The great man himself and the man who is going to be a great replacement for him (and unlucky to be man of the match today):
The great man himself and the man who is going to be a great replacement for him (and unlucky to be man of the match today):
The Crusaders beat the Waratahs 20-12 in the final. It is the second ever final in which the losing team scored more tries, with Lachlan Turner of the 'Tahs bagging a couple while Mose Tuiali'i of the Crusaders scored the solo try for the winners. In the end, the boot of Dan Carter ended up being the difference, with Beale's inability to kick his way out of a wet paper bag costing them. Reuben Thorne then came on for the last 4 minutes of the game, replacing Brad Thorn and maintaining his incredible record of 9 Super rugby finals appearances and 7 titles (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008). Thorne finishes off his Super rugby career then in fairy-tale fashion as he heads off to close out his career in Japan.
It also confirms New Zealand's dominance in the SANZAR territories, as 10 of the 13 Super rugby tournaments have been won by a New Zealand franchise (Blues in 1996, 1997 and 2003, along with the 7 won by the Crusaders) while only 3 have been won by the other two nations involved (2 to the ACT Brumbies of Australia, in 2001 and 2004; 1 to the Bulls of South Africa, in 2007).
Aussies and Saffers must really get pissed off at the Kiwi dominance. Or just the Saffers because the aussies don't care about Rugby.
Also I don't believe ELVs have improved the game at all. Many the Super 14 games samey all season. The Guinness final was certainly a better game than the Super 14 one.
I disagree. The ELVs have reignited the game down here, with teams that have been very comfortable in attacking all day prospering and making the game a far better spectacle to watch. It's also disproven some preconceived notions that some people had, with the scrum being proven to be just as important as it was before. In fact, traditional areas of play like rucks, mauls and setpieces have remained important overall to the game, with an emphasis on attack instead of defences being favoured.
All Blacks squad for Iveco series against Ireland, England and Tri-Nations
Forwards:
John Afoa (Blues/Auckland) - Prop
Anthony Boric (Blues/North Harbour) - Lock/Flanker
Andrew Hore (Hurricanes/Taranaki) - Hooker
Jerome Kaino (Blues/Auckland) - Flanker
Sione Lauaki (Chiefs/Waikato) - No. 8
Richie McCaw (Crusaders/Canterbury, Captain) - Flanker
Keven Mealamu (Blues/Auckland) - Hooker
John Schwalger (Hurricanes/Wellington) - Prop
Greg Somerville (Crusaders/Canterbury) - Prop
Rodney So'oialo (Hurricanes/Wellington) - No. 8
Adam Thomson (Highlanders/Otago) - Flanker
Brad Thorn (Crusaders/Tasman) - Lock
Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes/Wellington) - Prop
Ali Williams (Crusaders/Tasman) - Lock
Tony Woodcock (Blues/North Harbour) - Prop
Backs:
Daniel Carter (Crusaders/Canterbury) - First Five-Eighth
Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders/Southland) - Halfback
Stephen Donald (Chiefs/Waikato) - First Five-Eighth
Andrew Ellis (Crusaders/Canterbury) - Halfback
Richard Kahui (Chiefs/Waikato) - Midfielder
Brendon Leonard (Chiefs/Waikato) - Halfback
Leon MacDonald (Crusaders/Canterbury) - Fullback
Malili Muliaina (Chiefs/Waikato) - Fullback/Centre
Ma'a Nonu (Hurricanes/Wellington) - Midfielder
Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs/Waikato) - Winger
Conrad Smith (Hurricanes/Wellington) - Centre
Anthony Tuitavake (Blues/North Harbour) - Winger/Centre
Rudi Wulf (Blues/North Harbour) - Winger
New caps are Anthony Boric, Stephen Donald, Richard Kahui, Adam Thomson, Anthony Tuitavake and Rudi Wulf
Returning All Blacks are John Afoa, Jerome Kaino and Brad Thorn
Jimmy Cowan and John Schwalger are brought into the squad as injury cover for Brendon Leonard and Tony Woodcock.
Last edited by Gyoza; June 3rd, 2008 at 1:32 AM.
So, now that I've had some time to fully digest that squad, I have to say I really, really, really like it. Graham Henry has selected an excellent set of players.
Up front, the props selected are among the best. Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and John Afoa formed the best front-row in the SANZAR region, battering just about anyone they went up against. They're also one of the most mobile front-rows around, as it's like having two Steve McDowells packing down on either side of Sean Fitzpatrick or David Latta, as they bring an amazing workrate outside of the setpieces. Andrew Hore is also a great try-scoring hooker who does the basics right and always pops up where he has to, scoring tries more often than not.
Greg Somerville has recovered quite well from a torn Achilles tendon and has quite a bit of experience at tighthead and can cover the loosehead side of the scrum as well. Neemia Tialata is a bit lucky to get selected ahead of Southland's Jamie Mackintosh, but he got better with each outing and can pack down on either side - although he's better as a loosehead than a tighthead.
Brad Thorn and Ali Williams were IMMENSE as a locking partnership for the Crusaders, as Thorn went about silencing his critics. He was also clearly paying attention when he was taught how to play like a union forward, as he does a lot of work in the breakdown area, providing a handy bit of turnover ball for the backs. Anthony Boric is a player that happily does the donkey-work, but is an athletic, mobile lock that can cover the blindside flanker position as well and is a steady line-out option, having stabilised the Blues line-out that was faltering before he secured a spot in the starting XV.
Jerome Kaino was the form blindside flanker among the NZ franchises, while Adam Thomson brings the size and speed to compete with the likes of Rocky Elsom and the South African loosies. He's also great in the air and can run like the wind, while he can adequately cover all three loose forward positions. Richie McCaw's selection is academic, as he's the best openside flanker in the world. Rodney So'oialo is the form No. 8 in NZ, and is a tireless workhorse at the back of the pack and brings a sense of authority. It's no surprise that the Hurricanes faltered when he was ruled out due to injury. While I'm not a fan of Lauaki, when he's on a roll he can be devastating. The key issue for him is maintaining his fitness, as his lack of self-discipline can cost him dearly.
Andrew Ellis is one of the best halfbacks around, with a cool head on his shoulders and a tendency to make the right call. He's a traditional halfback, which is something we have been missing here for a while. Brendan Leonard is more the 4th loose forward-type halfback we've used here since Justin Marshall and has proven himself to be a devastating impact player at the test level.
Daniel Carter's selection was also academic, while Stephen Donald makes his long-awaited move up to higher honours. The guy has nerves of steel and is a great running first-five. He can have a few hairy patches, but with the right hands guiding him, he can be a great player at the highest level.
The second-five options we have are Ma'a Nonu and Richard Kahui. This is the first time in ages we haven't had a second playmaker in the midfield that can offer a spare boot. That being said, Nonu is a devastating runner that operates best with a centre like Conrad Smith outside him, while Richard Kahui is a huge talent that just needs to work through his injuries.
In the centres, we have Anthony Tuitavake and Conrad Smith, both of whom are great in different ways. Tuitavake is closer to the Mortlock mould, as he slices through defences and takes some work to bring him down. He's also got a good head on his shoulders, while Smith is one of the smoothest centres in test rugby, with a great set of skills. He's also very, very smart and his partnership with Nonu is one of the best midfield duos in New Zealand.
On the wings, we have a choice of Tuitavake again, Rudi Wulf and Sitiveni Sivivatu. Wulf has come back from a broken neck that nearly ended his life, and brings great solidity on the wing. He scores buckets of tries, especially when they matter most, is a strong runner and defends well. He may lack the dynamic presence of Rokocoko, but his form in the last couple of seasons has earned him a call-up. Sivivatu has been struggling this year, but without Rokocoko, he gets the nod since he's the most experienced winger available.
The fullbacks also select themselves, really.
Out of all the players that didn't make it, Jamie Mackintosh, Tom Donnelly, Kieran Read, Daniel Braid and Jimmy Cowan are desperately unlucky to not make the cut from the training squad, while Lelia Masaga, Jeremy Thrush and Isaac Ross should come into contention later this year.
I had this post ready, but the stupid server decided to be a cunt. Sort the fucking thing out, you wankers.
England analysis. I'm quite happy with what ENgland are sending down considering the scale of injury problems to Fly Half. Most people expect Hodgson to start at 10 but while at premiership level he is a stunning attacking Flyhalf who can slice open any defence questions about his consistency and ability under pressure remain, esepcially as Sale couldn't make the playoffs despite being in the top 4 moreoften than not. I'd give 'drunk, violent sex pest' Oillie Barclay onother go in the absence of Danny Cipriani who has consistently had a stunning season are argueably the most consistent Fly Half in europe. Bath had a great season that end with the European challenge cup win, it's almost a shame the team appears to be broken up already. If not Barclay for Fly Half, than Toby Flood is always outstanding in Fly Half who can do it all (defend, kick, open up spaces in defence, has pace) and could possibly have nailed the posistion if Wilkinson hadn't been in the same team. However it is believed Leicester have signed him and he'll be their first choice Fly Half. By the way as Newcastle have lost Tait and Flood I see them as favorities to go down next season, especially as Wocester have suddleny clicked and been a very, very good side in the last quarter of the season.
I'm really hoping Danny Care and Mike Brown get good chances to start. I'm sure they will find it hard because they are jumping into Test Rugby, against the very best Test team, after their breakthrough season. However Care and Brown have the outstanding Scrum Half's and Full Back's of england and possibly in europe this season making Quin's a force in Rugby all of a sudden. It's possible with the young talent Dean Richard's Quin's have developed recently he could have another golden era like he did with Leicester. On the wings Strettle and Sackey are first choice. This past two years Sackey has been outstanding, I don't think non-Wasps fans have knoticed how deadly a winger he is. Immense in defence, intelligent and judging from yesterdays final a far quicker thinker than most players around him. Strettle is potentially amazing if he can stay away from injury. He only play 10 minutes of the 6 nations and he ripped appart Wales when given the chance. He's immensely hard to stop when in motion and much more powerful then he looks. Ojo again, fresh, will take time to adaprt, but deadly, he can tear appart a team from his own half. Hopefully Matthew Tait will be used despite Ashton criminally ignoring him in the 6 Nations .
Up front there are few problems. The England pack showed they are possibly a match for anybody in the world this past year and they are getting better. James Haskell is amazing and Tom Rees equally so these days. Both of them absolutely single handedly mullered the entire Leicester pack in the breakdown with strength, aggression and fantastic quick thinking that Leicester couldn't match. They are alredy near world class level and both just need a little bit of experence to fine-tune their play. Much the same with Tom Croft whose winger like speed ensures he's everywhere on the field making life hard for the opposistion constantly. Croft is also already a outstanding lineout option and some people ponder if could be lock.
In the front row Stevens and Sherridan are and awesome pair and Stevens is really coming on, he's been outstanding for Bath all season, yet continues to get better and better. The Hooker will be interesting, Lee Mears ahs played the Rugby of his life and did a good job in the 6 Nations but Dylan Heartly is a monster ready to be unleashed. The only thing going against him is lack of top flight Rugby this past season but he's been there before and in 2 years he'll pretty much be certain to be the starting hooker.
Finally with locks. Nick Kennedy has been outstanding. For all his 'creative forward' England talk Brian Ashton was shown up to be full of BS considering he hardly brought new players in at all and ignoring the mass of new talent at London Irish and Harlequinn's is almost criminal considering he was trying out players who failed at tests level 5 or 6 years ago and had never improved since.....coff coff.....Balshite...coff....coff. Kennedy is a great lock who steals an abnormal amount of lineout ball this season. He should have certainly been given a chance in the 6 Nations. Brothwick has really come into his own this season too and a great choice for Captain.
Overall Johnson has alredy better Ashton's massive selection flaws. Of course he won't be in New Zealand and I doubt Rob Andrew will be any good but this tour an of corse a lot of players should be given their first cap, whatever the result is (and I dont doubt an All Black victory if th Kiwi's want it), it could have a posistive long term outcome for these players for experience and for realising what they have to do to succeed at this level much like the infamous 1997 tour of hell did.
Wales squad to face South Africa in Bloemfontein
1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Matthew Rees
3. Adam Jones
4. Ian Gough
5. Alun-Wyn Jones
6. Jonathan Thomas
7. Dafydd Jones
8. Ryan Jones (Captain)
9. Gareth Cooper
10. Stephen Jones
11. Shane Williams
12. Sonny Parker
13. Tom Shanklin
14. Mark Jones
15. Jamie Roberts
16. Duncan Jones
17. Richard Hibbard
18. Ian Evans
19. Gareth Delve
20. Warren Fury
21. James Hook
22. Morgan Stoddard
Wallabies Squad for tests against Ireland, France and Tri-Nations
Forwards:
Ben Alexander (ACT Brumbies) - Prop
Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs) - Prop
Richard Brown (Western Force) - No. 8
Mark Chisholm (ACT Brumbies) - Lock/Flanker
Matt Dunning (NSW Waratahs) - Prop
Rocky Elsom (NSW Waratahs) - Flanker
Adam Freier (NSW Waratahs) - Hooker
Stephen Hoiles (ACT Brumbies) - Loose Forward
James Horwill (Queensland Reds) - Lock
Stephen Moore (Queensland Reds) - Hooker
Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs) - Lock
Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs) - No. 8
Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs) - Hooker
Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs) - Prop
Nathan Sharpe (Western Force) - Lock
George Smith (ACT Brumbies) - Flanker
Phil Waugh (NSW Waratahs) - Flanker
Backs:
Adam Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies) - Utility Back
Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds) - Flyhalf/Inside Centre
Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs) - Scrumhalf
Sam Cordingley (Queensland Reds) - Scrumhalf
Ryan Cross (Western Force) - Centre
Matt Giteau (Western Force) - Flyhalf/Inside Centre/Scrumhalf
Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds) - Winger
Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds) - Winger
Stirling Mortlock (ACT Brumbies, Captain) - Centre
Brett Sheehan (NSW Waratahs) - Scrumhalf
Cameron Shepherd (Western Force) - Fullback
Lote Tuqiri (NSW Waratahs) - Winger
Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs) - Winger
New caps: Ben Alexander, Richard Brown, Luke Burgess, Ryan Cross, Peter Hynes, Dean Mumm, Lachie Turner
All Blacks squad to face Ireland in Wellington
1. Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes/Wellington)
2. Andrew Hore (Hurricanes/Taranaki)
3. John Afoa (Blues/Auckland)
4. Brad Thorn (Crusaders/Tasman)
5. Ali Williams (Crusaders/Tasman)
6. Rodney So'oialo (Hurricanes/Wellington)
7. Richie McCaw (Crusaders/Canterbury, Captain)
8. Jerome Kaino (Blues/Auckland)
9. Andrew Ellis (Crusaders/Canterbury)
10. Daniel Carter (Crusaders/Canterbury)
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs/Waikato)
12. Ma'a Nonu (Hurricanes/Wellington)
13. Conrad Smith (Hurricanes/Wellington)
14. Anthony Tuitavake (Blues/North Harbour)
15. Malili Muliaina (Chiefs/Waikato)
16. Keven Mealamu (Blues/Auckland)
17. John Schwalger (Hurricanes/Wellington)
18. Anthony Boric (Blues/North Harbour)
19. Adam Thomson (Highlanders/Otago)
20. Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders/Southland)
21. Stephen Donald (Chiefs/Waikato)
22. Leon MacDonald (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Jimmy Cowan and John Schwalger are brought into the squad to cover for Brendon Leonard and Tony Woodcock who are currently injured.
Ireland Squad to face All Blacks
1. Marcus Horan (Munster/Shannon)
2. Jerry Flannery (Munster/Shannon)
3. John Hayes (Munster/Bruff)
4. Paul O'Connell (Munster/Young Munster)
5. Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster/Cork Constitution)
6. Denis Leamy (Munster/Cork Constitution)
7. David Wallace (Munster/Garryowen)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Clontarf)
9. Eoin Reddan (London Wasps)
10. Ronan O'Gara (Munster/Cork Constitution)
11. Tommy Bowe (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins)
12. Paddy Wallace (Ulster/Ballymena)
13. Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster/UCD, Captain)
14. Shane Horgan (Leinster/Boyne)
15. Robert Kearney (Leinster/UCD)
16. Rory Best (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins)
17. Tony Buckley (Munster/Shannon)
18. Mick O'Driscoll (Munster/Cork Constitution)
19. Shane Jennings (Leinster/St. Mary's College)
20. Peter Stringer (Munster/Shannon)
21. Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers)
22. Girvan Dempsey (Leinster/Terenure College)
Last edited by Gyoza; June 5th, 2008 at 8:21 AM.
Springboks squad to face Wales in Bloemfontein
1.Gurthrö Steenkamp
2. John Smit (C)
3. Brian Mujati
4. Bakkies Botha
5. Andries Bekker
6. Luke Watson
7. Juan Smith
8. Pierre Spies
9. Bolla Conradie
10. Butch James
11. Bryan Habana
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Adrian Jacobs
14. Tonderai Chavhanga
15. Conrad Jantjes
16. Bismarck du Plessis
17. CJ van der Linde
18. Victor Matfield
19. Danie Rossouw
20. Ruan Pienaar
21. Peter Grant
22. Percy Montgomery
New Zealand 21 - 11 Ireland in Wellington
For the All Blacks:
Tries by Sitiveni Sivivatu and Ma'a Nonu
Conversion and 3 penalty goals by Daniel Carter
For Ireland:
Try by Paddy Wallace
2 penalty goals by Ronan O'Gara
South Africa 43 - 17 Wales in Bloemfontein
For the Springboks:
Tries by Conrad Jantjes, Jean de Villiers, Pierre Spies, Percy Montgomery
4 conversions and 5 penalty goals by Butch James
For Wales:
Tries by Jamie Roberts and Shane Williams
2 conversions and a penalty goal by Stephen Jones
Analysis of the All Blacks VS Ireland game:
Up front, the All Blacks were all over the Irish. They were superior in the scrums, with Marcus Horan being one of the worst props I've ever witnessed at the test level. The Hurricanes front-row of John Schwalger, Andrew Hore and Neemia Tialata had a decent game, while John Afoa is dreadfully unlucky to get subbed off due to injury. Andrew Hore had a mixed game, as he was tidy in the setpieces but got caught making silly infringements in the rucks. Mealamu showed why he's the no. 1 hooker in the country at the moment when he came on and put in a disciplined performance.
The expected Irish dominance in the lineouts never materialised. Thorn and Williams proved why they were the form second-row partnership in the S14 and they more than stood up to one of the best lineouts in the world.
The All Blacks loosies were also far better than their Irish counterparts, with Rodney So'oialo and Richie McCaw having massive games on the flank. Rodders always played like a traditional blindside flanker when he was at 8 anyway, so the move didn't interfere with his game at all. Jerome Kaino had a solid game that was largely error-free and deserves another look next week. Thomson didn't get a chance to do much, as his first stint was as a bloodbin replacement for So'oialo, while his second was when there was only about 5 minutes of play left. That being said, he didn't embarrass himself and did quite well to strip the ball away from an Irish player in the tackle. He was unlucky to get penalised for that though.
Andrew Ellis had a tidy game, but lacked the dynamism that Brendon Leonard brings. However, he didn't do much wrong. Daniel Carter seemed to struggle in the first half, making some basic errors like kicking out on the full or kicking the ball out on a kick-off. Luckily, both situations were cleaned up by the forwards. He did show moments of greatness though, like when he sliced up the Irish defence to set up Nonu's try.
The backline in general didn't get to do much on attack, due in large part to the conditions they had to play in. It was always going to be a forward-oriented game in that kind of weather. The midfield combination of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith though, were very, very good and it was quite telling when Smith left O'Driscoll for dead when he set up Sivivatu's try in the first half.
Of the Irish, Ronan O'Gara and Robert Kearney were the two best players. O'Gara didn't set the world on fire, but his kicking game overall was excellent and provided some direction for the Irish attack. Kearney was a constant menace with ball in hand and had a tidy game considering the conditions.
Player ratings (out of 10):
New Zealand
1. Neemia Tialata - 7.5
2. Andrew Hore - 6.5
3. John Afoa - 7
4. Brad Thorn - 8
5. Ali Williams - 7
6. Rodney So'oialo - 9
7. Richie McCaw - 9
8. Jerome Kaino - 7
9. Andrew Ellis - 6.5
10. Daniel Carter - 6
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu - 7
12. Ma'a Nonu - 7.5
13. Conrad Smith - 7
14. Anthony Tuitavake - 6
15. Malili Muliaina - 7
16. Keven Mealamu - 7
17. John Schwalger - 7
18. Anthony Boric - Didn't play
19. Adam Thomson - Not enough time to get accurate rating
20. Jimmy Cowan - Didn't play
21. Stephen Donald - Didn't play
22. Leon MacDonald - 7
Ireland
1. Marcus Horan - 3
2. Jerry Flannery - 6
3. John Hayes - 5
4. Paul O'Connell - 7
5. Donncha O'Callaghan - 7
6. Denis Leamy - 5
7. David Wallace - 5
8. Jamie Heaslip - 5
9. Eoin Reddan - 7
10. Ronan O'Gara - 8
11. Tommy Bowe - 6
12. Paddy Wallace - 7
13. Brian O'Driscoll - 6
14. Shane Horgan - 6
15. Robert Kearney - 7
16. Rory Best - Didn't play
17. Tony Buckley - 5
18. Mick O'Driscoll - Didn't play
19. Shane Jennings - Didn't play
20. Peter Stringer - Not enough time to get accurate rating
21. Geordan Murphy - Didn't play
22. Girvan Dempsey - Didn't play
I expected both Ireland and Wales in lose, both are tired, Ireland are shit at the moment and Wales, Wales never travel well
Argentina 21-15 Scotland, all from Paterson's boot.
No change there, wish we could score a try for a change.
This could be one of the defining moments in Snakey's career.
Nick Easter and John Afoa have both been ruled out due to injury. Easter broke his hand during training and will be flying home, while Afoa damaged knee ligaments during the Ireland test and will be sidelined for 4 weeks. Ben Franks has been called in to replace him.
Predictably, the All Blacks have copped it from just about every quarter here by people who seem to expect the All Blacks to win 50-0 every time. The loudest critics have been those on the Robbie Deans bandwagon, like the NZ Herald pundits. They fail to take into account the fact that the All Blacks were playing into the wind in the first half and every point scored is worth 2. Ireland had a strong wind behind them that was worth 10~15 points and drawing level was pretty much a signal that they'd been beaten. Had they played in the kind of conditions the Springboks were enjoying in Bloemfontein, we would've had a similar score to the test match played there. Also of note is that the ABs kept the error rate at a minimum, which is remarkable considering that they played in terrible conditions.
Since I'm hearing about how THE ALL BLACKS ARE ALL LEAVING OMG and I'm getting pretty fucking sick of it, here's something to chew on.
Here are the All Blacks that were fielded at some point last year:
2007 All Blacks:
Forwards:
Ali Williams - 2008 All Black
Andrew Hore - 2008 All Black
Anton Oliver - Over seas
Carl Hayman - Over seas
Chris Jack - Over seas
Chris Masoe - Dropped
Greg Rawlinson - Over seas
Jerry Collins - Over seas, would've been dropped anyway
John Schwalger - 2008 All Black
Keith Robinson - Retired
Keven Mealamu - 2008 All Black
Neemia Tialata - 2008 All Black
Reuben Thorne - Over seas
Richie McCaw - 2008 All Black
Rodney So'oialo - 2008 All Black
Ross Filipo - Dropped
Sione Lauaki - 2008 All Black
Tony Woodcock - 2008 All Black
Troy Flavell - Over seas
Backs:
Aaron Mauger - Overseas
Andrew Ellis - 2008 All Black
Brendon Leonard - 2008 All Black
Byron Kelleher - Over seas
Conrad Smith - 2008 All Black
Dan Carter - 2008 All Black
Doug Howlett - Over seas
Isaia Toeava - Dropped
Josevata Rokocoko - Injured
Leon MacDonald - 2008 All Black
Luke McAlister - Over seas
Ma'a Nonu - 2008 All Black
Malili Muliaina - 2008 All Black
Nick Evans - Dropped, early release to head over seas
Piri Weepu - Dropped
Rico Gear - Over seas
Sitiveni Sivivatu - 2008 All Black
Now, at first glance it looks like half the team has run off, right? Not quite.
36 players overall:
22 available for selection
17 retained
5 dropped
1 retired
13 overseas
1 injured
Now, of the 13 players that headed overseas, most of them were at the end of their careers (Anton Oliver, Byron Kelleher) or were fringe selections anyway (Greg Rawlinson, Troy Flavell). There are 3 players that left to play in Europe that left a bit of a hole to fill, those being Chris Jack, Carl Hayman and Luke McAlister. However, all three have contracts ranging in length from 2 to 2.5 years, meaning they have the option of heading home should they wish to play for the All Blacks again. Gear and Howlett left as they were struggling to make the starting XV, while Evans was a firm fixture on the bench. Weepu, Collins and Masoe are disastrously out of form and with the rise of Kaino, Read and Thomson, Collins had been told that if he wanted to retain the black jersey, he was going to have to lift his performance. 2 weeks later, he announced he was retiring from the international game and Henry has gone on record saying that he didn't notice any major improvements in his playing since their chat.
England players falling like flies sadly. A shame because so many amazing young players have really broken through rather than us still running off the reserves and rejects from the 2003 RWC.
By the way Goyza, what do you think about you Kiwi's not bothering to fill up the stadium against Ireland? First time in 6 years. You lot still stewing at the blacks for the RWC?
There are some mitigating factors in that. The first is the abominable weather. It was probably the worst conditions that a test match has been played in since 2002 when the All Blacks beat Australia in Antarctic conditions in Christchurch. McCaw has said it was coldest night he's every played a test in. If presented with a choice of watching a test match in those conditions or watching it from the comfort of home, the choice is really simple. The other factor is the rising ticket prices. It's the nature of the professional game and ticket prices have been jacked up quite a bit over the years. Third, there's a sense of resentment being promoted by the media who had anointed Robbie Deans their golden boy and there's been a campaign of negativity against Graham Henry since. Right now, it would be about 70:30 in favour of Henry, but that 30% is very, very vocal.
The tide is turning though, with the big two of Carter and McCaw re-signing with the NZRU and committing to the All Blacks for the next 4 years. Winning the next two games, maintaining the unbeaten run at home, retaining the Tri-Nations championship, Bledisloe, Freedom Cup and doing another Grand Slam is imperative for the All Blacks. Since we're playing the Wallabies 4 times this year, a 4-0 cleansweep would be the icing on the cake. They've announced a test match to be played during one of the bye-weeks we get during the Tri-Nationss to be played against Samoa in New Plymouth, which is part of a campaign to win back the hearts and minds, and it is working so far. They've also done the "Birthright" campaign, where a specially made baby-sized All Blacks jersey is delivered by an All Black to any baby born on the day of a test match which is a terrific idea.
It turns out the Cake Tin was nearly sold out anyway, but the conditions meant people left early or before kick-off while people who would've bought the tickets on the day were put off and chose to stay at home. The official figures from the night are over 32,000 in a 35,000-seater stadium. That's about par on such conditions.
Last edited by Gyoza; June 11th, 2008 at 10:50 PM.
All Blacks squad to face England in Auckland
1. Neemia Tialata
2. Andrew Hore
3. Greg Somerville
4. Brad Thorn
5. Ali Williams
6. Rodney So'oialo
7. Richie McCaw (Captain)
8. Jerome Kaino
9. Andrew Ellis
10. Daniel Carter
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Anthony Tuitavake
15. Malili Muliaina
16. Keven Mealamu
17. John Schwalger
18. Anthony Boric
19. Sione Lauaki
20. Jimmy Cowan
21. Stephen Donald
22. Leon MacDonald
England Squad to play All Blacks
1. Andrew Sheridan
2. Lee Mears
3. Matt Stevens
4. Tom Palmer
5. Steve Borthwick (Captain)
6. James Haskell
7. Tom Rees
8. Luke Narraway
9. Richard Wigglesworth
10. Charlie Hodgson
11. David Strettle
12. Olly Barkley
13. Mike Tindall
14. Topsy Ojo
15. Mike Brown
16. David Paice
17. Tim Payne
18. Ben Kay
19. Joe Worsley
20. Danny Care
21. Jamie Noon
22. Matthew Tait
The All Blacks are sticking with the same team that beat Ireland in atrocious conditions, bar one change. John Afoa has been sidelined for 4 weeks after tearing knee ligaments, resulting in Somerville taking his place. Somerville is a great tighthead prop though, so there's no major drama there. Tony Woodcock is still sidelined with injury and hopefully he'll be back next week.
Neemia Tialata has shown he's far more suited to the loosehead role, although he can fill in as a tighthead if need be. He's been improving every year, with a great work-rate around the field, tremendous bulk and great strength. He should be more than a handful for Stevens. Somerville is a great technician. While his physical strength isn't at the level of Sheridan or Hayman, he's a great prop and Sheridan tends to go quiet against those. Tialata will be used as a battering ram, with Yoda acting to contain Sheridan, most likely.
The locks are once again the Crusaders pair, with the ever-green Brad Thorn and the uber-skilled Ali Williams.
Rodders and Fluffy form a flanker duo that breaks away from the traditional blindside/openside combination, with Hansen confirming it's a left/right flanker pairing instead. Rodders is there to provide back-up to Fluffy in the rucks and mauls, relieving some of the workload for him in that area. He's shown he's a great captain as well for Wellington and the Hurricanes, and it's nice seeing the two leaders of the squad working in tandem. They've been playing alongside one another for several seasons now at the test level and they're a tremendous partnership. Jerome Kaino will once again act as the ball-carrier of the three and has been in devastating form for the Blues. He didn't get a chance to show much of that last week in terrible conditions, but he also has a high work-rate, having completely outplayed his Irish counterpart.
Ellis and DC continue on their S14 pairing and they've been playing together consistently for the last few years. Ellis is by far the best halfback we've got, while Carter's Carter.
The pairing of Nonu and Smith is a great midfield combination, with Snakey acting as the brains of the outfit. Nonu can break through any defensive line in the world and has put in a great deal of effort to work out the kinks in his game. Nonu's power means he can open up all the space Snakey needs to do his work, and his best is very, very good, as evidenced by the fact that he left O'Driscoll for dead when setting up Sivivatu's try in Wellington.
The back three from last week are retained, as they didn't get much of a chance to do anything. Ted will probably be looking to see what they're capable of, particularly Tuitavake. Hopefully, he delivers.
Mealamu provides a great impact option off the bench with his tremendous work-rate around the field. He's called High-rev Kev for a reason. He's also 1/3 of the front-row that dealt to the Lions in 2005 and has consistently held his own against larger England front-rowers. Schwalger is in due to his great work last week and the fact that there's another 120+kg prop on the bench must be intimidating. Boric didn't get a chance last week, so he'll probably get a look-in. He has a high workrate around the field and is a very good option off the bench as he can cover 6 too. Wacks replaces Thomson on the bench, and hopefully his work and retaining his match-fitness will pay off. Cowan is capable of steadying the ship and has been a stand-out for the Highlanders and Southland for the last few years. While he has some off-field issues relating to his discipline, he's a great halfback who is reminiscent of Justin Marshall. Stephen Donald missed out last week as well, but he's clearly the no. 2 first-five in the country at the moment and has shown that he has icewater running through his veins, with last-minute penalties that have salvaged the game for the Chiefs on multiple occasions during this year's S14. Another player worth looking out for. Finally, Rangi provides the fullback cover off the bench, and is the form fullback in NZ for the last couple of years. He's also a great steadying influence, so we'll probably see him take to the field at some point. All in all, a great selection by Henry, Smith and Hansen.
Last edited by Gyoza; June 10th, 2008 at 5:53 AM.
1. Andrew Sheridan
2. Lee Mears
3. Matt Stevens
4. Tom Palmer
5. Steve Borthwick (Captain)
6. James Haskell
7. Tom Rees
8. Luke Narraway
Despite the injuries I think up front England are still have a strong, strong force. Stevens should have replaced Vickery ages ago and I look forward to see him establish himself at Test level. Mears was great once he got hsi chance in the 6 Nations and like Stevens has been in superb form for Bath and Sheridan is a scrummaging force of nature, though can be inconsistent on the loose.
9. Richard Wigglesworth
10. Charlie Hodgson
11. David Strettle
12. Olly Barkley
13. Mike Tindall
14. Topsy Ojo
15. Mike Brown
Backs look a bit weaker. All very good players, But all have either not really got test level experience (Ojo, Wigglesworth, Strettle and Brown), failed at Test level (Hodgson, Barkley to some degree) and that leaves Tindall who may not physically be what he was. I'd have gone for Care over Wigglesworth seeing as Care has demonstrated himself to be potentially a sublime Scrumhalf and I'm excited about Strettle, Ojo and Brown who are very talented and dedicated players with something to prove. Hodgson can tear a hole in any defence but his decision making under pressure is always terrible but at least he has Barkley to support him. A shame Barkley hasn't exactly given the impact he should on the international stage but he's good and can take the kicks Hodgson will probably fuc up.
16. David Paice
17. Tim Payne
18. Ben Kay
19. Joe Worsley
20. Danny Care
21. Jamie Noon
22. Matthew Tait
As for the Bench, I don't see anybody but Tait making a massive impact. Noon is solid and Care is utterly an unknown at this point. I like the fact Tait is cover for Full Back, Centre and wing because he is amazing.
Of course it's a real shame, Cipriani, Sackey and Harry Ellis are injured. Easter not so much but Nick Easter is guanteed to make any team some important yards and keep the ball safe. I'm surprised Tom Croft isn't there in the squad because he's an ultrafast work machine who has something virtually no other forward has. I also look forward to Matt Banaman's eventual debute for England, though I see he has a bit of a way to go with his overall game.
Last edited by eldanielfire; June 10th, 2008 at 3:18 PM.
Wallabies squad to face Ireland in Melbourne
1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Matt Dunning
4. James Horwill
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom
7. George Smith
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Luke Burgess
10. Matt Giteau
11. Lote Tuqiri
12. Berrick Barnes
13. Stirling Mortlock (Captain)
14. Peter Hynes
15. Cameron Shepherd
16. Adam Freier
17. Al Baxter
18. Dean Mumm
19. Phil Waugh
20. Sam Cordingley
21. Ryan Cross
22. Adam Ashley-Cooper
Ireland squad to face the Wallabies
1. Marcus Horan
2. Rory Best
3. John Hayes
4. Donncha O'Callaghan
5. Paul O'Connell
6. Denis Leamy
7. David Wallace
8. Jamie Heaslip
9. Peter Stringer
10. Ronan O'Gara
11. Tommy Bowe
12. Paddy Wallace
13. Brian O'Driscoll (Captain)
14. Shane Horgan
15. Robert Kearney
16. Jerry Flannery
17. Tony Buckley
18. Mick O'Driscoll
19. Shane Jennings
20. Eoin Reddan
21. Geordan Murphy
22. Girvan Dempsey
Ali Williams tells it like it is.
Williams backs his coach and blasts referee Barnes
Ali Williams has gone public with his support for embattled All Blacks coach Graham Henry and also given controversial English referee Wayne Barnes a serve as the nation struggles to move on from last year's World Cup.
Williams, in his usual forthright manner, got straight to the point when he was asked about some of the issues swirling around the national game at the moment, most notably the continued unrest in some sections of the media and the public over Henry's position.
After over-seeing the World Cup quarter-final loss to France last year, the heat continues to hover over Henry. As the All Blacks attended a media session, Williams said enough was enough.
"I think it's bullshit really," Williams told Radio Sport when he was asked about the anti-Henry sentiments.
"You have freedom of speech, I have no problem with that and everyone can say what they want to say. But the guy got the job and he's got the same people. Either support rugby or don't support rugby and if you support it, well get behind us.
Williams said the blame for the quarter-final loss needed to be spread wider than just Henry. That included the players and he also made reference to Barne's controversial performance with the whistle where the All Blacks struggled against a lopsided penalty count despite a massive domination of territory and possession in their loss to France in Cardiff.
"It gets to me how much you can attack one man (Henry)," continued Williams. "I'm sure if he was 30 or 40 years younger he would have loved to have been out there trying to do it himself. But the fact is he can't.
"You have to look at some of the ownership that has got to fall on us to as players. You have to look at the ref ... 17 unawarded penalties - that's bullshit.
"I shouldn't be saying this should I," he added.
Williams said he never made it a secret that he felt Henry should continue in the job as Crusaders coach Robbie Deans put his hand up.
"I was right behind him (Henry). I don't know if I phoned him up directly but I did a newspaper thing. I was right behind the guy and I was going into right into Robbie Deans' camp with the Crusaders.
"I don't know if you can blame one guy for one poor result. It's a reality of life."
Williams said the sort of pressures swirling around the All Blacks as they got their new era under way were a little bemusing.
"It's hard to explain as a Kiwi what rugby means outside of New Zealand. If you go over with us and travel with us on a European tour you would be blown away with what people think of it ... the awe that they hold us in is just amazing. And we are just normal guys.
"But when we get here people are into you, why don't you do this, why don't you do that?
"Well as a matter of fact we have a pretty good record and that's not just this group of guys but the years that have gone before us. We bat pretty well for a nation with not that many rugby playing people."
Williams suggested these sort of issues were a factor when players were weighing up their futures.
"I think that's why everyone underestimates when guys look to go overseas - it's not just the money. Yes the All Blacks jersey is great but it has a pretty big price as well.
"We love playing for this team more than anything in the world but sometimes we think enough is enough and we think bugger you, I'm over it."
Williams lines out at lock for the All Blacks in Saturday night's test against England at Eden Park.
It will be the 27-year-old's 48th test and Henry has been a strong supporter of the Auckland second rower throughout a career that has had its high and lows with injuries and off-field controversies.
It seems the feeling is mutual.
http://www.rugbyheaven.co.nz/4581661a22363.html
In other news, Muliaina's pulled a hamstring in training so Paul Williams has been called in as fullback cover. If he's unfit, Leon "Rangi" MacDonald will be called up to the starting XV, with Williams presumably sitting on the bench. Not a bad replacement, really.
Last edited by Gyoza; June 11th, 2008 at 10:56 PM.
Springboks squad to face Wales in Pretoria
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. John Smit (Captain)
3. Brendon Botha
4. Bakkies Botha
5. Victor Matfield
6. Luke Watson
7. Juan Smith
8. Pierre Spies
9. Enrico Januarie
10. Butch James
11. Bryan Habana
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Adrian Jacobs
14. Tonderai Chavhanga
15. Conrad Jantjes
16. Bismarck du Plessis
17. Gurthrö Steenkamp
18. Andries Bekker
19. Ryan Kankowski
20. Bolla Conradie
21. Francois Steyn
22. Percy Montgomery
Wales squad to face Springboks
1. Gethin Jenkins
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Rhys Thomas
4. Ian Gough
5. Alun Wyn Jones
6. Ryan Jones (Captain)
7. Jonathan Thomas
8. Gareth Delve
9. Gareth Cooper
10. Stephen Jones
11. Shane Williams
12. Jamie Roberts
13. Tom Shanklin
14. Mark Jones
15. James Hook
16. T Rhys Thomas
17. Duncan Jones
18. Ian Evans
19. Dafydd Jones
20. Warren Fury
21. Andrew Bishop
22. Tom James
Fucking cheating kiwi's.They're worse than france, they cheat with forward passes an knock on's not being called.
Seriously, a lot of posistives there, the score line flattered the All Blacks whose best period by far was the 10 minutes England were down to 14 men which killed it. However it's still disturbing England seems unable to focus for the whole game like with wales and Scotland. Some mental conditioning is needed for this young side.
In more posistives it's great that the England first choicers were essentially good against the worlds best. Brown was a tad poor and his weakness' exposed (A sahame) Matt Steven's who has been awesome this season hasn't exactly found his form for England recently. Of course Charlie Hodgson was fucking shite, but I flagged that up before. I hope Sales fans finally shut the fuck up about how amazing he is. Barlay should have been the starter 10 seeing as he's better. But then Cipriani, Wilkinson, Geraghty and Flood are better choices but are all injured. I'd give Ryan Lamb a try over Hodgson. he's light weight but a fucing amazing attacker.
My man Haskell was pretty goodas was Rees. Ojo was devestating with his 2 tries. He's certainly made a case for being considered as a starter on the wing and Strettle showed what a good player he is. Danny Care had an unsteady start but showed his potential with that superb kick for Ojo's second.
Matthew Tait has to think what the fuck he has to do to get a game? Actually Anthony Allen has to think what the fuck he has to do to get into the squad. At leats Johnson's selective is demonstrating that he's trying out the new (mostly successfully so far)rather than sticking with the same old failures of the last 5 years.
Also, Ireland are giving the aussies a good game. Dominnating them despite a lack of clinical finishing making the score wank. About the best Ireland performance in a year.
Gyoza, just drop it mate. In the last twenty minutes of that game the All Blacks were tactically naive and arrogant in going for seven points when three points were consistantly on offer. It is that mindset that has prevented you from winning the world cup for so long.
Basically, what I'm saying is, they still had plenty of time to win the game.
It was 20-18 at the end. New Zealand were camped out in the French 22 for much of the final ten minutes and yet wanted a try when a kick would have been enough. Thats the end of the argument, drop it and learn that you are not too good to win games by drop goals.
And, as I recall, there were a host of forward passes that night from both sides that weren't called on, and one in the build up or leading up to a move that New Zealand scored a try from- which has been overlooked by all of your Kiwi scapegoating. All Black mastery of the forward past is legendary.
Positive stuff from England today though. Good stuff, hopefully Johnson can build this group of players into winners. I hate the fact that most people expect it to take a couple of months. Doesn't anyone remember how long it took Woodward to reach the mighty 2003 team?
Good stuff. I'm cautiously optimistic about English rugby again
Ireland's line out is a mother fucking joke. If they had a half decent one they would probably have taken the lead here.
Exactly. Even us English drop the whole "We waz robbed" tirade eventually.
Like with Cueto's try in the final
You seem to be under the impression that it was just the forward pass that is the issue. The source of disappointment and resentment towards Wayne Barnes is the forward pass, his decision to only referee 1 side in the second half and the laundry list of errors he made, which start with 17~24 (depending on who you talk to) missed calls against the French in the last quarter, a hysterical overreaction where he produced a yellow card for an offence that was borderline at best, his ignorance of basic rules of the game like the off-side law, his ignorance of scrummaging laws including what happens when the team that has the put-in gets turned 90 degrees and then his failure to detect a blatant forward pass, with the news that he decided to let the try stand despite being told there was a forward pass in the build up serving to exacerbate things. The fact that we're then criticised for pointing out his ineptitude as a referee because he has a few good games at the club level is just galling. There's an attitude that seems to prioritise referees, placing them on a ridiculous pedestal, with an acceptance of incompetence from them, with hostility being directed towards the people that question this flawed status quo. The referee wasn't the only reason we lost there, but the fact that he had a malign influence on the outcome of the game can not be discounted either. Had there been a competent referee appointed to that match, it would have been a very different outcome. Had it been just the one error, we'll probably say "ah fuck." and leave it at that. Instead, it was one of the worst refereeing displays ever seen at the test level.
I'm sure if it had been the other way, you (and the rest of New Zealand) would have just called the French sore losers.
I'm not arguing that the he wasn't bad, in fact I believe he has not been selected for any forthcoming tests because of poor decisions- but my argument still stands.
Fair point you make though, even though they do both go hand in hand (bad decisions vs New Zealand mentality) I just hate the fact that Kiwi's are still going on about it.
I forgot there was even a sin-binning in that game. What was it for?
Once England lost the momentum, it was the All Blacks that took control of the match. I don't know what game you were watching, since it was England that was flattered by the final score. The English scrum was dominated by the All Blacks, with Sheridan being nullified by Yoda. The rucks and mauls were a free-for-all due to Owens' lackadaisical refereeing there, but the All Blacks definitely had the better of their English counter-parts there. Haskell didn't have much of an impact and was clearly outplayed by Rodders, while Rees, to his credit, did do OK against Fluffy. Tuitavake had a tough time on attack since the ball hardly went in his direction but he was a beast on defence and put a stop to attacks by the English on their left wing. Carter had a much better game against Hodgson and he'll probably improve next week. He's starting to hit peak form, and this is a guy that spent a fair bit of the S14 on the shelf due to injury. The English midfield was absolutely porous in defence, with Barkley and Tindall acting as turnstiles while Nonu and Snakey ran roughshod through them. Thorn was great as usual, while Ellis had a mixed game where he made some basic errors and let himself lose his composure at times, but he also earned us quite a few penalties with his incessant chatter at the ref. Shades of Gregan, there. The areas of concern for us were the line-out where Williams had a poor game by his lofty standards and the fact that once the All Blacks were in charge, they took their foot off the gas and went into cruise control, allowing England to take charge of the last quarter. The players off the bench were quite poor, especially Cowan, Mealamu and Lauaki (particularly the latter).
Lucky not to see red, to be honest.
What makes Williams' statements so refreshing is that Barnes' performance in Cardiff was the elephant in the living room when discussing what went wrong in 2007, because of some ridiculous code where the referee shall not be named. In 1999, the French were the better team in the second half. In 2003, a fired up Wallabies side were the better team on the day and never even let us into the game. This time around, the referee took the game away from us and there's lingering resentment misdirected towards Graham Henry, especially from the sports media who had anointed Robbie Deans as their golden boy and they've turned into a lynchmob since Henry got re-appointed. What Williams has done is point out the elephant and have told people to shut their goddamned traps before they start blaming Henry for all of their life's problems.
So Engalnd controlled the first 20 and the All Blacks controlled the last 20. No concidenc ethat last 20 was when Hodgson was taken off. Hardly flattering to England, especially as Strettle should have scored a try. And lets be fair England's midfield were mostly 3rd choice. Wigglesworth is 3rd to Harry Ellis and Care, Hodgson is about 7th choice after a whole host starting with Cipriani and Barklay is possibly the 4th choice inside centre. Most Englandd fans don't think Tindall should be near the England squad and we're still wondering what Tait did wrong. In his last 2 non-blood appearence he ripped appart the Boks in the World Cup final and smoothly scored a great try against Ireland. And yet Balshaw has played 5 fucking games in that time.
I should add England essentially doesn't ahve a manager. I mean Rob Andrew has never managed a team and is generally regarded as a shite director of Rugby.All Blacks were in charge, they took their foot off the gas and went into cruise control, allowing England to take charge of the last quarter. The players off the bench were quite poor, especially Cowan, Mealamu and Lauaki (particularly the latter).
The team for the next test should be:
1 Sherridan
2. Hartly
3. Stevens
4. Palmer
5. Brothwick
6. Haskell
7. Rees
8. Narroway
9. Care
10. Flood/Barklyey
11. Vrandell/Strettle
12. Flood/Wardock
13. Tait/Noon
14. Ojo
15. Tait/Brown
Results over the weekend:
New Zealand 37 - 20 England in Auckland
For the All Blacks:
Tries by Conrad Smith, Daniel Carter, Malili Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu
4 conversions and 3 penalty goals by Carter
For England:
Tries by Topsy Ojo (2)
2 conversions and 2 penalty goals by Ollie Barkley
Australia 18 - 12 Ireland in Melbourne
For the Wallabies:
Tries by Berrick Barnes and James Horwill
Conversion and 2 penalty goals by Matt Giteau
For Ireland:
Tries by Denis Leamy and Brian O'Driscoll
Conversion by Ronan O'Gara
South Africa 37 - 21 Wales in Pretoria
For the Springboks:
Tries by Jean de Villiers (2), Enrico Januarie and Bismarck du Plessis
4 conversions and 3 penalty goals by Butch James
For Wales:
Tries by Gareth Cooper and Shane Williams
Conversion and 3 penalty goals by Stephen Jones
Argentina 14 - 26 Scotland in Buenos Aires
For the Pumas:
Tries by Juan Fernandez Lobbe and Horacio Agulla
2 conversions by Federico Todeschini
For Scotland:
Tries by Ross Ford and Graeme Morrison
2 conversions and 4 penalty goals by Chris Paterson
holy crap, tries!
It's a rare away win for Frank Hadden's Scotland. It's probably not enough to keep the wolves away from his door though.
Australia now gear up for a 2-test series against France, albeit one that has been crippled by the clubs. England must now regather after being beaten by the All Blacks, who were allegedly ripe for the picking, while South Africa can breathe a little easier going into a test match against Italy.
Sheridan's out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugb...sh/7456115.stm
Big blow.