2-27: yeah, like Etzebeth at 5 and Roux at four for your Stormers instead of softcocks like Kockie Steenkamp…
6 Sep 2012, 11:20 am
Underetimate the Pumas at your own perrel All Blacks.
6 Sep 2012, 11:47 am
@goodstuff underestimate spelling at yours
6 Sep 2012, 12:27 pm
@Transformation-37: Agree on the principle, but i’ve no affiliation to any franchise. I’m a resident of slaapstad, but that doesn’t make me a fan. I comment on most of the stormers threads, only because i know alot about rugby in the republic of the western cape.
6 Sep 2012, 13:31 pm
@Te Rangatira-36: And also by Jason Emery in the Northland v Manawatu game. NZ U20 centre ran through him. Bright prospect.
6 Sep 2012, 13:39 pm
This team is heavy on rookies – Savea, Smith, Romano, Retalick, Faumuina, Barrett, some guys that have been on the fringe like Vito and B Smith, and a guy i hope won’t get on the field (Weepu). They can take Argentina but I hope Hansen injects some more experience when we head to Africa or we could be in for a shock a la vs France 2009 when we had a very green team. Fingers crossed Dan’s injury is minor
@stew-32: Let’s see if Henry can fix him a bit next year. A fantastic player every second week and would tear things up in Europe but not AB material right now unfortunately. He might improve if the Blues do, otherwise he’d be crazy not to take the cash in Europe
6 Sep 2012, 13:43 pm
@goodstuff-38: Is the “perrel” the town next to the N1, close to Wellington?
6 Sep 2012, 14:12 pm
@go104realz-39: Yup, sorry, you obviously never mistyped in your life? Chop!
6 Sep 2012, 14:14 pm
@TooMuchRugby-43: Nope its the one next to your shack, bloody hell, every one’s a langauge teacher today.
6 Sep 2012, 14:43 pm
@goodstuff Not when I’m handing out an ominous warning. You really want to get those right, for people to take you seriously.
6 Sep 2012, 14:46 pm
@goodstuff And don’t worry the spelling takes away from your message, which is a good thing for you
6 Sep 2012, 15:52 pm
@Te Rangatira-15:
Messam still plays too loose for a blindside and regularly runs lines where he gets isolated. He’s Taine Randell II – talented all round player, not powerful enough for 8, not gritty enough for 6, not quick or clever enough for 7. Edges Thompson as the loosie riding the pine but not good enough to start regularly when specialists are available. Vito still has more potential at 6, just needs to find his inner mongrel.
6 Sep 2012, 16:00 pm
@The Donkeys Egg-48:
“Too loose for a blindside”?
Is there any forward that’s suppose to be looser than the blindside?
Then it’s a redundant statement. Just saying “too loose” would be enough.
Or am I missingthe point?
6 Sep 2012, 16:05 pm
@TooMuchRugby-49:
blindside would be the tightest of the 3 loose-fwd positions as opposed to the openside having a greater license to roam.
It’s not rock science.
7 Sep 2012, 06:24 am
@super_adi-41: jason emery romped against the likes of samoa in the JWC but got found out by the baby boks…
might have to switch though as his dimensions don’t scream big lad at all.
7 Sep 2012, 07:03 am
@Transformation-51:
Can’t see him making Ab status….. due to his size……probably Maori Ab/ S15 at best.
7 Sep 2012, 07:59 am
This is a bloody good team!
7 Sep 2012, 09:35 am
Transie,Te Rangatira
Emery has similar dimensions to Ellison…..could put on weight in years to come
7 Sep 2012, 09:40 am
@mshiniwami-54: what 1.79m 86kg?
7 Sep 2012, 10:13 am
Hansen is doing a great, GREAT, job so far in his management of transferring the ownership of the team from Henry to himself.
The AB’s are attempting to play at a level way beyond the expansive limits Henry was comfortable with.
That said, satisfactory execution has only been around the 75% mark so far in the RC. That needs to improve.
7 Sep 2012, 10:23 am
@Brads-56: yep, 30 handling errors are not on!
7 Sep 2012, 10:45 am
@Transformation-57:
IF it ever happens that the 2012+ AB’s get their collective act together, we will see some records this current vintage of opposition will pray is broken.
7 Sep 2012, 10:55 am
@Brads-58:
By that I mean the AB’s always front at full strength, while the opposition worrying about some issue unrelated to the immediate challenge.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.