Carter to front Pumas
27 Sep 2012
All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter will make his return from injury against Argentina this Saturday in La Plata.
Carter has not played since New Zealand beat Australia in Auckland last month, and according to Fairfax Media the All Blacks flyhalf has not been completely cleared of a calf strain.
Carter will face another fitness test on Friday to determine his availability for Saturday’s game. The All Blacks management is optimistic, but if Carter fails to come through this test, Aaron Cruden will start at No 10 with Beauden Barrett providing flyhalf cover from the bench.
If Carter is cleared, New Zealand will field a new halfback combination. Aaron Smith was benched for the All Blacks’ last game against the Springboks for disciplinary reasons. Smith has been reinstated for this match in Argentina.
Openside flank Sam Cane has been added to the match 22 for the first time in the Rugby Championship.
All Blacks – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Brodie Retallick, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Ben Smith.
18 Comments
27 Sep 2012, 13:03 pm
Settled Dragons…
27 Sep 2012, 13:29 pm
Very Strong Team.
Hanson showing a lot respect to the Argy’s.
27 Sep 2012, 14:13 pm
20 Piri Weepu
It’s confirmed – he’s the greatest ever leader of the Haka
27 Sep 2012, 14:54 pm
@viewer-3: … also the fattest ever.
27 Sep 2012, 15:04 pm
Still don’t think it is a very good AB team. No doubt the best team on the planet at the moment, but everyone elase is poor. The standard of world rugby is pretty low atthe moment, doesn’t help that Aus & SA has so many injuries.
To think this team is eyeing the record for consecutive wins would make father better teams in the past a bit uncomfortable.
27 Sep 2012, 19:16 pm
@blik-5: indeed, the Lithuanians will be aghast that their world record is under threat from this ragtag assemblage of mediocrity
28 Sep 2012, 00:48 am
@Big Hit-6:
Says the supporter of a team that only has a 20.06% win ratio over the 100 years against the ABs.
All you need to do is look in your own back yard for mediocre…..fool
28 Sep 2012, 01:03 am
@Hurricane-7: I am no comedian, but it looks to me like Big Hit was simply trying to crack a joke about the whole matter. Unfortunately your sense of humor deserted you for a split second.
28 Sep 2012, 01:17 am
@Big Hit-6: Yes, strange things happen. Like Japanese Ohata beating Campese try scoring record and do not expect anyone to beat that in the near future.
Good on neighbors Lithuanians though.
28 Sep 2012, 01:58 am
@Hurricane-7: its been almost a decade, so forgive the poor man… was like the Boks ten year lack of a win in NZ, and we all seen how the arrogance sky rocketed after the dunedin win…
besides, the fact he is claiming Lithuania as holding the record shows just how desperate he is for the NH to have any sort of respect in rugby..
surely the record should be set at the highest level of the game, not a tier or two below it?
Would have preferred Meamlamu to start along with Retallick, not sold on Romano as a ball carrier, think Retallicks extra size would have been a plus against a physical Argies pack… Hore is the perfect super sub, but is not as effective imo when a starter these days..
Woodcock better make up for what was one of his worst performances ever against the Boks… want a much better showing from the tight five this weekend..
ABs by 10
28 Sep 2012, 02:16 am
@kwas-8:
Kwas, Yeah, mine was about as much of a joke as Big hits post.
Dont be fooled by Big Hit.
28 Sep 2012, 02:19 am
@poppa69-10:
Yeah, we been here a long time. BH does not joke about the ABs.
Fact is ABs are unbeaten this year, have beaten the Ozzies twice with a 20-0 zipping, this Ozzie team beat the #1 NH team 3 times this year.
Maybe he was joking?
28 Sep 2012, 04:19 am
That’s a first team selection.
Argentina should feel proud of this AB selection, because NZ is fielding its best. T
Last time in Aregentina (June, 2006) the ABs sent a B team out onto Velez Sarsfield.
28 Sep 2012, 04:35 am
@oob-13:
Correct.
ABs are not taking this Argie team lightly at all.
Great to see really. These tournaments are going to make Argentina a force to be reckoned within the next RWC especially 2019.
28 Sep 2012, 05:07 am
@Big Hit-6: so you call them a ragtag team of mediocrity – pray what do you assign to the Boks? at least the AB’;s dont build themselves up like SA does, man you guys are good at that. The AB’s can only get better and better whereas SA will continue their slide into oblivion and history.
28 Sep 2012, 09:58 am
@JohnPierre-15:
Come on JP.
You are being overly precious.
The comment by BH was a probe to raise your hackles, but just as much it was never intended to be taken seriously.
It was a beautiful piece of bait, honestly, it was beautiful.
28 Sep 2012, 10:04 am
@Hurricane-14: And good thing too. They deserve to get some recognition after all these years. I hope we see more of their players in the S15 in years to come.
29 Sep 2012, 02:56 am
Diferent realities, diferent worlds.
NZ is coming here with only one thing in mind: WIN.
We are here and we are trying to know how play without super rugby.
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