5 players New Zealand left behind.

New Zealand may have made a mistake leaving out Robbie Freaun, Liam Messam, Matt Todd, Hosea Gear and Stephen Donald. I just hope it doesn't come back to haunt then.

Robbie Freaun - Has been without a doubt the form outside centre in the super 15 this season and can count himself extremely unlucky to have Conrad Smith and Richard Kahui ahead of him in the pecking order. Freaun is an outstanding attacking talent, using his pace and power to either gas opponents or steamroll through them. His defence is also extremely solid and he has formed a very potent partnership with Sonny Bill-Williams.

Liam Messam - Until the recent losses to South Africa and Australia, Messam was on course for a spot in the All Blacks squad. However Graham Henry felt he was not solid enough at the breakdown. Messam has played at 6 for the whole Super Rugby season, however Henry prefers to see him as cover at no.8 - a position he doesn't look too comfortable with. Messam is strongest using his pace to hunt down attacking players and when he receives the ball in space. Vito must have just snatched the last back-row position ahead of him.

Matt Todd - Matt Todd has had an incredible season for the Crusaders. Admittedly Richie McCaw's understudy, he has thrived with McCaw out injured for most of the season. Todd possesses a very rounded game, he's a strong ball carrier, quality tackler, powerful at the breakdown and a pretty good scavenger (in the mould of Richie) If I was a kiwi I would have much preferred if they'd picked Todd ahead of Thompson, who was made to look average at best by the Aussies and South Africans in the past couple of games. Todd has filled in to the highest standard for McCaw at the Crusaders and I feel he could have done the same for the All Blacks if McCaw was to get injured.

Hosea Gear - Gear must have done a lot of soul-searching over the past few weeks. Graham Henry recently referred to Hosea as the best winger in the world, only to leave him out of his world cup squad - quite dumbfounding really? Fair enough Gear may have missed a huge chunk of the season out with injury and has not quite lived up to the heights of 2010, where he was simply unstoppable. He is the sort of player who can create something out of nothing, he has pace to burn and his size to power ratio is something to behold. Solid in defence and under the high ball, he must be hoping that injury strikes and he gets a late call up.

Stephen Donald - Question marks surround Colin Slade, who is seen by Graham Henry as cover for Dan Carter. Donald may have not had the best of Super rugby seasons, however he offers something both Slade and Cruden don't. He is very experienced, he will steady the ship and kick his goals. He's solid defensively and brings organisation and stability to a back line, something Slade and Cruden often lack in their games.

Don't think Donald's been forgiven for Hong Kong yet...

Gear I think was a strange omission though, he is a good line breaker with exciting possibilities.

Robbie Freaun was badly exposed against Jaque Fourie on defence, even though he is an excellent attacker, Henry didn't think he was experienced enough and mature enough to go.

I fully agree with Hosea Gear, but then many beleive he hit form too late to sway Henry.

Stephen Donald simply doesn't fit the game plan Henry has in mind, and have been average at best in tets. Slade offers perhaps not enough experience, but is more in line with what Henry expects from a Fly half.


On Todd and Messam I can't comment.

Hosea Gear is a monster. Thank flip Henry left him out.

If he'd only have left Muliena, Carter, Nonu and Smith out too the rest of us might have a chance.....

Freaun has got years ahead of him though. He'll be at the 2015 WC.

I'm not complaining about Donald not making the squad.

bathmad wrote:
...
I'm not complaining about Donald not making the squad.

Neither are most kiwis .

Donald's a good provincial player (though I note that young Tom Taylor had the better of him in the NPC final), just a shame he couldn't quite step up.

Yeah, I would have tended to go with Gear over Guildford and give him the chance to play himself back into form in the pool. He's shown he has the goods at international level whereas I think Guildford has demonstrated he is lacking.

I thought Guildford looked out of his depth in the last 3N game. He suffered under the high ball, was ineffective on attack and made lots of handling errors.

He's had a chance before and blown it in a similar way. Of all the "new style" wingers trialed last year Gear, Ranger, Guildford, Jane and Dagg; Guildford was the least impressive.

Henry is a great coach, but if he has a weakness it lies in giving guys too many chances.

The failure to learn a lesson in Donald was not that he thought he was an international 10 when he isn't, but that he kept giving a player opportunities to prove something that was patently untrue. This is the same failure in giving Guildford a reprieve, and in not dropping Slade after the the Port Elizabeth debacle. Not to mention every single time Toeava pulls on the black jersey.

Personally I'd have given Tomasi Cama a shot for the ABs covering the entire back line as a wild card. He's got incredible fitness, a good kicking game and shown time and again he can deliver under pressure with the 7s. If you google X-Factor, Cama is the top 5 hits.

Donald Duck??? Kiwis would have gone up in arms if stephen Donald was called up as flyhalf cover.Hong Kong was unforgivable plus during the early stages of the super tournament this year - missing from dead in front of the posts was nicknamed pulling a stephen donald!!!! guess why


Gear was rather unlucky to miss out so too Todd. Todd is the natural successor to Mccaw and i dont think i'd be pushing to suggest Todd had a much much better super season than Richie Mccaw

With respect Fruen and Todd are the future.,Hosea Gear is the victim of the fetish for utility backs.Only Guildford is a specialist wing,Cory Jane,Slade,
Toeva,Dagg,Nonu,and Kahui can play there none is a specialist there now.
Donald is a steady super 15 player who has`nt really stepped up.
Messam does`nt do enough grunt work for a 6.neither Mccaw or Carter had much game time this year.When they were on blob they were rotated for the RWC build up.
Weepu may well be first choice back up for Carter,while Slade finds his way.

Not sure about Weepu vsersus Oz after the last.

Cowan might be bettter at containing Genia as Weepu was nowhere to be found when Genia went off a sniping. But certainly against anyone else I'd pick Weepu.

Thinking of Weepu at fly half outside Cowan,if DC crocked,a steady eddy.
I`d rather have someone like that,than the flashier type briliant one minute
then do something stupid.

emack2 wrote:Thinking of Weepu at fly half outside Cowan,if DC crocked,a steady eddy.
I`d rather have someone like that,than the flashier type briliant one minute
then do something stupid.

Yes I think that's what they'll do, especially with 3 halves.
Larsen has said they'll stick with the core 12 players through all matches meaning its back to the old days- wait for and make the most of your chances.
Good thing I reckon. That way they build the same team through to the knockouts- kind of like you've been advocating Alan- play the best team.

I think here we just may get that, and this time I tend to agree with it. Without worrying about who they face they instead build towards an unstoppable force as a 'team' rather than 2 or 3 good teams- 87 was similar in that way- only the odd change through the tournament.

The risk is injuries but you can get injured in 5 or 500 minutes. This way injuries only set back the overall team a little. If we take a core 12 or 13 through to the knockouts I think we'll be in a good position.

Taylorman wrote:Not sure about Weepu vsersus Oz after the last.

Cowan might be bettter at containing Genia as Weepu was nowhere to be found when Genia went off a sniping. But certainly against anyone else I'd pick Weepu.

Not entirely surprised. Weepu appears to be carrying an extra couple of stone of fat.

It's his bat utility belt showing underneath his AB kit.

Weepus always been a little on the porky side. He is i believe making big progress on the fitness side. Weepus the street smart player of the side. He knows key moments make or break games and has a knack of exposing gaps around the set pieces and breakdowns.
Its not his weight but more his style. Cowan is more defensively minded and focuses on being the good halfback.

Cowans more likely to be able to shut down genia for sustained periods if the coaches want to pay genia that much respect.

Funny thing about this cup is it is now oz who have adopted the more helter skelter role so be interesting to see how they go against different styles.

I suspect Cooper may be the Aussie undoing. I think he's started to believe his hype.

Honorable mentions !

Byron kelleher
Nick Evans
Carl Hayman
Sivivenu sivivatu
Wyatt Crockett

sirtidychris,only Wyatt Crockett of those SHOULD be there.Sivivatu,but for his eye injury could have been there.The other 3 have been out of test Rugby for 4 years.Carl Hayman isn`t even a regular starter for his French side .

...Plus we've experience with the money chasers...they don't front up when required with one eye on the ball, the other on the bank...