Tri Nations
 

All Blacks squad for Tri-Nations: Forwards: John Afoa (Auckland), Anthony Boric (North Harbour), Tom Donnelly (Otago), Corey Flynn (Canterbury), Ben Franks (Tasman), Owen Franks (Canterbury), Jerome Kaino (Auckland), Richie McCaw (capt - Canterbury), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Liam Messam (Waikato), Kieran Read (Canterbury), Brad Thorn (Canterbury), Victor Vito (Wellington), Sam Whitelock (Canterbury), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour). Backs: Daniel Carter (Canterbury), Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Aaron Cruden (Manawatu), Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay), Cory Jane (Wellington), Richard Kahui (Waikato), Mils Muliaina (Waikato), Ma'a Nonu (Wellington), Rene Ranger (Northland), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland), Conrad Smith (Wellington), Benson Stanley (Auckland), Piri Weepu (Wellington).

Really happy with a few of these choices but wtf! Where is Gear? McAlister? Even though Joe Rok had a good game last week good to see he missed the cut, he just hasn't worked hard enough.

Good to see Jane, Kahui in there, interesting to see Dagg and Cruden in.

Lastest, GO MILS!

Err, Death, have you read what you cut and pasted re: Joe Rokocoko?

true

even though I'm no fan of McAlister, I thought his performance at 12 for the NZM was outstanding.

And seriously, Rokocoko > Gear???? WTF are you on, Ted?

Head - Wall

Now I'm even more upset :(

Agreed.

Must be more and more tempting for Gear to cut his losses and go make some proper money overseas.

I think if they give Stanley some more game time I think he could become the preferred no.12. He's a distributor with a low error rate which I think is exactly what you need to slot in with Carter and Smith.
I do like Nonu and he's gone from strength but I think having someone like Smith, Ranger or Kahui who can break the line will be best suited with Stanley as support.

Nonu can't break the line?

He can, he's an awesome line breaker. I just believe that the role is best suited for a distributor. Especially with the talent we've got at no.13

That's actually what i think is the problem with Nonu, he busts the line then never passes ><
..or just coughs it up

heaps of blacks do that

Why the hell does Rokocoko keep making the Abs.

They should have chucked Sonny Bill on the bench :D

I think he mows Graham Henrys lawns every week, or he has naked pics of Henry stashed away.

Very disappointing to see Gear and McAlistair miss out. I love Kahui but he doesn't really deserve to be in there anymore than Gear deserved his first All Black call up based on Air NZ Cup form piggy backing of devastating Wellington form.

McAlistair is our back up kicker answer therefore Piri in my opinion should not be making the cut. Mathewson should be the other half back.

McAlistair is versatile enough to play 10, 12 and 13 so you're mad to leave him out.

With Gear it's hard luck really, there are just too many players lining up for a spot on the wing, Guildford has missed out completely and he's really done nothing wrong either.

You could argue Gear is in better form than Rokocoko but Rox has vast experience at Test level and at Tri Nations level and you'd have to pick him over Gear for that even if he's slightly underperforming in comparison.

I also love the prospect of Rene Ranger but he hasn't earned his stripes yet and I strongly believe Gear should in the squad at his expense.

Given the World Cup is next year and how Rokocoko is nowhere near his prime, they're stupid not to put Gear in his place. Who cares if we lose the Tri-Nations this year? Fuck it, lets get our team sorted for the World Cup.

Match 22's named this afternoon *rubs hands*

Starting XV:

1. Tony Woodcock (63)
2. Keven Mealamu (74)
3. Owen Franks (12)
4. Brad Thorn (40)
5. Tom Donnelly (7)
6. Jerome Kaino (27)
7. Richie McCaw – captain (83)
8. Kieran Read (19)
9. Jimmy Cowan (36)
10. Daniel Carter (69)
11. Josevata Rokocoko (62)
12. Ma’a Nonu (46)
13. Conrad Smith (35)
14. Cory Jane (15)
15. Mils Muliaina (83)


Reserves:

16. Corey Flynn (7)
17. Ben Franks (2)
18. Samuel Whitelock (3)
19. Liam Messam (3)
20. Piri Weepu (37)
21. Aaron Cruden (3)
22. Richard Kahui (10)

SOUTH AFRICA: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie; 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp. Reserves: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Danie Rossouw, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Gio Aplon

While there were no big surprises with the AB's naming of experience over youth, the South African selections have an aire of arrogance if you ask me.

De Villiers on the wing instead of 2nd Five Eighth is a very odd selection. Just because Olivier had a great Super 14, this is the big time, not sure if he's the right choice. Kirchner instead of F.Steyn is CLEARLY the wrong choice too, I think he's mixed and matched this team a little too much and it could spell their doom.

Reckon it's going to be close? My initial thoughts are the AB's are going to get beaten again. Just not sure by how much.

I think our scrum and line out is going to take an absolute spanking but we'll win it at the breakdown providing Nonu and Rockocoko down isolate themselves.

Good game.

Best first 40mins eva~!

Dear All Blacks: Please play like that until the end of 2011.

Quoted for lols.

But seriously, great performance by the AB's. We seen some dirty tactics from the SA's which just showed their frustration.

You're kidding, right?

That deliberate headbutt on Cowan was dirtier than CCS's browser history.

genious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO12nItzYdw

To be fair, Cowan did hold him back and should have been penalised. But to headbutt someone in the back of the head is fucking dirty.

agreed on both points.....
he was lucky not to be spotted by one of the refs and red-carded

Mills was on fire and how wrong was I. Work rate across the whole team was good. On par with the 1st game. Although Roko has to go. Gear would have done more.

I thought Roko had a fine game, sure he didn't score a try but his work rate was good and his interplay with nonu was great.

What did Botha end up getting sent off for? I couldn't quite make it out...

I don't know if that's in response to me or what... he was sent off for a professional foul, I just didn't see what it was.

GG bakkies - have a seat for 9 weeks.
Great game last night, really took me by surprise given how the earlier tests had been. I dunno about Gear, i tend to agree he doesn't have the alround game. Mils was awesome great to see him back.
Botha got binned for a professional foul afaik - diving in & sealing off the ball ? Surprised he got binned that early on tbh.

Ball was about 1m from their line, we'd been getting fast recycles, he was on his knees when he entered the ruck, ref warned him, he continued to kill it, gone.

Not sure what. It was a professional foul right in front of the try line, so it could have been something about slowing it down/doing something illegal in the ruck to stop momentum

True. Lawls!

Anyone see him on One news? He was asked why he keeps doing that sort of thing (regards the head butt) and he said it was because he keeps getting provoked on the field. The interviewer clarified it - you feel that you were provoked by cowan holding on to you? - "yeap."

Durrrr! Durrrr! Derp!

awesome game by the boys. some blinders by mills, donnolly, reid, mealamu. it's good to see smith look more and more like a legit world class centre. his defence is top notch.

these player ratings however are quite dismil - http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/...ws/2526220.htm
have nfi why they would rate them so low but meh.

Lol checkout the name of the guy doing the rating " Jan de Koning " maybe that has something to do with it :P. Some of the other comments make him sound even more like a whinging safa.
Sif give Brad Thorne a 5 out of 10 he had an awesome game, probably the only rating there i agree with his is 9 for Read.
Wtf at his rating of the SA team - he gave one of their forwards an 8 !
Also i was wondering why Smit was back at hooker, didn't realise Du Plessis was recovering from surgery. Wonder if they will persist with Smit at prop when he comes back, i reckon Januarie will get dropped as well.

Astute comments from myself, picked it like a dirty nose. :P Made a tidy sum from my All Blacks 13+ bet.