All blacks name Three fetchers and no Dan Carter

So! Keen to avoiding another defeat at impact zone the all blacks name Sam Cane, Richie McCaw and Liam Messam to the back row.

This is the most quickly and nimble back row ever name by an all blacks team in a decade and will make very interesting.

They will look to very fast shift the focus and keep to the back line all day. The locks and front row must no a lot of work to carry and hit the ruck because the three also very light weight.

Searchlight will be too McCaw who does not make so good the 8 in history as replacement and never start there before.

If the experiment is not working could be best chance for Ireland in 106 years to focus to the strength area!

McCaws there purely as Reads out. I think it will give him a chance to do some more ball carrying from set play (ie scrums).

Its something hes been leaning towards and the likes of the Canes coming through will eventually force him to relook at other positions in the way the great M Jones did.

Not often we start a 20 year old at 7 thats for sure so they must be impressed with Cane. Last week he had an impact and will be quick but he looks rather smallish.

Lots to look out for in this match, a few faces not instantly recognisable...

Ket's hope they don't fight for the ball on the ground though.

Messam " mine"
Cane " mine"
McCaw " this is your captain speaking, step away from the ball"

biltongbek wrote:Ket's hope they don't fight for the ball on the ground though.

Messam " mine"
Cane " mine"
McCaw " this is your captain speaking, step away from the ball"

Very true biltong (as by the time they finish that conversation Sexton will be lining the conversion up... )

Stating the obvious there is a man on the bench,battered but capable of covering all 3 positions.Thomson since he has`nt considered Blade or George or Luke Whitelock at 6.Hansen giving his 3 experienced[relatively]utility players the chance to adapt there game .From there wider roving roles at S15 with a more abrasive role with the AB`s. I expect that because Cane and Messam are Chiefs it has some bearing picking on form.Matt Todd on current form deserves a run at somepoint at 7 too.

Wish I had the selection "dilemma" of Carter or Cruden or who to pick out of McCaw, Todd and Cane!

Ha CJ there's no dilemma about Carter and McCaw trust me.

Out of interest is the No8 position a bit of a weakness for the Blacks.

As great a No7 as mcCaw is I wouldn't say he is an international No8 (even if just emergency).

Wouldn't it have been more beneficial for the future to give a youngster a run there?

They will likely rotating the back row in the game. Messam can cover 8 also.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Out of interest is the No8 position a bit of a weakness for the Blacks.

As great a No7 as mcCaw is I wouldn't say he is an international No8 (even if just emergency).

Wouldn't it have been more beneficial for the future to give a youngster a run there?

NZ don't do that bedford, they pick players who are ready.

Any world class player taken out of a team will show up weakness. Read just needs to get right and then it's not a problem.

What NZ lack at the moment is an enforcer. Someone who can dominate aggressively on defence and blast people off their feet at the breakdown. Thomson is too lightweight. Messam has failed to make the step up in the past and Vito is more cover for 8 and 7 rather than 6. If you're going to pick out a weakness it's at 6 with Kaino out of the picture.

Bedford if you had a youngster in there there'd be no experience at all. Messam's only played a handful of Tests and Cane's debut was last week. That'd be suicide. It's a stopgap measure too but McCaw is still brilliant and is intelligent enough to know what is needed. He'll be talking to Read a lot this week I imagine.

Totally agree Kia. 6 is the weakness. 4 too as we need hard men in both positions. It's all right for Messam to have mongrel but if he doesn't have the physical presence to back that attitude up then it seems a bit redundant to me.

Carter's the easy choice for a World XV at 10 and arguably be called the greatest ever 10. Every team will feel a loss like that. Would be like the Aussie cricket team in the early 2000s-with Warne out you'd chuck in Magill. Magill was awesome but Warne was, well, Warne.

Still can't believe he's nailing Liz Hurley though. Damn.

disneychilly wrote:Bedford if you had a youngster in there there'd be no experience at all. Messam's only played a handful of Tests and Cane's debut was last week. That'd be suicide. It's a stopgap measure too but McCaw is still brilliant and is intelligent enough to know what is needed. He'll be talking to Read a lot this week I imagine.

Totally agree Kia. 6 is the weakness. 4 too as we need hard men in both positions. It's all right for Messam to have mongrel but if he doesn't have the physical presence to back that attitude up then it seems a bit redundant to me.

Carter's the easy choice for a World XV at 10 and arguably be called the greatest ever 10. Every team will feel a loss like that. Would be like the Aussie cricket team in the early 2000s-with Warne out you'd chuck in Magill. Magill was awesome but Warne was, well, Warne.

Still can't believe he's nailing Liz Hurley though. Damn.

To go seamlessly from analysing the NZ backrow to specualting on Liz Hurleys sex life is some leap,I salute you

Ha. If you'd have done the same I'd have suggested you change your username to asoreleftwrist mate

To be honest I prefer the fatter version of Shane Warne without Botox and not a spitting image of his counterpart in Madame Tussaude's in terms of skin.

Jesus the things I'd do to Liz Hurley