All Blacks field second stringers
9 Nov 2012
The All Blacks have made 10 changes to their starting line-up for their Test against Scotland on Saturday.
Head coach Steve Hansen has given his fringe players a run for the clash at Murrayfield.
This includes a new centre partnership with Tamati Ellison and Ben Smith in the midfield. Wing Julian Savea takes over from Hosea Gear, while Piri Weepu wears the No 9 jersey in place of the rested Aaron Smith. Scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow is set to make his debut off the bench.
Victor Vito and Adam Thomson create a new-look loose trio with skipper Richie McCaw. Lock Luke Romano combines with Sam Whitelock in the second row. There’s also a new front row with props Owen Franks and Wyatt Crockett, and hooker Andrew Hore selected.
All Blacks – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Ben Smith, 12 Tamati Ellison, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Subs: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Tony Woodcock, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Ali Williams, 20 Sam Cane, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Ma’a Nonu.
50 Comments
9 Nov 2012, 12:06 pm
Scotland have everything to play for:
These dragons will be fired up.
9 Nov 2012, 12:28 pm
Scots to run ‘em close… but McCaw to cheat them to victory.
9 Nov 2012, 12:47 pm
Indeed, still way to go for the Scots to earn Kapa O Pango. It may be fairly close game by their standards (loss by less than 20).
9 Nov 2012, 12:55 pm
@Nils-3:
The Ultimate Battlers of World Rugby …………………………..Scotland.
Have been trying for 107 yrs.
Their day must surely come……………………………………….. AND SOON.
9 Nov 2012, 12:58 pm
Still not a bad team. We should win comfortably unless it rains and we get into a dog fight. And it probably will rain. Hope we find our rhythm early one.
Looks like Same Cane, Coles, and Barrett could get a start vs Italy the week after. Not sure if we’ll risk starting Barrett and Kerr Barlow together though and Aaron Smith will need some extended game time. Looks like he’ll have to wait in line behind Piri
9 Nov 2012, 13:56 pm
Surprised McCheat is not rested. Probably next week.
9 Nov 2012, 14:01 pm
Has anyone read: Richie McCaw The Open Side?
9 Nov 2012, 14:23 pm
Great depth
9 Nov 2012, 14:26 pm
I love the contrast between Keo’s “ABs field second stringers” and the BBC’s “NZ select Carter and McCaw”
@blik-7: I read a few pages and it actually looks quite well written. I doubt there will be any juicy secrets besides his backing of Henry over Deans but should be a good read. Now that you mention it, I might order it now.
9 Nov 2012, 14:56 pm
@gonzo-9:
McCaw at 31 has 112 caps. Needs another 27 to reach George Gregan. He will probably play until the 2015 RWC I guess and will then be 34. So if he stays fit, he has a chance of having the most test caps.
139 George Gregan
126 Brian O’Driscoll
126 Ronan O’Gara
119 Jason Leonard
118 Fabien Pelous
112 Richie McCaw
111 Philippe Sella
111 John Smit
110 Stephen Jones
110 Victor Matfield
110 Nathan Sharpe
110 George Smith
9 Nov 2012, 14:59 pm
What an insult to the Scots.
9 Nov 2012, 15:34 pm
@cane-4: Yes and no.
It will come one day but it won’t be soon, unless Blacks pick ITM level side versus them. Current Scotland is no different than all other their recent teams – impotent scoring tries vs big boys, reliable boot of Patterson is gone and we are yet to see them toppling even smaller biggies – do not mention Australia in June, they were exausted and crappy per se.
So no, I can’t see them winning any time soon, not even too close.
9 Nov 2012, 17:32 pm
@willievz-11: Fully agree. What a rubbish team. The Blacks should rather stay at home if they want to field teams like this one during Year End tours and insult the opposition.
They are going to be smashed by the Scots.
9 Nov 2012, 17:46 pm
McCaw and Carter are picked therefore it is not a B side.
Those 2 (for very different reasons) have been the reason for many ABs victories over the years, when the rest of the team has not been very special
9 Nov 2012, 17:51 pm
@Finfan-13:
Hehe, since they couldn’t snatch up the title of “most consecutive test victories”, this EOYT has just become a nuisance for the players
I, of course, will be supporting the Scots on the weekend, but they will in all probability still lose.
9 Nov 2012, 18:49 pm
@willievz-15:Unfortunately in the days of the endless rugby season, it’s necessary to rest some players and blood others against lesser opposition. I don’t recall the Scots complaining about the Boks or Wallabies fielding second stringers when they last met and beat both.
10 Nov 2012, 07:15 am
Willie your winning streak is currently zero, should I add a he he after that?
10 Nov 2012, 07:39 am
@NZINCHINA-17: Morning friend
Not wanting to ruin your day……but the AB’s are also currently on a zero wins streak. You can thank the pesky Aussies for that.
10 Nov 2012, 08:16 am
So, it’s actually only an untried center pairing playing today.
The All Blacks still going to beat the Scots by 30+.
The Boks on the other hand will probably only be able to save face with a draw next week if the play Taute in the midfield again.
The All Blacks to extend the unbeaten run.
10 Nov 2012, 08:17 am
@lepel-2:
And another SA poster cries all the way home.
@willievz-11:
Why?
Are the boks going to field there full strength team in every game?
10 Nov 2012, 08:34 am
Wonder if mccaw played for the bokdrolle would they still label him as mccheat?? Just a thought…. Don’t hate the player hate the game
10 Nov 2012, 08:40 am
2nd stringers become 1 stringers by getting gametime and that’s common sense…. Building depth is what make ab’s the best team in rugby… Ever heard of player management?? Nuff said
10 Nov 2012, 08:51 am
to save face with a draw next week if the play = to save face with a draw next week if THEY play
The All Blacks to extend the unbeaten run. = The All Blacks to extend THEIR unbeaten run.
Too early in the morning after a late night.
10 Nov 2012, 09:39 am
Heyneke Meyer wishes he could take on Scotland next week with his 2nd stringers. But he can’t. Because the pressure is on him now to win every test on this EOYT.
Meanwhile, he’s got his hands full against a weakened Irish side today.
10 Nov 2012, 09:39 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-18:
But according to Bakkies draws do not count…its like a no game.
Well thats what he said when trying to justify HMs stats of wins.
10 Nov 2012, 09:55 am
@cane-4:
Caner…….you are a kind man
“Their day must surely come……………………………………….. AND SOON”
Alas the Scots will continue their tradition of second place getters v Abs…..only when they can resurrect their Greats of yesteryear,,,,,Finlay Calder, Gavin and Scott,Andy Irvine,Johnny Rutherford,David Sole,John Jeffrey etc then their day must surely come.
10 Nov 2012, 09:55 am
hehe. got to love the jealousy of bok fans. the ABs haven’t lost an EOYT game up north since 2002 if memories correct
when did the bokke last lose an EOYT game? anyone?
10 Nov 2012, 10:09 am
@poppa69-27:
Not last year.
10 Nov 2012, 10:10 am
Poppa the Boks have a truly shocking EOYT record. NINE losses since 2002 including 2 to the Scots.
That’s 9 test losses, which doesn’t even include the club sides they have lost to on their EOYTs, there have been a few of those too.
I all that time ABs have lost ZIP ZERO NIL EOYT games.
10 Nov 2012, 10:21 am
I think this is still a good AB side. very interested to see the centre combo and how they perform.
10 Nov 2012, 10:58 am
@poppa69-30:
Yeah a good mix in that side. The centre combo of Tamati and Ben Smith is an interesting one which definitely has skill with the ball and speed in Smith.
See our picks from the start of the International season starting to roll in ….Dane Coles and Kerr Barlow. One player I would like to see stamp some authority on the game is Luke Romano….needs to carry the ball with a slightly lower stance and stop tacklers getting underneath him and lifting. All in all a good side.
10 Nov 2012, 11:08 am
@Hurricane-25: Bakkies and his opinions are about as reliable as my 1st car
10 Nov 2012, 11:09 am
@nama1-28:
lol
10 Nov 2012, 11:09 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-32:
lol
I take it was not a porsche?
10 Nov 2012, 11:09 am
@poppa69-30: I think this is an exciting looking AB team…..definitely expecting to see something different from them.
They should smash the Scots.
10 Nov 2012, 11:12 am
@Hurricane-34: I take it was not a porsche?
Let’s take the word ‘Porsche’. We keep the “P” and the “O”. We lose the “R”. We keep the “S” and ditch the “c”, “h” and “e”.
Leaving us with a “POS”. Piece of sh y te
VW Golf…….80′s styling.
10 Nov 2012, 11:12 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-32:
HI Pedigree…..can you tell me how draws are factored in to the win/loss equation?
10 Nov 2012, 11:22 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-36:
lol, nice.
10 Nov 2012, 11:23 am
@Te Rangatira-37: Howdy. Hope all is good in your neck of the universe. Stunning day in Cape Town, yet some of us have to sit in front of a laptop waiting for ‘correspondence from afar’. Helluva miserable about it as well
I’m not sure actually. It seems there are (on this site at least) conflicting opinions
I’m guessing someone on here would have the correct answer. I hope someone sees your question and does answer it. I’m also curious.
(Let me tell you who doesn’t have the correct answer: Bakkies
10 Nov 2012, 11:26 am
@Hurricane-38: It got me from A to B at the time
It also left me stranded between E and F pretty regularly. Loved that POS though. Her name was “Berry”. A 1st car invokes the same memories as a 1st love.
10 Nov 2012, 11:28 am
@Delki-29: It’s 11.
2002 – France, Scotland, England
2004 – Ireland, England
2005 – France
2006 – Ireland, England
2009 – France, Ireland
2010 – Scotland
10 Nov 2012, 11:30 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-39:
@Te Rangatira-37:
HM’s record as it stands right now is:
Played 9
Won 4 = win ratio of 44.4%
Draws 2
Losses 3 = loss ratio of 33.3%
The draws are not taken into account. So in a way, they would diminish his win ratio. A draw in any event is like kissing your sister. So it might as well be a loss.
So if you look at the previous 2 Bok coaches who had win ratios in the mid-60′s, their loss ratios would be on a par with Heyneke as it stands right now.
10 Nov 2012, 11:34 am
@I am a stormer-42: Thank you. So the draw is a nothing, but it drags you down quite badly in the win ratio % dept.
Must be honest, there’s always been a part of me that hopes for a ‘kick off’ whenever an international ends in a draw.
It’s such a ‘meaningless’ result: “D”.
10 Nov 2012, 11:41 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-39:
Its coming up to 10.30 pm here going to mosey up to a party down the road, will refrain from jumping on the pc later on….as for my mate Houston, he means well in an unwell kinda way……nah hes all good….sometimes….
@I am a stormer-42:
Thankyou Stormer……..I think a wee bit of creative accounting should take place and the two draws should be factored in as 11.15% either way…thus
55.55% win ratio and 44.45% loss…..that sounds better..
10 Nov 2012, 11:42 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-43:
Anytime. Just hope that win ratio develops an upward curve. Today would be nice.
10 Nov 2012, 11:47 am
Oh well….time to make tracks……Go hard all teams in Black……Good luck to the Bokke …..not including the Meyer
10 Nov 2012, 11:55 am
@Te Rangatira-46: Enjoy
@I am a stormer-45: ***if I knew how to do a praying smiley, I would do it***
10 Nov 2012, 12:06 pm
O flower of Scotland!!
10 Nov 2012, 13:15 pm
Looking at this line up I’m starting to get nervous about the future. Conrad Smith is already 31 and Nonu is 30, Tamati Ellison is 29. I don’t think we can carry them to the next world cup. Not to mention that now that Nonu has moved, Tamati and Treeby will never get a start in that position. And Kahui is always broken, it’s a miracle he made it to the RWC.
I’m almost certain SBW will be back. He’s an egotistical glory boy and I love him for it. One year in the NRL and a RLWC and he’ll be ready for the big time again. So inside centre is fine.
Outside centre, I just don’t know if Ben Smith is the right option. We have a bad history of converting outside backs into centres, with Umaga as the exception. I get the feeling Hansen is trying to turn him into a super sub.
Fruean gets criticised for his conditioning, which isn’t surprising considering his heart issues. Ranger is a machine but blows hot and cold. Seems to me Saili needs to step up his game and we need to get Jared Payne and SBW back stat.
Am I missing anyone else?
10 Nov 2012, 15:13 pm
Lol. 556 caps and 267 on the bench and that’s the second stringers?
Scotland are on a hiding to nothing as usual.
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