World Cup 30 Man Squad Prediction
 

Assuming there are no injuries preventing anyone from playing, this is my 30 man squad for the World Cup


PROPS
BEN FRANKS
TONY WOODCOCK
JOHN AFOA
JAMIE MACKINTOSH

HOOKERS
MEALAMU
HORE
FLYNN

LOCKS
ALI WILLIAMS
BRAD THORN
SAM WHITELOCK
ANTHONY BORIC

LOOSIES
RICHIE MCCAW
JEROME KAINO
ADAM THOMSON
LIAM MESSAM
MATT TODD

HALFBACKS
JIMMY COWAN
PIRI WEEPU
ANDY ELLIS

FLYHALVES
DANIEL CARTER
AARON CRUDEN

CENTRES
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS
MA'A NONU
CONRAD SMITH

WINGS
HOSEA GEAR
SITIVINI SIVIVATU
RENE RANGER

FULLBACKS
ISAIA TOEAVA
MILS MULIAINA
ISRAEL DAGG

UNLUCKY ONES:
MCALISTER - Too many first fives and Ranger/Toeava could cover 12 at a pinch if required. His goal kicking ability is not required. Dagg is the 2nd best kicker in this squad and if him and Carter are unavailable then Cruden should be fine (80% for Hurricanes in 2011).
JOE ROCKS - Too one dimensional, not enough X factor
JANE - Ranger and Toeava are explosive wingers who can easily slot in the midfield if required. Also, he's not required as a back up Fullback with Dagg and Toeava in the squad.
BRAID - No Super Rugby game time even if he does impress in ITM Cup
ELLIOT - All Black coaches have a hard on for Flynn but Elliott will get the call up when Flynn breaks his arm for the 9th time.
MATTHEWSON - Love him but Ellis has been too good for him this year. I hate Ellis but I can't deny his talent.

Injury Toll FTL - Ranger out Guildford In .

I wouldn't take Flynn, he's a china doll, but would put Crockett in the mix.

Ranger will be fit in time and my list is based on if they're fit in time as I said at the top of my post. I forgot to mention Guildford as a nearly man too. But he's further down the pecking order, if one of the other Wingers/Fullbacks were unavailable Jane would be my next choice and Guildford AFTER him.

If Joe gets in to the squad I'm going to start experimenting with self harm techniques...I cant fucking stand him.

Nice squad, I think Guilford and Crockett are my 2 inclusions in that otherwise great squad.

Fuck I'm out of touch, so many names I don't recognise.

er what? what ellis have you been watching
is it the fantasy ellis that justin marshall is always gushing about?


ellis is fucking terrible

Really? I'd be looking to make a voodoo myself.

ftfy

Good list.

IMO the only changes I would suggest are Kieran Read over Messam, Cory Jane or Guildford over Ranger - whatever good work he does typically gets undone fairly quickly by stupid mistakes.

I'm gonna call it. Stephen Donald will be in the squad. He's shit, but I think Cruden is worse.

Also, No Kieran Read? surely you forgot to put him in?

What the FUCK. How did my carefully planned list not have Kieran Read?!!!

AXE TODD
READ IN

Sorry! :P

I'd be interested to know when anyone says a diff player should be in there at whose expense they should be in there if you could please?

xor: I would not be surprised at all either if Stephen Donald made it either. I think Cruden deserves a shot over him but at the same time most of you probably know, I wouldn't object to Donald being in there. I love him even though I know he's not good enough at Test level :P

Also you'll prob notice I haven't mentioned Slade. I just don't think he's going to get enough game time and didn't establish himself enough before his jaw injury. Real bad luck for him :(

I pretty much agree although im going for more low risk ...

Franks over Afoa - Way better scrummager and defender

Reid over Todd - I don't know how he dident make your original Lineup? I was no fan of his till last year, he was a fucking machine on the EOY tour. Todd is good but not for this year.

Jane over Ranger - Ranger is way to hit or miss, Jane has not been in great form of late (playing for an awful team to be fair) but has been outstanding over the the last couple of years and can kick and is rock solid under the high ball.

Matthewson over Ellis - Ellis is crap and had the luxury of playing behind the dominate pack all year. Mattewson poses more questions of the defense and offers something different to Ellis who is just a poor mans cowan IMHO.

I was worried they would take donald, until their game vs the reds in which he reminded us all just how truly awful he is ... ENJOY BATH!

Umm yeah as I said already, honest mistake, meant to include Read :P

I like your justifications. You're right about Jane under the high ball but he's only in there for me as a 'back up' to the other players. I suppose when Ranger plays though he will be targeted a bit because everyone else on the field will be safe under the high ball but others players could call it so he doesn't have to. I just think Jane is a like for like replacement with Dagg except Dagg is better and can kick goals.

I'm not sold on Corey Flynn.He reminds me of that guy who plays for the Reds and the Wallabies - Fiangia (sp?) too erratic under pressure and does lots of crap throw ins.

I'm not sold on him either but the coaches have a hard on for him. Personally I think Rutledge deserves to be in there and hopefully he or Hika will get the nod when Corey Flynn inevitably breaks his arm for the 97th time.

QFT

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news...ectid=10733754

Best news evah! Bye Donald!

Yeah I was quietly hoping Flynn would develope in the Fitzy Mould when he first started playing but hmm I don't think that will happen now.

Yeah he used to be, you actually seen him play this year, I'd be interested to know which part is terrible. His box kicking has been awesome, putting backs under pressure with our backs rushing to arrive their just in time, he's been recycling quick, his pass has been good and he's even slotted a 45m drop goal. Better than Mathewson this year.

To be fair Id look good playing behind that crusaders pack.

Ellis is just distributes he does not provide the physical presence that cowan or weepu has nor does he do anything better than them. That's where I think matthewson makes most sense as he at least has a different skill set and only genia would have more line breaks them him from half back this season.

QFT

I dunno, Sarel Pretorios isn't half bad

Lachie Munro - how about that guy? Munro over Ranger any day I say. As far as RWC stakes go it would probably be safer to go with experience but it would be great if he ended up getting a run during the Tri Nations.

He's never put on the black jersey, so I wouldn't pick him for RWC squad.

I assume no one is being held back for the Tri Nations. Might be a good way to sort out some of those tight positions.

Lineouts have been a massive weakness for the All Blacks for as long as I can remember. WHY?

Because of Brad Thorn. Like I've always said, He's an extended flanker, not a lock.

Every team needs an enforcer lock though, Botha for Boks (when he's not banned)

Hmm that doesn't account for why we have crap hookers.If they don't have a bit of natural ability and good coaching by the time they get to club level they aren't going to be much chop when they move up the representative ladder.

This is true. But yet that wasn't the question being asked :)

Yeah man how hard can it be to find the best person in NZ at throwing straight into the right spot in a line out? :P

But that's just it.Most of them are crap.

My picks

PROPS
BEN FRANKS
TONY WOODCOCK
OWEN FRANKS
WYATT CROCKET

HOOKERS
MEALAMU
HORE
FLYNN

LOCKS
ALI WILLIAMS
BRAD THORN
SAM WHITELOCK
ANTHONY BORIC

LOOSIES
RICHIE MCCAW
JEROME KAINO
ADAM THOMSON
LIAM MESSAM
MATT TODD

HALFBACKS
JIMMY COWAN
PIRI WEEPU
ANDY ELLIS

FLYHALVES
DANIEL CARTER
COLIN SLADE

CENTRES
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS
MA'A NONU
CONRAD SMITH
LUKE MCALISTAR

BACK 3
ZAC GUILDFORD
SITIVINI SIVIVATU
ISAIA TOEAVA
MILS MULIAINA
CORY JANE

Poor Kieran Read - overlooked again :/

Ugh fail by me, drop Todd for Reid. I kinda copied and pasted and made my adjustments.

my XV list
 

1. Tony Woodcock
2. Keven Mealamu
3. Owen Franks
4. Brad Thorn
5. Ali Williams
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Richie McCaw
8. Kieran Read
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Dan Carter
11. Sivivatu Sitiveni
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Cory Jane
15. Mils muliaina

Reserves

1. Andrew Hore
2. Piri Weepu
3. Sonny Bill Williams
4. Isaia Toeava
5. Anthony Boric
6. Ben Franks

No Isreal Dagg Xor?

I like Dagg but I don't think it's better to play guys that have a few more tests against their name, being RWC year and all.

Shit I didn't even pick the reserves properly. How many can you have on the field? Because I didn't put any backup loosies in there o_O. I'd throw in Thomson as reserve flanker.

22 in a match team.

badassmofo, sorry pal, that's 31, gotta chop a player :P Whose it gonna be? Jane or McAlister? :D

Nonu should never wear an All Black jumper again.