No wonder Steve Hansen produced a feisty response when asked who would start at No8 on Saturday night.
A seemingly innocuous question yesterday about whether Liam Messam would get another run in the position was enough to earn a gruff rebuke from the All Blacks forwards coach who was in no mood to ruminate about who would start against the Springboks in Saturday night’s Tri-Nations match.
Would it be Richie McCaw, who has trained in the position this week, or would Messam get another shot at No 8?
As it happens, neither.
Instead it will be Adam Thomson, the man who played out of his skin in the No6 jersey when the All Blacks beat Fiji 60-14 in Dunedin last weekend, who will pack down in the boot of the scrum at Westpac Stadium.
From Rugby Heaven NZ
The rumours this week were that skipper McCaw that would start at No8 for the first time in his 95 tests, but they have failed to materialise; he has been listed in his regular openside flanker spot while Jerome Kaino starts on the blindside. Still, it will be of little surprise if McCaw gets a fair chunk of time at No8 as Hansen mixes his back row combinations – and that was something the latter did hint could happen as he discussed the need for his back rowers to prove their versatility ahead of the World Cup.
With World Cup spots up for grabs during the Tri-Nations, Thomson appears to be the biggest winner this weekend.
The rangy loose forward has been rewarded with another chance to prove to head coach Graham Henry he has the ability and temperament to force himself into the 30-man squad, while Messam will be wondering when he will get his next shot to prove his worth.
Tossed aside following the domestic tests against Ireland and Wales and then told to concentrate on his running game with the sevens team before injury struck him down last year, Thomson’s stocks following a bright campaign with the Highlanders have continued to soar.
Along with Messam, wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, first five-eighth Colin Slade and lock Jarrad Hoeata have been replaced.
In comes Cory Jane on to the right wing, while Zac Guildford has another opportunity to reinforce his value in his preferred position on the left flank. Dan Carter grabs the No10 jersey and Sam Whitelock joins Ali Williams in the second row.
Sonny Bill Williams has been listed on the bench after being declined the opportunity to suit-up in Dunedin while Kieran Read, Brad Thorn, Owen Franks and Keven Mealamu have again been rested ahead of next weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match against the Wallabies at Eden Park.
ALL BLACKS:
Mils Muliaina, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Zac Guildford, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Adam Thomson, Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Ali Williams, Ben Franks, Andrew Hore, Wyatt Crockett.
Reserves: Corey Flynn, John Afoa, Jarrad Hoeata, Liam Messam, Piri Weepu, Colin Slade, Sonny Bill Williams.
I wish we get a miracalous win and shut their mouths up,… one can dream hey…. No i wish we had a stronger team to wipe that smirk of their face. Eish then again why worry, it is only a trail match. Maybe after all is said and done, THIS is not the game we want to win, leave that one in 10 win, for the World Cup, THAT would be a great time to play out of your skin. So Bokkies please dont win THIS one. Stay kalm.
Under the heading “Smit arrives with Springbok posse of unknowns” this article was started like this-
“Morne Steyn and Wynand Olivier were the first two Springboks to wander into Wellington Airport’s arrivals area. And whichever of the Ndungane twins is in this squad – later revealed to be Odwa – was instantly recognisable as well.
But then it was anyone’s guess. With 21, largely first-choice, players sitting back in South Africa, this lineup would have to rate as one of the poorest, least intimidating Springbok teams to grace these shores”
This must be the most embarasing tour the Springboks ever had. Imagine the mood in the camp with statements like this.
Some of those on this trip with Smit might be good players one day, he said, but not in the immediate future.
“It’s an opportunity,” Smit said
of these two Tri-Nations away matches. “A lot of the boys played in their first test matches [last week] and [there’s] still some boys here without a test blazer. So it’s nice to be able to train with a bunch of guys who are hungry and going for it every second.
“I think that’s certainly a huge sign of good things to come in the future.
“I’ve had some time with these boys and we’re certainly not short of talent and, if you think about the number [of players] that aren’t here and that we’ve still got to bring [back], it would certainly put a smile on your face for the future of rugby in South Africa.”
Just not the present.
As for why the established cream of South Africa’s playing crop aren’t here, Smit was vague. The party line is that they’re all injured, as opposed to being spelled ahead of the world cup.
“That’s what I’ve been told,” he said, poker-faced.
Nonu and Smith running at Jacobs………..expect a big hiding.
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