Hansen recalls AB stars
22 Nov 2012
Captain Richie McCaw and flyhalf Dan Carter will start in a full strength All Blacks line-up this Saturday in Cardiff.
McCaw resumes the captaincy and Carter displaces Aaron Cruden in the all-important pivot position. Coach Steve Hansen has also reinstated key players like fullback Israel Dagg, the centre combination of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, hooker Andrew Hore, and prop Owen Franks for this clash against Wales.
Liam Messam is retained at blindside flank as Adam Thomson has not been considered. The IRB is currently appealing the ruling that saw Thomson suspended for just one match. The feeling is that Thomson deserved harsher punishment for a stamping offence in the All Blacks’ tour match against Scotland.
Wing Julian Savea will start his third straight Test on this tour. Savea is the only New Zealand player to start in all three matches.
All Blacks – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Dan 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 Dane Coles, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Brodie Retallick, 20 Victor Vito, 21 Piri Weepu, 22 Aaron Cruden, 23 Ben Smith.
84 Comments
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
22 Nov 2012, 09:26 am
dragons gonna get whipped!
22 Nov 2012, 10:24 am
LOL if these guys are NZ’s STARS … then NZ rugby is in BIG trouble!!!
22 Nov 2012, 10:28 am
@suffer_guy-2:
Heres me thinking that Grant 100 was the biggest idiot…..
22 Nov 2012, 10:32 am
@Te Rangatira-3:
SUFFER GUY keeps asking himself when the Bokke will go 20 straight tests undefeated, must be tough knowing the chances are about zero of that ever happening, but he knows this.
22 Nov 2012, 10:55 am
Great side.
Only difficulty is deciding by how far they will win.
22 Nov 2012, 12:52 pm
@suffer_guy-2: Which current Boks would make the AB starting XV? Any from positions 6-15?
22 Nov 2012, 12:54 pm
I was only 2 points out with the ABs margin last week but I struggle with this one…oh well…lets go for a margin of 25-27 points.
22 Nov 2012, 12:57 pm
@BrumbiesBoy-7:
Was 1 point out myself last week, also thinking close to your score, 29 maybe?
22 Nov 2012, 12:58 pm
@gonzo-6: Possibly De Jongh at 13, but otherwise I cant imagine there are any they would swap.
@suffer_guy-2: Be honest – its a good team. But they are scared of Wales thats why they have called them all back
22 Nov 2012, 13:03 pm
Why on earth would this All Black team be scared of Wales?
22 Nov 2012, 13:10 pm
@gonzo-6:
JP would probably be the
22 Nov 2012, 13:13 pm
@gonzo-6:
JP would probably be the only player in my opinion. Possibly alberts, he’s a better player/more dynamic than HM’s game plan allows him to be.
22 Nov 2012, 14:19 pm
To be honest I think the AB’s would turn Marcell Coetzee into a super star at blind side or 8 and a on form Hougard would be big contender for Smith if he was an AB also JPP is a full on starter.
But yes, suffer_guy is an idiot with that comment.
22 Nov 2012, 14:53 pm
@gonzo-6:
JPP would be the only one.
22 Nov 2012, 14:56 pm
@Te Rangatira-3: HHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH
you weren’t far off the mark…
suffer_guy is grant100
true story!
22 Nov 2012, 15:00 pm
@gonzo-6: etzebeth over romano any day…
i know what u said…
22 Nov 2012, 16:06 pm
@Transformation-16: yeah, i had to cover my *** as I know we’d end up in a debate about the tight five, which wasn’t really my plan. Just a stupid response to the original stupid post
@bokfan1-9: JdJ, no way
Everyone saying JPP, perhaps we could squeeze him for a game or two. But I’m happy enough with Jane and Savea as he develops
22 Nov 2012, 16:11 pm
@gonzo-17:
What?
You don’t want Kircner?
Can’t be.
22 Nov 2012, 16:29 pm
@gonzo-6:
Beast / Gurthro
Bismarck
Etzebeth
F.Louw
Pienaar / Hougaard
Habana
F.Steyn
J.Fourie
JPP
22 Nov 2012, 16:31 pm
In fact, any of 6, maybe 7 SA scrumhalves would start over A.Smith or Weepu.
22 Nov 2012, 16:41 pm
@willievz-19: I agree with that assessment. And the only contentious issue is Fourie, as he isn’t in the Bok squad at the moment. The Kiwis will bleat about Louw, Steyn and possibly the wings. But then again they bleat about most things.
22 Nov 2012, 16:47 pm
@katman-21: We have the players to beat them.
Where we lack – considerably so – are structures, administration and coaching.
22 Nov 2012, 16:55 pm
@willievz-22: I think our game is governed by fear rather than by daring, and that’s the big difference. In the same situation where a Kiwi will risk the offload or the long pass, our guys will normally weigh up the risk and chicken out, take the contact, recycle slow ball again and run into the same defense again. If our attacking game had the same confidence as theirs, we’d be unstoppable. But we’re coached to fear the mistakes instead of trying the bold.
22 Nov 2012, 16:58 pm
@willievz-19: Pienaar, Steenkamp, Louw, Fourie are based offshore and wouldn’t be picked otherwise we’d have plenty more the choose from. Habana, Steyn and Bismark are injured. Beast was poached and that’s not our style
So that leaves Hougaard, who can’t get a start at the Boks and JPP who I’ve agreed can have a crack and Etzebeth who will get a start
22 Nov 2012, 17:04 pm
@gonzo-24: Since you posed the original question, I don’t know why I should remind you. But anyway, here it is:
“Which current Boks would make the AB starting XV?”
That only rules J Fourie out. So the answer is 8 out of 15.
22 Nov 2012, 17:50 pm
@katman-25: An injured player wouldn’t make the starting XV would he? Neither would a Europe-based player but seeing as they would all be disqualified by being non-NZers, I’ll relax that condition
But Steyn simply wouldn’t make it ahead of Nonu/SBW/Dagg. Louw? Where, at blindside? Ruan “Keep it in the Ruck” Pienaar, sorry, not fast enough.
Habana if fit would be stuck in line with plenty of other wingers but he’s a possibility.
22 Nov 2012, 19:03 pm
@willievz and katman: what are you guys smoking? Your grannys panties…. So jpp is beter than jane and savea?? What a joke… At least I had a good laugh thanx guys
22 Nov 2012, 19:11 pm
@willievz: aaron smith is n legend in the making. And while only in his 1st year with ab’s still beat any 9 from sa anyday… Thanx for another good laugh
22 Nov 2012, 19:22 pm
@suffer guy: why would say nz is in trouble with these stars??? Or are you n granny panty smoker to…
22 Nov 2012, 19:26 pm
@supersader-28: He would not be the starting 9 at any SA franchise.
22 Nov 2012, 20:01 pm
@willievz: that’s your opinion.. Sa 9′s is way to slow but then again you don’t want quick ball to flyhalves cause they’re useless. Why don’t sa put forward players in the backline cause they use the backline players as dummy runners anyways..
22 Nov 2012, 20:16 pm
@NZINCHINA-4: I feel sorry for you.
You couldn’t get the most consecutive victories badge. Now you need to term it “undefeated” tests.
How many tests have you won in a row now? Two?
I thought your winning streak would not have ended at like, what, forty?
22 Nov 2012, 21:16 pm
@willievz-30:
Willie.
Your #9 position is part of the problem, i dont think SA have any good #9 players, yet we have about 3 that seem to be AB quality.
F Steyn??? lol where the heck would he go?
Not fullback, not in the centers….prop maybe.
Suppose HM for coach as well?
@willievz-32:
You guys dont have the most consecutive victories badge either…..so whats your point?
Why feel sorry for us?
We have a great team, you have a ……. well lets not go on about that.
So funny when a supporter from another country bags our wins when they themselves are struggling to beat teams that are 8 places below them on the table. Wake up Willie.
22 Nov 2012, 21:22 pm
@Hurricane-33: I agree, our 9s are traffic marshalls, and at the heart of our backline inefficiencies.
However, they can be very quick distributors.
At the moment, they play under instruction.
22 Nov 2012, 21:28 pm
@supersader-27: You better believe it. If both Habana and JPP are fit, no AB wing will get a look-in. And that’s a fact.
22 Nov 2012, 21:30 pm
@supersader-28: No where near a legend yet.
22 Nov 2012, 21:32 pm
@katman-35:
. But i have seen both bok wingers play dreadfully.
What fact??
Jane is all over those two. Have you seen him play a bad game….nope, believe me i watch him more than yourself, if you didnt know i am a Hurricane fan
This is what makes the ABs, consistency, not the one great game and quiet or rubbish the next.
22 Nov 2012, 21:35 pm
@katman-36:
he did say legend in the making, but we shall all see.
#9 in SA are weak. Willie thinks its game style/ instructed and he may have a point. But kicking and passing does not change no matter what you are instructed to do.
22 Nov 2012, 21:42 pm
@Hurricane-38: He’s got to do a shedload more to even be considered good. Can’t believe you guys are waxing lyrical about him.
Oh yes, now I remember why. The other option is Piri Weepu.
22 Nov 2012, 21:43 pm
@willievz-34:
‘At the moment, they play under instruction.” All players are given certain instructions, depends who the instructor is. The guy who says ” they are an extension of myself on the field” or the one who says you have to read the situation and look for the best option.
22 Nov 2012, 21:44 pm
@Hurricane-37: Jane finishes well and that’s it. He’s always on the end of a good move and runs them in. But he doesn’t have the moments of individual brilliance that Habana or Petersen have. I’m sorry, but they’ll both have Jane for breakfast. And that’s another fact.
22 Nov 2012, 21:47 pm
@katman-39:
For sure, Smith needs to step up… he has been up n down this season but it is his first.
Piri is not the only option. He is there as we couldnt take 3 new halfbacks. You need the ole fella in there to pass on the knowledge and help. That is why Piri is there. Mind you he had a storming game against Scotland.
We have other halfbacks
22 Nov 2012, 21:53 pm
@katman-41:
Jane is a superior player and winger than any of those two, has them for breakfast…lunch and tea ….actually nullifies the Bok game plan.
22 Nov 2012, 22:04 pm
@Te Rangatira-43: No, if you go back and read my post you’ll see, right at the end, that it’s a fact. And you can’t argue with facts. Sorry.
22 Nov 2012, 22:10 pm
@willievz, the 9 position is a real problem area for the boks at the moment,. pienaar is slow and robotic, hougard is an inaccurate passer and had a poor tactical grasp of the 9 position. fdp is eell past it, and is only relevant to an out of date game plan. oh – and he is playing in japan!
There are no SA scrummies that I can think of tht would get anywhere near the all black set up anyway, because SA scrummies play a very different style of game to ours. In NZ, 95% of the scrummies role is to give quick ball to the no10, and to leave the tactical decision making to the no10. Whereas you 9′s tend to be the primary play makers, particulalry around your kick an chase game.
I fully accept that Aaron smith wouldn’t get near a Bok jersey because he is purely a (lightening fast) distributor, doesn’t have a kicking game and is not at all physical. But he is the no1 half back in the AB set up because he is the perfect 9 for our high tempo game – he is phenomenal in that regard.
I think the record of our respective teams this year tells us who has got it right….
22 Nov 2012, 22:12 pm
@katman-44:
haha……good one….. a bit like that ” I am the authority” dude .
22 Nov 2012, 22:13 pm
@katman-41:
Each to there own.
22 Nov 2012, 22:14 pm
@Te Rangatira-43:
Jane would make my all world team easy Best wing in the world
22 Nov 2012, 22:17 pm
Regarding which of the current boks would make the AB team, certainly not 8 players as willievz suggests. It might be 8 in the squad of 30. But I don’t thin forwards like jdp, beast, Alberts, Coetzee would last long in the al black set up, they aren’t skilful enough or fast enough to play the high tempo game the abs play. It would be different if we played a set piece territory oriented 10 man game, but we don’t and the results support our approach.
Homages and pienaar would get nowhere near an AB jersey.fdp and Fourie are overseas, so not eligible (and I doubt fdp would get a look in, wrong type of scrummie). Habana and JPp, habana and frans might get the odd game, but I doubt they would establish themselves as regulars (habana would have 5 years ago).
22 Nov 2012, 22:18 pm
I wonder how many tries JPP and Habana would score if they could play with this AB backline…
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.