All Black team named for Australia... (latest Mccaw and Jane out)...

http://www.allblacks.com/news/23610/All-Blacks-team-named-for-Dunedin-Test-v-Wallabies

Notable for Corey Janes return- straight back into the starting lineup- probably helped by both the Oz wings being injured. Jeremy Thrush gets a start, Mealamus back in the run on and the worst kept secret has Ben Smith covering for conrad who's gone bush.

Back four of Savea, Jane, B Smith and Dagg sure has a lot of bite still and all 4 now top exponents of the high ball, Savea learning the trade rather quickly...

Starting XV:
1. Tony Woodcock (104)
2. Keven Mealamu (108)
3. Charlie Faumuina (13)
4. Jeremy Thrush (3)
5. Samuel Whitelock (47)
6. Liam Messam (26)
7. Richie McCaw - captain (120)
8. Kieran Read (57)
9. Aaron Smith (21)
10. Aaron Cruden (25)
11. Julian Savea (17)
12. Ma'a Nonu (84)
13. Ben Smith (21)
14. Cory Jane (43)
15. Israel Dagg (33)

Reserves:
16. Dane Coles (10)
17. Wyatt Crockett (19)
18. Ben Franks (28)
19. Brodie Retallick (20)
20. Sam Cane (12)
21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow (10)
22. Beauden Barrett (13)
23. Tom Taylor (1)

Snap.

Since one is not privy to the injury status of the squad it is difficult to comment.
Retallick has had to take a lot of hammer with Romano injured so Thrush starts.
Mealamu and Hore appear to being rotated and he seldom has a bad match in
a Black Shirt.
Back line as predicted and one can expect B.Smith to be targeted by Oz also
Crudon is heavily strapped so expect Barrett early rather than later.
Australia have been working on there Scrum and it wasn't bad in the first two
Bledisloe encounters.
Hansen says it`s not a dead rubber but there really is not the bite for this third
match now.Extra rest would be more beneficial for the players apparently
about 10 members of the Squad won`t be going to Japan.
So some new faces there at least this match recently has been a banana skin
for the AB`s.BUT this is the first time it has been a home fixture AB`s by 10

Yeah quite surprised to see Cruden start given his knee looks bung. Suppose he is slightly more experienced but any wrong move could see a full tear of the ligament and then he's out of the NH tour. I'd have faith in Barrett to start. Hope it's a very early sub to rest Cruden and let's see what Barrett's got.

Amongst the many good performances, I reckon Savea has been exceptional this RC.

I sincerely hope that the debate on this team takes place in this thread, and not that disrespectful pile of trash that GE has constructed as an opening post.

Team looks exciting, the outside backs in particular could put on a real show. Thrush and Mealamu are probably the weak links in the pack.

If Barrett comes on early doors as you suggest, could be in for a real feast of running rugby from both sides

ebop wrote:

Amongst the many good performances, I reckon Savea has been exceptional this RC.

Have to agree there ebop...he only started as a raw newbie last year but is so good now hes somewhat taken for granted it seems- his high ball taking is getting up there with the other guns- man we have a lot to thank SA from 2009 for- weve half an AFL team out there..!

The try he scored picking up off the deck and then cutting infield at the right time to put the speedy winger Read in was sublime...

I would have trusted Barrett and Taylor to do the job and given Cruden Japan to get fit against.
I would also have had Jane as reserve and given Piatua a start.
Still not too bad a team. Bad luck for Luatua.

Messam was impressive so maybe this is a nod to his performance but I agree I'd have liked to have seen Luatua start with Hansen sitting him down and saying that's where Messam raised the bar and I want you to better that. Particularly the way he played against Oz.

I see more the point of starting Thrush. He did a couple of good things but really we haven't seen much of him. Let's really find him out and see what he's made of. Romano on the bench fills me with a lot more confidence particularly for the scrum but if injury strikes we look pretty thin.

I have confidence in Mealamu but Hore has been impressive after an ordinary Super season. Like A Smith he's looked very handy in black. Taylor is a strange back cover. He looks to be covering 10 and 12 and Barrett 10 and 15 but as Jane is untested you'd think Piutau would be a better bet. If Nonu went off that's a very lightweight centre partnership.

The key for me is how they perform after the high of Ellis Park. Like the semi final in 2011 it went a bit flat the next game. Treat it as a motivational exercise to extract your best performance when the pressure's off.

That Cory Jane is a crack up

From stuff.co.nz. In the team press conference where Ben Smith and Cory Jane were a part of....

"Ben Smith was asked whether Jane had thanked him for vacating his spot, and the All Blacks' new man for all positions said: "Not yet; it might be his opportunity now."

To which Jane took his cue beautifully: "I don't know if you know this, but last night when he was asleep I snuck into his room and I spooned with him just to try and absorb some of that form he's had all year.

"He doesn't know that. It was just a gentle cuddle, so I thanked him that way."

I think people will be surprised by Thrush as well. Has a dogged determination about him thats really admirable. At first glance looks the sort of player that went in and out of AB sides for a test or two over the year but with Wellington has always shown real grit and one of those, like Ben Smith who might play above themselves...watch that space...

One thing about our bomb disposal unit learnings of 2009 is now we have four at the back all capable of regathering the ball back. Dagg and Aaron Smith have built up a knack of putting the 25-30 metre bombs up designed to hit between the 45-65 metre line for the others to regather and against the boks that worked well. Aim is to gain a 'restart' in broken play to find momentum against unstructured defences so its good to see a skill first added as an essential defence weapon being made reusable on attack.

This AB team has so many weapons in its arsenal its scary...

McCaw and jane now out...Piatau to wing, Cane to the side and Luatua to the bench..Read to Captain....cant exactly say we lose a lot there such is the resilience of the side...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/9299329/McCaw-Jane-ruled-out-for-Wallabies-test

With Thrush also in and Smith to Centre this side has enough changes to it to suggest complecency wont be possible but it does have a B-ish look to it...

Thrush, Cane, Piatau, B Smith at centre as starters and no Mccaw or DC not something we'd easily go with.

A milestone:

If the Abs win this weekend it will be their 30th consecutive test victory at home, an achievement that they have only done once before (2003 - 2008).

B side tinge about it may conversely help the motivation of the team. Good to see Luatua on the bench and Piutau get rewarded with a start. Both McCaw and Jane will be aiming to start in Paris so will be interesting to see who goes to Japan. Maybe Read and then Cane, Luatua, B side front five and a sprinkling of experience like Carter among a backline of rookies.

I suspect that not many on here will have ever seen Piutau play wing, personally I think he is just as good a wing as fullback.

I've been impressed with him. If Saili can play as well as he's been playing on the end of year tour it may well have spinoff returns in his Super form like it did for Ben Smith. When you play test rugby and foot it with the best the confidence is high because you remove that mental barrier of doubt. That tends to see a lift in performance.

There are of course a few players like Nonu, Woodcock and Hore who know form can be turned around because they already have experienced that headspace of how to get the best out of themselves. Those like Aaron Smith had the motivation of knowing their position was under threat.

In years gone by we would've been packing ourselves putting out a team like this with positional changes in the centre. But the environment Hansen has created gives these players belief in what they have to do and trust to carry their goals out. So it's ideal to be bringing in the new players when you have that team spirit. TKB or Thrush have probably been at the bottom of the performance ladder but knowing how many new players have been introduced and those two have hardly had shockers it's a staggering achievement.

Guys, do you think that this'll pretty much be the team that comes North and plays? Or can we expect Carter, McCaw, Smith etc to be back in by then? Even without those three it's a quality looking side.

Hopefully Lueta gets a good run out as he looked born to International rugby at the start of the RC and it's a shame he was dropped.

Conrad won't tour yappy. He is on a sabbatical. All the rest plus the injured Romano will tour. The Japan fixture won't see many frontline players and will join the squad in Paris.

I notice this programme begins on Sky Sports at 7:25am . Anyone know what time KO is? It's usually at 8am, but never begins as early as 25 past.

19.35 NZ time. Clocks went forward there last weekend I think. So that looks like 07.35 in UK.

Cheers. BTW seen an epic video on "what it means to be an All Black" earlier... Presented by none other than Jake the muss.

Final score:
New zealand 41
Australia 33.

 Game and alf.

yappysnap wrote:Guys, do you think that this'll pretty much be the team that comes North and plays? Or can we expect Carter, McCaw, Smith etc to be back in by then? Even without those three it's a quality looking side.

Hopefully Lueta gets a good run out as he looked born to International rugby at the start of the RC and it's a shame he was dropped.

 Actually interesting question you ask Yappy regards the composition of the touring squad because the word is that they are looking to try something a bit different on this NH campaign, (injuries from tonight allowing).

 Senior players returing from injury the likes of Mc caw and carter arent going to go to Japan, they are going to go straight ahead to Europe, then after France and England are out of the way a wave of players who have had massive seasons ie the Chiefs players the likes of Messam, Cruden,Rettalik  Kerr Barlow etc will come home and the  remainder will play against ireland.

Australia looks to have some confidence back, will help them on their Autumn tour.

Well done to both teams, excellent game

Two dry fields and two great examples of footy. I don't think that's a coincidence. When you look at the games at the start of the season where there was rain about and then look at the last two games, it just goes to show what a difference a dry deck can make and how it encourages both teams to run with the ball. Australia put the boot away and kept the ball in hand. They scored their highest points total in NZ (the last time was in the 1970s when they scored 30 points).

Great to see the B players put in a good effort; Cane and Piutau in particular. It wasn't pretty - particularly leaking so many tries - but it was a world away from the dirge of Brisbane last year and NZ has to be commended for that but also Australia who came from Argentina having rediscovered their attacking mojo and didn't go into their shells. They took the game to NZ. They'll be disappointed with the loss but they certainly look a lot better in shape for their November tour. My concern would be for them the weather as they look threatening on a dry deck but the rain or wet ground might be their enemy. Certainly a big turnaround in performance and they, like SA two weeks ago, must be congratulated for their contribution to a great game of footy.

+1

Didn't have the tension of a tight match as you always suspected more points were on offer, even up to the 81st minute. After the last two weeks, is it back to the future, 'you can score but we'll score more'? I could be wrong but last time that happened, England won the RWC.

I wouldn't read too much into the defensive lapses. A new look back line with some rookies will need some work to get the gaps plugged. One on one the tackles stuck and that's a start. Nice to see they delivered on attacking promise which would've been the objective.

A great attitude by both teams turned a dead rubber into a try fest and a second consecutive advertisement for high tempo rugby. 

It's nice to know you can put away the fourth best team in the world, probably playing their best rugby for five years, with a second string side. 

The gap continues to widen...

How is that a second string side GE?

Oh GE's up, how is my grammar  

Both team were pretty good, but I'm amazed noones mentioned how either NZ always seem to play Joubert like a fiddle, or he only allows a contest after he hand NZ a platform.

At a 7 point ball game I thought all momentum was with Aus, 4 poor ref decisions later it's a 15 point ball game and Aus finally get some momentum back.

Shag looked pretty relaxed about the defensive lapses GE because there was the attacking threat that's been absent in the last few after dinner mint Bledisloes.

The pleasing thing for me is that when we need to score, we do. Read's try after Australia had closed the gap to a score and a bit was vital. Part of me - the masochistic side - would like to see us have points put on us to overtake us in the second half or have a game where points don't come freely as these have been the games where we've looked the shakiest.

30 home game wins in a row, 4 try wins. Certainly things to work on but too often we concentrate on the negatives out of fear of losing the next one. An unbeaten winter season with the opposition and venues we've had, you have to congratulate the players and management. Quite frankly, they spoil us. But like a spoilt brat, we keep asking for more!

So regroup and Japan and Ireland will probably see a younger rookie tinge to the squads and France and England should see us play our closest A squad available. To me the perfect mix of introducing new players into the fray and ticking over the veterans and keeping them in working order. I can't be any prouder of the boys and the coaches. Keep up the good work and kia kaha.  

Well this prob is a good summary (from the smh)
Positives:
Quade Cooper was outstanding. His defence held up and he played flat creating space for his runners with short balls, loop passes and cut-out balls. This is the sort of rugby that Bill Pulver wanted the Wallabies to play when Ewen McKenzie was given the job.
Matt Toomua was good too. McKenzie has a tough job with Lealiifano back, but the Cooper-Toomua partnership worked well.
Tevita Kuridrani has a barnstorming second-half and it looks a possible long-term No.13.
Israel Folau still has a lot to work on but he can bust a tackle and he still does things on the field that others cannot.
The scrum at worst held its own. They may have even shaded the All Blacks.
Negatives
Stephen Moore aside, there is not enough impact from the starting tight five.
The breakdown. Both New Zealand and South Africa have touched Australia up in the close collisions. Argentina did a similar job in Perth. If McKenzie can get this aspect of the game, the Wallabies will be far more dangerous.
Overall, progress is being made, but there is still a significant gap to the All Blacks.

Cooper I think looking good again, maybe he's knuckling down to being a Wallaby? Toomua played better than a few people think he would, and shows the AB's still a step, hugh step, up for us guys.

Least we'll be coming up here with a bit more positive than at the end of the RC, I think.

Biltong wrote:How is that a second string side GE?

McCaw, carter, smith, franks, Jane, Romano, Hore out. Thrush starting, smith at centre, bunch of new positions in the Backline...I went thru it all on another thread that was hijacked by a discussion about snow tyres and plumbing.

Carter, Jane, Romano, Hore being left out is hardly new news this campaign, is it? Their replacements are all first team squad players.

That is more a reflection of the overall squad Saint. Thrush is not a first team squad. Mealamu and Coles either. I didn't think it possible but we are moving towards 2007 in depth. The young players have stepped up incredibly well and players like Retallick and Piutau have stepped in like seasoned veterans.

Thrush, probably not. But Mealamu and Coles are. Even McCaw's replacement was an ever present figure during the RC. Do you think Mealamu is better than Hore? They're probably on the same level, hence their No. of caps.

That's the point I was making. Retallick, Cruden, Piutau, Smith, Cane, Coles, Ben Franks, Faumaina, Luatua etc are or have not been first choice players. Yet they are able to slot in seamlessly.

Hore has always been the player to start a game and Mealamu the Mole or the burrower to exploit those tiring legs. In other teams players beyond the first choice would be shown up more. It's one thing to say you have depth in your team. It's another to prove it.

Another Great match,according to Wayne Barnes definition posted on another thread here.
EVERY Scrum was illegal i.e no shove until the ball is in the Scrum according to him.
What is obvious is the new law there requires a proper hook and proper feed ,also that
non feeding team has the advantage.Oz T AllBlacks after a slow start ruled the Scrums.
Lineouts a couple went astray on both sides but an incredible match from both sides. Quade
Cooper looked very good especially,BUT Australia on this form are back where they belong.
Incredibly tough NH tour 5 of the 6Ns sides a week apartcertainly no easy beats.
NZ A side for Japan then 3 matches in the NH any one of which could be a loss for the
strongest side they can field.
Whatever that may be to an AB fan it is encouraging seeing teams coming thru the ITM
Canterbury looked awesome today.

Kia, as of this season their first team players. But you're correct in believing it's great news for the All Blacks that they can find such good players to slot into the team and seemingly not take a backwards step. There are no cheap caps for the ABs jersey, it has to be earned...and that is no easy task.

I'm not convinced by TKB and will be reassured with Romano back. Saili will hopefully have a good end of year tour. Jane's return will also be a welcome boost. Throw in Kaino's return next year who could play 8 to accommodate Luatua at 6 and build depth for Read and there are very few gaps to plug. That is part of the system but it is also down to the environment Hansen has consolidated after Henry and never have I seen such a smooth transition between veteran players leaving and young players taking over.

It was said after 2011 that NZ had an ageing team. I think the blend now is more towards young players and a sprinkling of veterans. We don't rely on the big names as much now. The squad as a whole is the key, not key individuals within it.

Contrast to SA post 2007 and ENG post 2003 is startling. How many games have they lost since the RWC? Not many. Both the previous winners tanked it into virtually obscurity. England particularly so.

Not seen the game but that was an awful lot closer than I expected.

Was thinking the Aussies were going to get a real pasting. Guess you never can tell. That's a lot of points scored by the Aussies/conceded by NZ.

butterfingers wrote:Oh GE's up, how is my grammar  

Both team were pretty good, but I'm amazed noones mentioned how either NZ always seem to play Joubert like a fiddle, or he only allows a contest after he hand NZ a platform.

At a 7 point ball game I thought all momentum was with Aus, 4 poor ref decisions later it's a 15 point ball game and Aus finally get some momentum back.

I was just thinking that, Joubert seems to have a love affair with the AB's. Just doesn't want to penalise them.

Here we go. NZ won because of a refereeing conspiracy...again...yawn.

Some of the Aussies looked a bit under the weather.

It's been a bit quiet after the All Blacks latest win. The eve if the end of year tours and it looks like most NH fans have written off their chances already. Good on you Cyril for a bit of light banter to try to get some
Momentum going but it's looking like a half hearted attempt and very isolated.

It's been a great weekend of Heineken Cup rugby so I think we're too busy enjoying that mate!

I suppose you have to enjoy it while it's still around...

That's true enough. Whoever wins this one could end up being champions FOREVER. Like Scotland being eternal holders of the 5 Nations.

True. Or the reigning Olympic rugby champions: the USA. Easier to be excited about something you have an outside chance of winning too, I've always observed.