Mealamu starts in milestone Test
18 Oct 2012
Keven Mealamu will start his 100th Test on Saturday night as the All Blacks name their side to face Australia in Brisbane.
Mealamu joins Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina as just the third man to make a century of appearances for the Blacks, who are in line for their 17th consecutive win.
There is just one other change from the side that beat the Springboks 32-16 in Soweto, with tighthead prop Charlie Faumuina coming in for Owen Franks who moves to the bench.
‘Kevvy is a hugely respected man, not only in the All Blacks and New Zealand rugby but also in his wider community,’ coach Steve Hansen said. ‘He is a key leader in the team and one of the true gentlemen of New Zealand rugby.’
New Zealand — 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Ben Smith.
194 Comments
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18 Oct 2012, 07:29 am
17 straight this weekend, the All Blacks record set in the 60′s will be broken.
18 Oct 2012, 07:31 am
That team is 20 points better than Aus or SA.
18 Oct 2012, 07:34 am
farking kevvy!
18 Oct 2012, 07:37 am
WOW 100 tests and he still can’t throw straight in the line-out!
Never mind Kev, hard grafter and still one of the more likeable AB around.
18 Oct 2012, 07:48 am
Luckily they are not playing at Loftus so Kevin does not have to dodge any bottles chucked at him during his 100th game.
18 Oct 2012, 07:54 am
It feels like he’s been playing forever… !
18 Oct 2012, 08:03 am
@Jeez-6:
100 tests is forever
18 Oct 2012, 08:06 am
congrats Kevvie..
apart from a couple of unsavoury incidents, has always played well in black imho..
18 Oct 2012, 08:11 am
@NZINCHINA-1:
Well lets just hope there isn’t another brain fade by one of the players like the Ducks did in Hong Kong to scupper the AB’s last tilt at the record.
18 Oct 2012, 08:15 am
@Brads-9: please, I’ll have none of that – dissing the bloke who kicked us to the World cup, thats sacrilige.
hes a RWC medal holder, now earning easy money playing in the second division up north…
18 Oct 2012, 08:19 am
Congrats well done Mealamu.
See franks rested, on bench, if it was boks, and Junnie or either (1/3) there would be noo such rests on the bench!
18 Oct 2012, 08:28 am
@poppa69-10:
Yeah, well he has nerve I will give him that.
His life was probably on the line with that kick!
18 Oct 2012, 08:31 am
@Brads-12: if Piri had kicked the kicks in the first half it wouldnt have mattered, as it was he stood up when he needed to.
full credit to him
18 Oct 2012, 08:43 am
Nice to see Shag will be running the cutter in Brisbane.
I have more confidence with him at the helm than Foster.
18 Oct 2012, 08:53 am
@poppa69-13:
Yes, you are correct, Piri should have done more based on his lead in form, but we are talking about Donald here.
Even Henry had no confidence in him mid tournament after Dan was injured. Do you recall his comment when someone asked if Donald was in the frame?
He was clearly the last option with all the other potential candidates being injured.
So yes, good on him for stepping up on that occasion.
18 Oct 2012, 09:09 am
Brads no chance I have some money on them at the TAB 13 and over, forecast for hot weather so a try fest.
18 Oct 2012, 09:14 am
@NZINCHINA-16:
Oh, you having money on the lads makes all the difference….
18 Oct 2012, 09:18 am
Pops, you’ve gotta admit, Donald running on the field in the 30th minute did not inspire confidence! The stadium went quiet in shock, before a few brave souls (me and my mate!) got a cheer going for him…. Just to give him a boost not because we weren’t bricking ourselves!
Re piri, he injured himself in the warm up, hence the poor kicking and slow to the rucks.
Did anyone notice that Vito replaces Thompson on the bench? Vito not hard enough to front the boks, but he’s safe to play against the Aussies.
Ditto franks – we would never have done that against the boks
18 Oct 2012, 09:54 am
@Transformation-3:
Must grate you to see a great team like that.
18 Oct 2012, 10:08 am
The reason the money was placed is because they’re 20 points better.
18 Oct 2012, 10:10 am
@corporal punishment-18: That was a cheer was it? It sounded to me like 60,000 gasps and nervous murmuring
I thought we’d officially forgotten HK. He’s a WC hero. All I remember is Beaver in his crop top, kicking goals, making tackles that more experienced guys missed, and breaking the line. Not to mention helping little old ladies cross the street and saving babies from burning buildings
18 Oct 2012, 10:13 am
Congrats Kevin.
Always one of my faves. A true rugby man. (I know some will disagree and haul out the one or two ‘incidents’ he has been involved in….but then again, every great player has a few of these ‘incidents’ in his timeline)
18 Oct 2012, 10:21 am
Take a bow, Keven. A great competitor, a great career.
18 Oct 2012, 10:37 am
RICHIE McCAW the greatest player of all time, read it on the ROAR
Champion All Blanks flanker and captain Richie McCaw might just be the greatest rugby player in history.
McCaw recently played in his 100th test win. Yes, that’s right – 100th test win. That’s not 100th test appearance, but 100th test win.
To provide the literary equivalent of a pause while readers pondered this would require me to leave at least half a page blank. But of course that’s impractical. But consider this briefly, all the same.
McCaw, quite incredibly, has achieved his 100 test wins out of an overall 112 tests played. That’s a winning ratio percentage (WRP) of a staggering 89.28%. In other words, he has been on the winning side in 9 out of every 10 tests he has played. Nine out of EVERY 10 tests.
To put this in context, the Wallabies won 9 out of 10 tests in 1991 on their way to winning the World Cup. But they haven’t been able to do this consistently year-in and year-out. McCaw has.
There are only 21 players throughout the history of the game who have reached the coveted 100 test appearances, with fellow All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu set to join this august group against the Wallabies in Brisbane this Saturday as the 22nd centurion.
Of these players, the next most wins is by George Gregan with 93 out of 139 tests played (67.62% WRP), followed by Jason Leonard (89 out of 119, 75.63% WRP).
Since McCaw intends to continue playing until the 2015 World Cup, injuries permitting, he is likely to set a record for most winning tests that will stand for a very long time.
Whoever eventually beats his record, if ever, will most definitely be very, very tired! To put McCaw’s WRP in ever-more perspective, the next best WRP among the centurions is Mils Muliana with 84% in an even 100 tests. However, Mealamu’s current WRP is 85.85%.
Of all the players who have appeared in over 50 test matches, only one player has a superior WRP, and only just. That man is yet another All Black – centre Conrad Smith – with 56 wins from 62 tests and a WRP of 90.32%.
If there’s any doubt that NZ is consistently the best rugby team on the planet, then these stats certainly bear that out.
Richie McCaw is no saint and I like that about him. I like my heroes to be flawed diamonds, humans, just like the rest of us.
Even so, McCaw appears to be not only respected by his peers, but liked as well. While it seems he is also revered by the younger generation, as it should be. McCaw is the kind of guy you would like to have as a mate. At least that’s the perception.
McCaw has been given a great back-handed compliment by Aussie rugby fans who have labelled him a serial cheat.
There is a humorous irony in this, as any flanker worth his salt, especially an open-side flanker, must be willing to play on the edge of the law. It comes with the territory. If you’re not willing to play on the edge and occasionally over the edge, then find a less contentious position to play, like er, winger.
Some things are in the DNA of every position. Scrumhalfs yap incessantly, wingers can’t catch, props don’t have necks and flankers cheat. That’s the way it is!
For a long time I was unwilling to concede that McCaw was a superior player to the superbly athletic Michael Jones, but McCaw eventually wore me down, in the same way he wears down opposition flankers, flyhalfs and the referees as well! While I think Jones remains the most perfect rugby athlete I’ve seen, McCaw is probably the best-ever rugby player of all time.
Richard Hugh McCaw was born on the last day of 1980 (which the superstitious claim is a good omen). He came from a family steeped in distinction. His grandfather was a fighter pilot during WW2, credited with shooting down 20 V I missile rockets in the last year of the war. McCaw developed a love of flying from his grandfather and is a qualified pilot.
McCaw made his test debut late in 2001 against Ireland. He was embroiled in controversy early in his career when he wrestled a South African spectator, who had come onto the pitch in Durban to harass Irish ref David McHugh, to the ground in 2002.
As mentioned earlier, McCaw is far from perfect. His captaincy during the World Cup quarter-final against France in 2007 was a low point, when he along with his team mates, appeared to be bereft of ideas and they subsequently lost.
But he has learnt from his mistakes to become a clever and inspirational leader. During the 2011 World Cup tournament, won by the All Blacks, McCaw inspired his team mates and the nation, playing on virtually one leg after suffering a debilitating ankle injury.
I have been following rugby for about 45 years. Richie McCaw is the best open-side flanker I’ve seen in that time, while his phenomenal win-loss record alone suggests he might also be the best player in any position in history.
As for best captain, I will reserve judgement for the time being. But it’s fair to say he’s up there among the best leaders.
18 Oct 2012, 10:46 am
Well done Keven!! A magnificent achievement. Having been a hooker myself, he’s been one of my favourite rugby players of all time !!
18 Oct 2012, 11:40 am
@Black Power-24:
Nice read Mr Power.
18 Oct 2012, 11:56 am
Just to put things in perspective. I still don’t think this is a great AB team. And to think they will get the winning streak record. Not much justice in the world.
Looks at the state of the competition and you can see why.
Australia:
Will Guinea
David Pocock
Horwill
Justin Beiber
Ben Alexander
Adam Ashley Cooper
Quade Cooper
etc…
South Africa:
Bismark du Plesis
JP Pieterson
Schalk Burger
Juan Smith
Johan Goosen
Heinrich Brossouw
Piere Spies
Frans Steyn
Chilli boy
Bijon Basson
Coenie Oostehuisen
etc…
New Zealand:
?
18 Oct 2012, 12:03 pm
while this Ab’s team has not been as good as the results have show they have been miles ahead of the comp.
It is going to get extremely fugly for the the Aussies I foresee a hideous scoreline with the wallabies quite possibly on the receiving end of another whitewash .
18 Oct 2012, 12:05 pm
@blik-27:
Piere Spies……………………………………………..The sidewinder,
really now blik. Even you don’t believe he would make the Boks a better unit …………………………do you. Really.
But you make a point.
18 Oct 2012, 12:11 pm
@Black Power-24:
McCaw is a cheat and always has been. One only needs to look at back to 2009 to gain insight into the hoax that is the IRB and their “coveted” awards ceremony.
The kiwis who run the IRB along with John Eales (the self-confessed Springbok hater), have dishonoured the sport, dishonoured their respective countries and dishonoured themselves.
Just a few reminders of what actually goes on behind the scenes:
- 2009, Richie McCaw injured for the majority of the Super15. The ABs lose all 3 games to the Springboks (home and away). Richie wins no trophies of any kind. But the IRB award him player of the year.
- 2009, Fourie Du Preez wins the Super15, the curry cup, the Trinations, and the Lions tour. Man of the match in multiple games, South African player of the year, man of the tournament in the trinations. IRB does not consider him.
- 2010, Richie McCaw rated as the games biggest cheat by The Daily Telegraph. Stuart Barnes and Will Greenwood comment and agree on this point. IRB selects him as player of the year again.
- Bryce Lawrence – makes an unprecedented 47 errors against the Springboks in the World Cup Quarter final… Wins Referee of the year by NZRU.
- Keith Lawrence – Another Kiwi referee attempts to collude with fellow NZ and AUS referees to “teach the Japies a lesson”… he further writes in his email “We won’t tell Freek what we have decided and make sure (SARU chief executive Rian) Oberholzer doesn’t get involved.”
- NZ rugby – in the time that Paddy O’Brien was in charge – had the highest penalty to yellow card ratio of any rugby nation in world rugby.
Cheating is a national culture in New Zealand and Richie McCaw is a very appropriate captain.
I am The Authority.
18 Oct 2012, 12:26 pm
@blik 27: Kahui, toeava, Ali Williams, Colin slade and kaino are all out with imjury (the need for a shoulder reconstruction was what convinced kaino to take a break from the AB’s. There are probably a few more too (eg like peranara who could well have been brought in with Barrett) but those are headline players currently out.
During the world cup, when the streak started, we had serious injuries to read, carter, and cruden (plus slide, obviously). Plus richie played the tournament with 3 fractures in his foot….. Other injuries too, but the above were to key players.
This season carter was out for half the games, as was Conrad smith. Then we lost sonny bill to Japan.
I agree we haven’t had the injury toll that the Aussies have had, but we’ve had to contend with the loss of key players at crucial times in order to run up this streak. It is an amazing feat given how many times we have played the second and third best teams in the world over the period.
Credit where credit is due please.
18 Oct 2012, 12:26 pm
@the authority-30:
“The kiwis who run the IRB along with John Eales …………………..”.
We (NZ), have one (1) vote, like everybody else. SA, Aus, Ire, Scooti, Asia. etc…..
Well sometimes 2 votes actually, but WTF.
You Saffas never really have come to grips with Democracy ………………………..have you…………………………..really now.
18 Oct 2012, 12:30 pm
@the authority-30:
hahahahahahaha
its because youre South Africans the authority
the world has seen you guys cheat for the first 80 odd years of international rugby..
but continue with your whine, it sure is fun to see..
nothing like a sour neanderthal dragging his already worn down knuckles along the ground
18 Oct 2012, 12:35 pm
Pops, turning to more positive topics, what do you think the score will be on Saturday? The Aussies will come out fighting, but their confidence and morale must be down.
18 Oct 2012, 12:37 pm
@cane-32:
> “You Saffas never really have come to grips with Democracy ………………………..have you…………………………..really now.”
South Africa is a democracy…. Plus, your history with the Maori people is not exactly littered with gold dust either son.
@poppa69-33:
> “the world has seen you guys cheat for the first 80 odd years of international rugby..”
Incorrect. Cheating is your game and for 80 years of international rugby, The Springboks were the games dominant team. New Zealand then took the opportunity to use referees as cheats as soon as the game went professional. Hence why you have had the highest penalty to yellow card ratio of any team in world rugby.
South Africans are Neanderthals?? Really?….. Smacks of racism that comment. Maybe us saffas should beg Keo to ban you… Oh wait, that’s your game – Begging the ref for help.
B1tch.
I am The Authority.
18 Oct 2012, 12:38 pm
One kiwi with one vote – Charlie Dempsey. Ah, the will of the people.
18 Oct 2012, 12:38 pm
@the authority-30: .
2009 EOTY tour, wasnt FDP replaced cos he played like a twat?
I am sure he meesed up the last few games.
Ok we cheat, you guys suck at sport….move on
18 Oct 2012, 12:39 pm
@corporal punishment-31:
Kahui – yes a loss, would he have made the team ahead of Nonu/SBW/Smith or on the wing?
toeava – no loss, not international quality, I though he was overseas anyway
Ali Williams – no loss, not international quality anymore
Colin slade – DC and Aaron Curden are ahead of him
kaino – overseas based player
So it is only really Kahui, who is a class act but is unlucky with injuries. If you want to include overseas based players, I think SA could almost select a stonger overseas based team than th current Boks, with the likes of Jaque Fourie, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, Fourie du Preez, Joe van Niekiek, Guthro Steenkamp, etc.
18 Oct 2012, 12:41 pm
@Black Power-24:
Yep, Richie is the greatest player ever.
18 Oct 2012, 12:44 pm
@stormer in a teacup-36:
Charlie didn’t vote, he abstained.
And only after consulting ALL other FIFA Oceania Federation Member Nations, the night before.
18 Oct 2012, 12:44 pm
@blik-27:
Why have you players that were not injured and were not picked?
Brussow was not picked to play for the Boks, why include him?
18 Oct 2012, 12:45 pm
@stormer in a teacup 36: Dempsey was a stain on nz sport with that vote. I’m ashamed of what he did.
You have to wonder why FIFA allows individuals representing their countries personally decide how to vote. The decision of the national football association should be binding on the representatives like Dempsey (did you know he contravened the directive of the nzfa to vote for south Africa?). Otherwise the system is wide open for corruption.
Incidentally, nz soccer got bitten by a similar rogue official for one of the pacific countries recently. The decision was not remotely of the importance of what Dempsey was voting on. But it was just another example of a broken system.
18 Oct 2012, 12:48 pm
@Hurricane-41: He was injured and played one or games for the cheetahs during the Championship competition on his comback and got injured again.
HM had Duan Veermelen injured for the first few games and Johan Goosen too. But he even said he can’t select Brossuw because of his injuries. He has been injured almost all season.
You say players (plural). Who else?
18 Oct 2012, 12:51 pm
@Hurricane-39:
One hundred TEST WINS.
Says it all really………………………………………………….doesn’t it.
18 Oct 2012, 12:54 pm
Oh sht, I’ve ended up in the play area of keo. I was looking for the toilets.
18 Oct 2012, 12:54 pm
@ blik 38: well, Juan smith and burger aren’t going to pull on springbok jerseys again, they certainly won’t be a shadow of their past selves if they do. Spies, bassoon, connie, chilli not of international quality. Actually, I would say Bismarck is the o ly real loss from your team.
Kaino would have stayed in nz but for his shoulder injury. The overseaslayers you mention are a veritable dads army of has beens or never weres (eg roussow). Eg I’ll see your steenkamp and raise you Carl haymen. I’ll see your bakkies and raise you brad thorn. I’ll see your fourie dp and raise you nick Evans (a 10 not a 9, but just as influential as fdp). I’ll see any other player you care to mention, and raise you sonny bill.
It’s pretty simple – all sides struggle with injuries and departures. The all blacks have more depth than other countries. So it hasn’t affected us as much as others.
Real simple.
18 Oct 2012, 12:55 pm
@blik-43:
Spies???
There is where you list fails.
He is the joke of international rugby.
But anyway we understand that all teams have injuries, i am sure we had them in 2009, a few out but thems the breaks. Cant say NZ are not that good when we smacked Ireland 60-0 . They beat Ozzie last year.
18 Oct 2012, 12:56 pm
@katman-45:
Tell Gunther to move over….dont you two share now?
18 Oct 2012, 12:56 pm
@corporal punishment-42:
” Dempsey was a stain on nz sport…………………………..”
Charlie was anything but a stain.
18 Oct 2012, 12:58 pm
@cane-44:
Does. No one has ever done it.Probably no one ever well
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