ABs sweat over back-up boys
14 Nov 2012
All Blacks duo Tamati Ellison and Ben Smith might miss the rest of their team’s end-of-year tour because of injury.
Both players started in the midfield in New Zealand’s 51-22 win over Scotland last weekend. Ellison suffered ligament damage in his foot, while Smith has picked up a fractured cheekbone.
They are ruled out of the Test against Italy in Rome this Saturday, which should see first-choice centre pair Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu reinstated.
It is still being assessed whether Ellison and Smith will be able to provide cover for the rest of the tour.
10 Comments
14 Nov 2012, 08:21 am
Back up player injuries not really a concern dragons.
Don’t know how NZ will cope with them against Italy? I mean damn, that sucks
for them. (SARCASM)
14 Nov 2012, 09:22 am
Hansen needs to call in some back up now.
The business end of the tour was always going to be the matches against Wales and England so the last thing NZ wont is to go into those matches with a bench player who has been called up at the last week.
Both Ellison and Ben Smith will be sidelined for at least two weeks so cut them loose now and get new cover for Conrad and Nonu for the last two matches.
Good grief, either or even both of those guys could get injured as well this weekend, where would that leave Hansen?
14 Nov 2012, 09:54 am
Why is the AB’s even playing Italy? Does that even make sense? It’s just a
massacre waiting to happen.
Only team that might show some potence in the NH is England, Wales just got
bested at home by the RC wooden spooners.
14 Nov 2012, 09:56 am
@goodstuff-3:
The RC wooden spooners for all intents and purposes beat the Springboks in Mendoza.
We were lucky to salvage a tie.
14 Nov 2012, 10:03 am
@goodstuff-3:
Of course it does.
Money. Italy will be a nice earner.
14 Nov 2012, 10:08 am
@Brads-5:
Besides which, I suspect there is a contract between the RC teams and the 6 Nations where each country play one another home and away on a set roster.
That roster will be within the 3 week NH international window.
Hence the reason NZ gouged the Poms for appearance money to play them the week after the Welsh fixture.
14 Nov 2012, 10:36 am
@Brads-5: Guess your right.
14 Nov 2012, 12:28 pm
@goodstuff-3: uhh you mean ahem cough cough FRANCE surely?
14 Nov 2012, 18:47 pm
@goodstuff-3: I believe they were too scared to play France. Two easy teams up front to get some practice in a post-RWC year, followed by Wales so Hansen could visit old friends then England for the sake of cash. Simple
14 Nov 2012, 20:17 pm
I think not playing France this NH tour may be more about the fact that the AB’s play France in a 3 match series next year whilst the Lions are in Aus. Therefore it builds the anticiapation for that series more by not playing them this time.
PS France might not of wished such a hard match this time as well with world cup ranking points on the table. Aus thrashed them in 2010, and Pumas and AB’s both have good records against them at home. Smart play. Same goes for the Boks no wanting to venture too much on their NH tour either, gives them a better chance of finishing #2. Wallabies tor schedule being the toughest looks like it might cost them a lot.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.