Comments on: Carter back in black

By: Te Rangatira

Te Rangatira — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 05:09:06 +0000

@aliboy-77: Nonu has been excellent on this tour.....Once again ends the year as the premier 2nd Five in Rugby....

By: corporal punishment

corporal punishment — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:29:58 +0000

Aliboy, Agree with all of that. Jane scores great tries, he just does it with a different skill set than recent AB wings.

By: aliboy

aliboy — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:26:20 +0000

@corporal punishment-76: Smith is a great defender, but he sets up a lot of tries as well. You only need to look at how many the wings score to realise that the midfield is doing it's attacking effectively. As for Jane, whilst he again defends well, especially covering the back, he is one of the most naturally gifted attacking wings in the game. I agree however that this team lacks some of the out and out genius of some previous teams, but it also seems to be more coherent and structured as a team entity. Like you I wold probably prefer to watch the 1996 or 05/06 teams due to real flashes of brilliance, but this team might become the most successful of them all due to the total teamwork.

By: corporal punishment

corporal punishment — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:30:50 +0000

@blik 55: good comments, and I see where you are coming from. I would rather watch the 1996 or 2005/6 teams play than this one. The current side has certainly played brilliantly at times, but has been quite inconsistent (playing badly in at least 4 games). Partly reflects there isn’t quite as much depth in this team as those other teams.

Also agree the boks and Aussies haven’t been strong this year. This has helped Te all blacks recover from the loss of senior players like kaino, muliaina, thorn, toeava plus richee starting the season well off the pace after recovering from op on his foot.

This AB team also has a number of defensive selections, like smith, Jane, whereas the earlier teams required more attacking sting of their players. Not as good to watch, but more effective in tight games.

By: Nils

Nils — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:18:53 +0000

@gonzo-65: The only player I truly regret leaving for good is Evans. A gem of a player. But he is unlucky to shine in the same time as Carter. It's like an Oscar awards. One year may produce some legends but only one gets the ultimate prize and the rest will never have another crack having bad luck to be in the same year.

By: hashi

hashi — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:09:59 +0000

BTW, congratulations to Habana. Try of the year, and well deserved. How I hated him at the time!

By: whatever

whatever — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:44:58 +0000

@aliboy-68: who is Suzie?

By: aliboy

aliboy — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:43:57 +0000

@aliboy-68: Dan = Damn

By: wnbb

wnbb — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:42:23 +0000

The greatest ten to have played the game.King Carter!

By: mshiniwami

mshiniwami — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 21:33:51 +0000

Everyone seems to think the Boks are on the cusp of greatness due to subpar performances the entire season on the basis od injuries and supposed retirements.And that the AB’s will flounder somehow due to some of the more experienced players maybe be leaving in next 12-18months

WRONG

2/3 years out from RWC 2015 the all blacks have already capped a number of young players which are better or at very least as good as Bok youngsters.

Of the current bunch Woodcock,Mealamu,Smith,Nonu,Weepu won’t make it

AB will make sure Carter,McCaw make it.but even then

1.Ben Franks 2.Hore 3.Owen Franks 4.Romano 5.Whitelock 6.Messam 7.Cane 8.Read 9.Smith 10.Cruden 11.Gear 12.SBW 13.Kahui 14.Jane 15.Dagg

16.Coles 17.Famuiana 18.Retallick 19.A.Savea 20.Kerr-Barlow 21.Barrett 22.B.Smith

1.Beast 2.Bismark 3.Jannie 4.Eben 5.Kruger 6.Louw 7.Burger 8.Vermuelen 9.Pienaar 10.Goosen 11.Habana 12.De Villiers(c) 13.Fourie 14.JP 15.Steyn

16.Strauss 17.Cilliers 18.Bekker 19.Alberts 20.Hougaard 21.Lambie 22.Taute

That AB team would still beat Boks with Meyer in charge

Of young players capped only Etzebeth is better than NZ counterpart

By: Te Rangatira

Te Rangatira — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:13:59 +0000

@wp_boytjie-67: I see your/their point and I feel it is a valid one.If the 2013 Ab team have another stellar season again against an improved Bok side and hopefully a better Wallabies then they can be considered as being on a par with the Great Ab sides of the past....it does take time to create a legacy.

By: aliboy

aliboy — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:59:09 +0000

@Daddy-60: Dan poms have hired Suzie to do the cooking

By: wp_boytjie

wp_boytjie — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:44:05 +0000

@supersader-66: No one is taking anything away from your side , they are simply trying to say that just because you won a World cup at home and 2012 Championship , does not mean the current team is better than the 1996 All Blacks or the 2005/2006 All Blacks who were brilliant sides in their own right. Many of us feel you had a easier year than usual as the Wallabies and Springboks have not been up to the standards you'd expect. No excuses tho , AB's best in the world by a mile

By: supersader

supersader — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:51:16 +0000

Can’t see why this team cant be classified as n great team hell what more must they do??? Don’t see what the saffers argument is here.. Pointless actually

By: gonzo

gonzo — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:48:00 +0000

@Nils-64: A pity the Maori team has already flown home or they could play. Or perhaps NH-based players could have a throw around and probably still win Afoa, de Malmanche, Hayman, ?, ?, Kaino, Nick Wiliams, Masoe, Cowan, Evans, Sivi, MacAlister, Payne, Roks, Mils Not sure who to pick at lock now that Thorn has come home @blik-55: McCaw and Carter getting older could be a problem by 2015 but by then Read and Dagg will be even better, SBW will probably be back, and who knows, maybe Kaino but I'm not relying on that. We'll probably be better placed for half backs than in the last 5-10 years too. Wing has never really been a major problem. Doesn't look like a team in decline to me

By: Nils

Nils — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:29:25 +0000

@Daddy-60: Even that won't save the Poms.

By: DumpsterDiver

DumpsterDiver — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:26:53 +0000

“Aggressive” vomiting even – such pro’s.

By: Nils

Nils — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:23:30 +0000

Good to see him marshalling the troops in the final game of the season and obviously the most difficult one on tour, although Wilkinson is not playing, so BH won’t akcnowledge it as an English full strenght team.

By: NZINCHINA

NZINCHINA — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:36:55 +0000

Blik: Fair comments, the 96′ & 06′ teams were pretty special with some big name players, the perception is that this team doesn’t have as many big names but I disagree Dagg Jane Nonu Smith Carter Read McCaw Woodcock etc are all world class. If this teams goes unbeaten in 2012 it will be a very special achievement.

By: Daddy

Daddy — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:35:15 +0000

In other news, The All Blacks have come down with sickness. Coach Steve Hansen has reported that his entire camp is suffereing from aggressive vomiting and diarrhea.