ABs mix it up
22 Jun 2010
Graham Henry has made seven changes to his starting line-up for the All Blacks’ second Test against Wales this Saturday.
Injuries to fullback Israel Dagg (concussion) and lock Anthony Boric (broken cheekbone) see Mils Muliaina and Tom Donnelly feature in the starting line-up.
Outside centre Conrad Smith’s eye injury also promotes Richard Kahui from the bench into the No 13 jersey while wing Zac Guildford, who was dropped from the team last weekend, will start in Hamilton in place of Joe Rokocoko.
In the pack, blindside flank Jerome Kaino is selected ahead of Victor Vito and props Neemia Tialata and Tony Woodcock come in for the Franks brothers, Owen and Ben. Owen still finds a place on the wood.
On the bench, Rene Ranger is set to make his All Blacks debut.
New Zealand – 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Reid, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Rene Ranger.
20 Comments
22 Jun 2010, 07:43 am
Easy win coming up for the A4Y dragons.
22 Jun 2010, 08:48 am
Would be nice to see Ranger get a run. Ab’s are putting together a nice team.
22 Jun 2010, 08:55 am
rene was devastating for the nz barbarians against the maori! Classy player!
22 Jun 2010, 09:01 am
Piri Weepu is the ultimate utility player. He covers 9/10 and 3.
22 Jun 2010, 10:25 am
@Oubaas2009(Oubaas2009)-4:
The WC seems to have brought about your mildly humourous side. What ever happened to Mr Bitter’n'Twisted ?
22 Jun 2010, 12:49 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-5: Yip Panties, life is a party here in SA at the moment. Even crass, bitter, twisted, sour, dry and utterly humourless chaps like me are having fun!
22 Jun 2010, 13:50 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-5:
This seems very close to the AB XV side that will start Tri-Nations.
-this is starting frontrow
-Starting lock pairing
-starting backrow
-starting halfbacks
22 Jun 2010, 14:52 pm
Rene Ranger. Not sure he will ever be a world-class starter, but with a little work on his discipline and consistency, he’d be the ultimate super-sub.
Able to play 13 and 14, and the ability to tear a game wide open like none I’ve ever seen.
23 Jun 2010, 00:23 am
“Sonny Bill Williams’ hunt for an All Blacks jersey will begin from Canterbury, a report said this morning.
The Sydney Morning Herald said the player will sign with Canterbury in the national provincial championship which begins on July 30 and for the Crusaders in next year’s Super 15 competition.
Hawke’s Bay, North Harbour and Counties-Manukau had also made lucrative pitches at Williams.
The paper said Williams, a former National Rugby League player, spurned those offers because he believed playing alongside the likes of Dan Carter and Richie McCaw at provincial and Super rugby level was the best path to representing New Zealand who will host next year’s World Cup.
Williams, who left French club Toulon to sign with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) has the option of returning European competition after the World Cup.
Canterbury are the reigning national provincial champions and was the best performed New Zealand franchise in this year’s Super 14, finishing fourth.
Williams’ first match for Canterbury is likely to be the season opener against Hawke’s Bay on July 30.”.
23 Jun 2010, 00:32 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-9: no comment BP? these snippets are no fun without your outspoken views
23 Jun 2010, 00:55 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-10:
High praise indeed from the Grand Poobah himself.
23 Jun 2010, 00:56 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-10:
ps – Im already on record
‘Leaguies – dont want em, dont need em’
23 Jun 2010, 00:59 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-12: wasn’t Umaga a leaguie?
23 Jun 2010, 01:03 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-13:
Tana always played both codes, usually backing up on the same day. He made his name initially in bashball, but his transition to Union was smooth considering his background.
Money Bill is a ‘Leaguie’ in that he has only played RL all his life, no Union. Hence not to be trusted within 2-3 years of learning the trade, that is if we’re talking Test level.
Billy Whiz is the only successful transition that springs to mind of the players that have had no previous grounding in Union but ended up mastering it. Even you cant say A.Farrell was, it was a travesty in slo mo to watch.
23 Jun 2010, 01:10 am
Keos latest Tweet:-
“Henry makes 7 changes. In 8 years he has never selected same run on xv in successive matches. In 8 years he still can’t decide his best 15″
Must this continued stalking go unpunished ?! Someone needs to talk to these people, its getting downright embarrassing.
Hey Keo, its fine when your team suffers ZERO injuries like the Boks did throughout 2009′s BIL and TriN was completed. But when you lose 5 locks, for eg, let alone your 2 best players/Capt, then it gets a bit trickier to select them when theyre on crutches. Continued bad luck enforced them to select 3 debutants vs Ireland and another 3 on the bench only last week.
But thanks ever so much for the context.
23 Jun 2010, 01:12 am
ranger is proof that to get inside running on a test cap you need a criminal conviction in nz. convictions aside, he might be a great attacking talent, much like nonu used to be, but will he be able to hold the line defensively at test level and will he be as successful with less time and space.
probably will at first. c’mon henry select him for WC already and praise him as your next work in progress like Toeavo.
reckon ABs are team to beat this 3N. Boks are almost destined to lose one against Australia at home.
23 Jun 2010, 01:21 am
@Tomsta(Tomsta)-16: The Boks are going to have to play more rugby if they want to win the 3N this year, a kicking game on its own won’t cut it.
Last year their backline was terrible at turning good positions and quick ball into tries, if NZ had the possession and territory that SA had they’d have won every game by 40 points.
Boks are unlikely to have a fit pack to dominate to the same extent this season so will have to take more of their opportunities or face defeat.
23 Jun 2010, 01:25 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-17:
And the Little General is injured.
Lets see how smart they play now.
23 Jun 2010, 02:09 am
The ridiculous thing about Keo’s tweet is it doesn’t take long to show that he hasn’t done any research and he’s wrong, makes you wonder how many other claims he makes are “guesses”. Just looking back to 2008 NZ played the same starting XV for 3 games in a row at the end of the tri nations. Beating Australia 39-10, SA 19-0 and Australia 28-24.
23 Jun 2010, 09:59 am
@Ooh Aah Umaga(Ooh Aah Umaga)-19:
In fact, its more of a struggle to find examples when Keo gets things factually right. His obsession with the ABs tends to taint the thought-process somewhat.
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