AB's team to play Fiji named

15 Mils Muliaina,
14 Zac Guildford,
13 Conrad Smith,
12 Ma'a Nonu,
11 Sitiveni Sivivatu,
10 Colin Slade,
9 Jimmy Cowan,
8 Liam Messam,
7 Richie McCaw (capt),
6 Adam Thomson,
5 Ali Williams,
4 Jarrad Hoeata,
3 Ben Franks,
2 Andrew Hore,
1 Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves:
Ben Smith,
Dan Carter,
Piri Weepu,
Jerome Kaino,
Sam Whitelock,
John Afoa,
Corey Flynn

Very much a development side. My take is it:
1: gives many Crusaders players a break
2: gives the slelectors a chance to look at up and coming players (Slade, Hoata, Ben Smith), Fringe players (Crocket, Thompson, Messam, Sivivatu, Guildford), whilst giving some players some needs play time (Carter, McCaw).

A pretty sensible selection given that only 4 tri nations games lie between this game and the World cup.

Sam Whitelock on the bench suggests to me that there´ll be a second half shuffle in the pack. Hoeata will move to blindside, Thomson to openside and Richie might take a break.

Hope that Ben Smith gets a run and will be interesting to note the performance of the back three as they´re a lot with injuries and by no means are these positions locked down. Nonu, similarly, will be looking to have a big game.

Possibly the biggest test will come to Slade. He needs to prove that he can direct a game and keep things under control. That means a good kicking game and taking the right options on attack.

Those Fijians are big boys and can be devastating in broken play so it´s a good chance to do the basics well and gain an advantage in the set piece. Hore in this side seems to be an indication that the selectors see Eliot on top of Hore (it´s the simple things!) and I hope that´s the case.

I think you're right. The islanders are usually strong in the set piece. The loose trio looks good for the AB's. I'd expect a lot of traffic down Slades channel. I wonder if the drop him back on defence.

What are the odds on another broken jaw? I'm pitching at 4-1.

Is Ben Smith the Highlander utility back with the step (my memory isn't great, I'm not that alert for early morning games)? If so he really deserves his shot at an AB shirt. Guildford is a classy runner as well.

Slade has plenty of ammunition outside of him he had no excuses not to produce.

TheGreyGhost wrote:What are the odds on another broken jaw? I'm pitching at 4-1.

I really hope not. I have little faith in Cruden, Brett or Donald. I think they runt to much

I find some of the comments on the net in general quite amusing,This is a B team etc.
Some of the players concerned have had poor S15 due to there teams not performing or otherwise.
The backline Guildford and Slade apart but for injuries would probably be
the starting one.
Guildford has been one of the Crusaders main successes this year,Slade but for injury would probably have had a protracted run.
Stephen Donald is good at S 15 level,and has had to play at All Black level in a losing TEAM.
Dan Carter`s only come along now and again,his back up may be a steady eddie[whoever he is] but someone HAS to be tried.
Ben Smith,Whitelock,Afoa,all on the bench they will get a run,The Pack only one member is not a Test player,Hoerta is a bolter better capped here than in SA v the Boks.For myself the Lock/6 combination does`nt really work.Lock is a grunt job first then the loose stuff a 6 more vice versa.
There are a few good uns I can remember over the last 50 years,but many more who did`nt make it because they were in betweeners.
Carter,Ellis,Whitelock.McCaw have all missed a lot of Rugby through injuries,Crockett and the Franks brothers have been rotated so are not over fatigued.
Others like Read need the rest,its a fine line between fitness and burn out especially this year.
Crockett on current form is probably a better bet than Wood man sausage anyway [his fitness continues to give concern],Afoa is the Form prop and is away post RWC.Owen Franks is not yet commited butI hope he stays in NZ.
Ali Williams when he was injured tha all Blacks lineout fell apart,Brad Thorn is a great Lock but at Lineout time he is not[although of Late he seems to be making a nuisance of himself thee.
Adam Thomson at 6 instead of Kaino .when on form and fit yes please,but he is if anything a looser style 6 as opposed to a grunt 6.Any way kaino is on the bench.
Would like to see Matt Todd and Luke Braid get a run as well sometime soon.

As you say. It's clearly a B team. What was your point?

Don`t no where that came from I typed in WOODCOCK not Woodman sausage.

My point is that could well be a A team with a couple of changes and most of those options are on the bench.
For the record my first choice starting side[taking into account injuries.
Owen Franks
Kevan Mealamu
Wyatt Crockett
Sam White lock
Brad Thorn
Mccaw
Read
Adam Thomson
Weepu
Carter
Ben Smith
Nonu
Conrad Smith
Zac Guildford
Muliana
Reserves
Ben Franks
Kaino.
Ali Williams
Hika Elliot
Slade
SBW
Cowan
Not Considered
injured
Isreal Dagg
Cory Jane
Hosea Gear
Antont Boric
Tony Woodcock
Near Misses
Sivi vatu
Ellis
Todd
Messam
Hore
Donnelly

I entirely and 100% agree with you emack. Completely, utterly, and without any reservations whatsoever. Other than Gear and your avant garde separation of Sivi Vatu and White Lock.

Good opportunity for Nonu and Smith to re-establish themselves. Obviously the arrival of SB-W and the loss of form from Nonu during the season has left Nonu the forgotten man, but he's a great player in my view and plays with an intensity and ferocity that is central to the ABs game.

The player I'm not so familiar with is Jarrad Hoeata. Any views?

He's like a lock/flanker. Massively aggressive, athletic and very quick.

Well I guess that'll suit this game very well, but Ali Williams is hardly an enforcer, so it sounds like it's quite a skinny pairing.

Can't see the All Blacks "doing an Australia" here. It may have the look of a "B" side, but only really because players like Nonu and Sivivatu are searching for form. They're still top players, and this is a perfect fixture for someone like Nonu to make some breaks and get his confidence back up.

"Can't see the All Blacks "doing an Australia" here."....

Nor do I. Oz I think is the only major international side with just 18 A players, anyone else are tried rejects or good club players. Just no depth of squad there, and gulf between the A and others are huge.

so yes maybe called a B AB side, but gulf not that much.

Seems like Fiji had some discipline issues in the PNC and there's a bit of a political back drop to this game. It could be niggly. It should be a good test of character and a lot of the post mortem may be based on how individuals from both sides come through that test. My assumption would be that the ABs would walk it. But there's no way I'm going to say that kind of thing.

If the All Blacks come out of the traps like they did at Murrayfield in the AIs, then I just can't see Fiji living with that pace of play. Their defence formations won't be sufficiently drilled, and they won't have the discipline to keep the required shape. The All Blacks are the best side in the world at exploiting overlaps, and if Cowan and Slade can get pace on the game (and there's certainly a bit of a question there), then the All Blacks have too much out wide.

I'll go for the All Blacks by 30 points.

Sam White lock is his name when the ABs wear the alternative strip GG. Or when he swaps jerseys with his counterpart at the end of the game, though that might be brave in Dunedin at night time.

I don´t think there will be a problem in the tight five. That backrow needs to step up and make a name for themselves and give confidence. Vito did himself no favours for example in Sydney last year so Thomson and Messam have to put up their hand and make poor old Ted sleep a little easier at night.

Carter´s on the bench but hope they don´t get cute trying to give Slade a full game and bring Carter on at 12 and move Nonu out to the wing or something daft like that. I imagine Carter, like McCaw could do with some more rugby but that has to be juggled against testing Slade properly. He also can make Ted sleep easier at night with a solid display like he had in Sydney and don´t mention the jaw, as Basil Fawlty once said. You´ve mentioned it once GG and let´s hope you got away with it.

I imagine the Fijians won´t be too happy about all the dew that there´s bound to be if it´s a clear night or all the horizontal rain if it´s a bad night. They always seem to do well on a good hard deck to get their speedsters into the game. It reminds me of that awesome RWC try against France by Caucau when he wasn´t the Michelin man trying to break Elvis´record for cheeseburgers.

The ABs are notorious bad starters to the season so let´s hope the error rate is low and we see some slick passing. I don´t want a Benny Hill compilation to see on the highlights packages...

I think we should be honest about the prospects of an AB loss.
Its not going to happen. That's not to show any disrespect to Fiji. Its just that AB rugby is a step up from Japan/Samoa/Tonga.

While this may not be the top AB side, only Hoeata has not had a cap and only a few have not done some great work for the ABs at one time or another.

That backline has huge experience (expect for Slade and Guilford) but with the like of Cown, Nonu, Mils around them they have heaps of support.
The pack really only have Hoeata and Messam with any kind of questions about their ability to play at the top level.

There must be over 500 tests in that team so its not really a B team at all.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Sam White lock is his name when the ABs wear the alternative strip GG. Or when he swaps jerseys with his counterpart at the end of the game, though that might be brave in Dunedin at night time.

I don´t think there will be a problem in the tight five. That backrow needs to step up and make a name for themselves and give confidence. Vito did himself no favours for example in Sydney last year so Thomson and Messam have to put up their hand and make poor old Ted sleep a little easier at night.

Carter´s on the bench but hope they don´t get cute trying to give Slade a full game and bring Carter on at 12 and move Nonu out to the wing or something daft like that. I imagine Carter, like McCaw could do with some more rugby but that has to be juggled against testing Slade properly. He also can make Ted sleep easier at night with a solid display like he had in Sydney and don´t mention the jaw, as Basil Fawlty once said. You´ve mentioned it once GG and let´s hope you got away with it.

I imagine the Fijians won´t be too happy about all the dew that there´s bound to be if it´s a clear night or all the horizontal rain if it´s a bad night. They always seem to do well on a good hard deck to get their speedsters into the game. It reminds me of that awesome RWC try against France by Caucau when he wasn´t the Michelin man trying to break Elvis´record for cheeseburgers.

The ABs are notorious bad starters to the season so let´s hope the error rate is low and we see some slick passing. I don´t want a Benny Hill compilation to see on the highlights packages...

Why? It's being played indoors innit?

No it isnt, Carisbrook.........