All Blacks squad named

Forwards:

John Afoa - Auckland (30)
Corey Flynn - Canterbury (12)
Ben Franks - Tasman (7)
Owen Franks - Canterbury (22)
Jarrad Hoeata - Taranaki *
Andrew Hore - Taranaki (50)
Jerome Kaino - Auckland (37)
Richie McCaw (capt) - Canterbury (94)
Keven Mealamu - Auckland (83)
Liam Messam - Waikato (6)
Kieran Read - Canterbury (30)
Adam Thomson - Otago (17)
Brad Thorn - Canterbury (50)
Samuel Whitelock - Canterbury (13)
Ali Williams - Auckland (61)
Tony Woodcock - North Harbour (74)

Backs:

Daniel Carter - Canterbury (79)
Jimmy Cowan - Southland (44)
Israel Dagg - Hawke's Bay (6)
Andy Ellis - Canterbury (18)
Hosea Gear - Wellington (6)
Zac Guildford - Hawke's Bay (4)
Richard Kahui - Waikato (11)
Mils Muliaina - Waikato (94)
Ma'a Nonu - Wellington (56)
Colin Slade - Canterbury (1)
Conrad Smith - Wellington (45)
Isaia Toeava - Auckland (30)
Piri Weepu - Wellington (44)
Sonny Bill Williams - Canterbury (4)

* New All Black
Number of Test caps in brackets

I should have added that this is from the allblacks.com site and that there are some additional players included because of injury:

"Four players named in the Investec Tri Nations squad are recovering from injuries – Tony Woodcock (foot), Isaia Toeava (hip), Hosea Gear (hamstring) and Israel Dagg (thigh muscle) – so the All Blacks selectors have also announced that four players will assemble with the squad as injury cover: Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett, Hurricanes winger Cory Jane, Chiefs winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and Highlanders winger Ben Smith."

hold on Cory jane and Sivivatu werent in the original team? i thought they were pretty good

Cory jane's had a bit of a quiet super 15, so no real surprise. Sivivatu spent a fair bit of the season injured. I'm quite glad Jane and Smith are in as they have educated boots. I think the modern cover defence's have worked out how to cover the AB's support lines. I think a kick on the run by the oputside backs may unsettle the defence.

We're Doomed!
dooooooomed I tells ya!

Still on the bright side Wales will be knocked out by Fiji or Samoa so no need to worry about a final against New Zealand!

Not a lot of surprise there, other than Hoeata.

I would've had Wyatt Crocket as one of the first names on my team sheet. Can't believe he's only in a injury cover.

Personally I thought Rokocoko had a better super rugby season than Siti, and I rate Hika Elliot over Flynn and Hore.

John Afoa and Andy Ellis? Hmmm....

Anyways, I'll trust Henry since he seems to know more about rugby than I do.

Squad more or less as expected,with some notable omissions Crockett,Cory Jane, Sivivatu,Ben Smith,on injury stand by.
Many off the squad have had long periods of injury,are not yet match fit or indeed fit at all.
Boric is a notable absentee due to injury,and chances that players currently injured will make it.
NZ are in the position to have a shadow squad on standbye to cover RWC injuries with a minimum of trouble
Some of the selections are contentious and is a matter for .many fans who
should be selected.
Crockett would be my personal choice over Afoa,but the fact he covers both heads,at a pinch Hooker,and is an experinced member of the squad
was probably the main factor.

I was surprised Freuan hasn't been given a chance to show what he can do at International Level, although Henry has said he's one for the future. Looks like they've pretty much gone with the tried and tested players though - nothing unexpected.

Chuffed for Ali Williams - great to see him back after the last couple of years he's had.

John Afoa is pretty much certain to go to the World Cup then?

Cant believe anyone is questioning Afoas selection. I have watched the Blues all season and would argue that between him and Toeava as to the blues best player in the S15. I would argue he is the form TH in the Super 15 and i say that as someone who would much rather he was dropped and could come north sooner.

Mighty relieved Payne wasnt selected though it just shows the depth in NZ rugby. No fruean either :run2:

[quote="
Mighty relieved Payne wasnt selected though it just shows the depth in NZ rugby. No fruean either :run2: [/quote

After his semifinal performance he was lucky not to be tarred and feather and made to fly to the UK under his own steam

how can they leave out Rene Ranger?

Stating the obvious it is 10,july not early September,all three 3N sides have now declared there 3N squads,SA has only 3 established members of the old side.
Australia have named 40 including the whole REDS side,the All Blacks 34 so far.
The World cup squads may be very different,players like Ranger,Todd and Luke Braid.Aaron Crudon may yet figure in the final set up.
A specalist7 may be picked for RWC,rather this squad with many established
combo`s than the musical chairs preceding 2007.
Some of those named won`t start much before RWC,some need game time to get match fit,some need rest etc.
It looks like the All Blacks adhering to principles long established.to which I applaud them for.
EVERY match matters 3N,Bledisloe,just as much as a RWC match,you EARN the shirt.You have to show week in week out you are better than the incumbent.
If you get an All Black shirt you`ve earned it,AB selectors are often a ruthless lot.
Established players ,who have`nt really done anything wrong suddenly dropped for a up and comong player.
RoKococo game in and out has played his heart out,yes he may have lost some pace.yes he may not have his once great strike rate.
But his game has developed he is constantly working,creating chances for others,cleaning out rucks,give him the ball 30 metres out he wil still make the line.
This year the Wellington players have under achieved due mainly to both injuries and internal politics.
Cory Jane on the outer,Crudon not picked,Gear,Weepu,Smith all been injured needing match practice.
Fruen started well but has been in and out,ranger got injured at the wrong time serendipity,come 2015 players like Luke Whitelock,Cane,and Anscombe knocking on the door.
With 3Ns finishing only a fortnight before RWC starts its a fair bet some of these will be injured.

Cowan, Ellis, Weepu. That is probably their best at 9.
Slade as back up for Carter, and no Cruden.

A very good squad, but we never expected anything else.

It is clear that Graham Henry didn't want to take too many chances and tried to stick with experience.

I am a little surprised with nonu, I thought there were some issues with him at his franchise. Obviously Henry believes in him.

Great to see Ali Williams make the squad. A player respected all over.

At least Stephen Donald can start early at Bath then!!

It does look that way Bathmad, lets hope it hasn't effected him too much as he must be gutted to be missing the World cup in his own country.

Andy Ellis is pretty average, I'm surprised New Zealand can't do better than that. I guess the hope must be that Weepu and Cowan stay fit, although even then, neither are particularly special.

Otherwise the squad is as you'd expect, strong in all areas.

nganboy wrote:[quote="
Mighty relieved Payne wasnt selected though it just shows the depth in NZ rugby. No fruean either :run2: [/quote

After his semifinal performance he was lucky not to be tarred and feather and made to fly to the UK under his own steam

BY that logic half the all black squad there should be made to do the same. Nonu (and indeed) most of the Hurricanes were dire for the best part of the season. Add to that Corey Flynn, andrew Hore, (even Mealamu), Andy Ellis and nearly everyone has has a shocker at one point or another. Im not suggesting Payne should have been included but 1 bad performance doesnt undermine a seasons form imo.

Biltong Nonu plays better in the black jersey. Henry has faith in him and gets the best out of him to no issue there.

FunnyexiledScot 9 is our weak link. There are no truly world class 9s in NZ.

I expect (and want) Jane to play the 3N. He's another that turns it on in the black jersey.

Expected Todd to be there which indicates Thomson will be given time at 7. Crockett very unlucky.

Also astonished Elliott didn't get in ahead of Flynn after his debacle throwing in on Sat. I'd say his scrummaging doesn't make up for that weakness.

rugbyman wrote:how can they leave out Rene Ranger?

Agreed!! I'd completely missed that one. Even if not starting - great impact player off the bench (see semi-final against the Reds).

digitalshade wrote:

rugbyman wrote:how can they leave out Rene Ranger?

Agreed!! I'd completely missed that one. Even if not starting - great impact player off the bench (see semi-final against the Reds).

Ranger's not had a great season - being demoted to the Blues bench isn't a great way to enhance your ABs prospects.

I can't help but think that perhaps GH is making the mistake of correcting the errors he made last time, rather than worrying about what the right thing to do this time is.

He seems to be selecting experience over form...I would've thought that was a better option post 3N if results weren't yielded. He's giving himself nowhere to turn on some fringe selections like Ranger or Maitland for example.

If last year told us anything (the emergence of Dagg, Jane, Gear) surely it is that you have to pick the guys providing the results rather than err on the side of either youth, experience or reputation.

I think Maitland has been unlucky. I know he’s been injured for long periods of time, but he has looked very good in the games I’ve seen.

I think Crocket is very unlucky too.

Also I don’t see all of the fuss with Toeava. I know he’s a very good player, great speed, powerful, good hands, but the way the New Zealand press rave about him is ridiculous.

If he’s so good why has he never nailed a position in the Blacks starting 15?

He’s been around for an age now and has never been considered a starter on the wing, centre or fullback. And when you consider all of the players who have come and gone in those positions over the years! Some of which haven’t been that good.

Toeava was exceptional any time i saw the Blues. I agree that it has taken him some time to fully deliver but he was excellent for the Blues this season

Agree on Toeava. Looks sharp on the wing, solid at full back and capable in the centers...but would he ever be first pick in any of those spots over Mils, Gear, Nonu or Smith?

He still seems to lose the ball in contact too easily, make silly handling errors and his head goes down too easily when he messes up. That last point would be my major worry.

Perhaps he should switch to a problem position for NZ, like 9 for instance.

The problem with New Zealand is that they have so much depth and talent at 11,12,13,14,15 so Henry sits with a conundrum of whether he picks experience, form or combinations.

Plus he doesn't want to take to many chances by removing all the experienced players from the equation, so thereby trying to balance it.

question is if you bring in Ranger and Freuan, who do you take out?

Excellent point Biltong. Perhaps NZ should experiment with a new team structure. A front row and 12 backs.

TheGreyGhost wrote:Excellent point Biltong. Perhaps NZ should experiment with a new team structure. A front row and 12 backs.

Could work, only problem would be line outs.

Yeah, but NZ's lineout couldn't really get much worse

I was going to say that, but didn't want to be facetious.

No real surprises there in the squad. There is the injured lot which throws out a lifeline to fringe players like Jane and Crockett to prove their worth.

The difficult thing to do is juggle which injured players do you keep and when do you give them some rugby to prove that their keeping was worth it? Plenty of time yet for recovery but limited time for proving your match fitness and form.

Good to see the faith kept in Nonu. The feel good story is the return of Ali Williams. You have to salute the guy in his hunger for the black shirt doing his stint in England to get himself back into top flight rugby. Maybe his story will remind other players of the mana of the black shirt.

Well done to the Reds on the weekend. Can´t help but think that feeling of disappointment amongst the Crusader all blacks is a timely reminder of what is at stake here. Luckily Australia seems likely to stay on the other side of the draw as they are a confidence side and will be itching to get stuck in with this euphoric feeling sweeping over them at the moment. But in searching for positives, hopefully the Crusader ABs will be rested now and made to feel the hunger for trophies.

I thought Toeava had become 1st choice on the wing by the end of the AIs - mainly because he's quicker than Jane, who I'm a fan of.

I do think Toeva's versatility hasn't helped him - his best position is probably fullback, but getting a start ahead of Muliaina over the last couple of years would have taken something special.

I thought the only game where Toeava excelled on the wing was the Scotland romp. Not to say he was awful elsewhere but the Jocks didn't exactly put much pressure on the ABs and I thought it was a little presumptious of people to say he'd moved ahead of Jane based on that performance.