Wallabies ponder key selections
Welcome back!
Robbie Deans will name his Wallabies squad tomorrow as the Wallabies prepare for their most important match of the year. Robbie Deans is likely to make a number of changes with Nathan Sharpe replacing Hugh McMeniman at lock, George Smith returning for Phil Waugh and Berrick Barnes subject to fitness replacing Timana Tahu.
Robbie Deans is also likely to make a change at prop with Matt Dunning returning to the bench and Al Baxter starting the match up front with Benn Robinson and Stephen Moore returning at the expense of Tatafu Polota-Nau.
Adam Ashley-Cooper’s spot at fullback is also under threat from Drew Mitchell as Ashley-Cooper struggled against the Springboks in Johannesburg after returning from a broken hand. The two weeks off is likely to serve him well and Ashley-Cooper may just retain his spot.
The Wallabies are well and truly fired up for this make or break clash and will surely not let the home fans down in Brisbane. It will also be Rocky Elsom’s final match before he moves to play for Leinster on a short term contract. The Wallabies will be hoping to send him off in style and give Elsom something to return to in next year’s Rugby Tri-Nations should he return.
The Ruck and Maul will report the Wallabies side when announced tomorrow.
Cardiff Blues and Leinster in 16 all draw
The two top sides Cardiff Blues and Leinster had a 16-16 draw in action last night. Both sides were evenly matched scoring one try a piece in an tough match that neither side was able to get a clear edge over other at Cardiff Arms Park.
ARU approve foreign players in Super 14
The Australian Rugby Union board today approved the inclusion of foriegn players in the Australian Super 14 teams. The new Foreign Player Policy is highly conditional and restricts each Australian Super 14 franchise to a maximum of two overseas based players.
Australian Super 14 teams will be able to sign one marquee foreign player. This marquee player can be an international player but can never qualify for Australian selection due to the IRB regulation restricting each player to only represent one country throughout their career.
Each Super 14 team will also be allowed to recruit a second developing foreign player who has yet to represent his country at international level in tests, sevens or A-team level. This player can then qualify for Australian selection after three years of consecutive residency.
Super 14 teams can also choose to select two developing players instead of one marquee and one developing player. The ARU has imposed the additional restictions of each bid for a foreign player having to be submitted through the ARU and approved prior to the contract proceeding. The ARU has also restricted these foreign players to only a two year contract at any one Super 14 team.
This change opens the door to bringing in players that would draw a high degree of international appeal to the Australian game. Players such as Sebastien Chabal and Shane Williams would have a tremendous following should any Australian team attempt to bring them to their franchise. It is certainly a smart marketing move from the ARU and bodes well for the game.
Rugby World Cup 2011 announce venues for finals
The Rugby New Zealand CEO Martin Snedden announced today that Christchurch and Wellington would each host two quarter-finals at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and confirmed the previous plans for the semi-finals and final.
Martin Snedden, the former New Zealand cricketer, now CEO of Rugby New Zealand announced the good news today that Christchurch and Wellington will both host two quarter-finals.
The news has been met with great excitement particularly in Christchurch and is a clear indication of the commitment to ensuring the major rugby destinations outside of Auckland get quality rugby matches at the business end of the tournament.
Snedden, went on to confirm Eden Park in Auckland would host the semi-finals, 3rd placed match and the final. Eden Park was chosen on the basis of it being the biggest available stadium and was a clear choice for the major tournament matches.
The four quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of 7-9 October while the semi-finals will be played on the weekend of 15-16 October.
The bronze final will be staged one or two days prior to the final which is scheduled to be played on the weekend 21-23 October 2011.
The bases for the 20 rugby teams will be announced late in 2009, so watch this space for where your favourite team will be based.
All Black Tuitavake out for six weeks
New Zealand All Blacks winger Anthony Tuitavake has been ruled out rugby for six weeks after suffering a fractured cheekbone against Samoa yesterday.
Graham Henry had initially given the all clear for the All Blacks after the clash but scans revealed the worst for Tuitavake. The fractured cheekbone is also likely to affect cost him a role in the remaining Air NZ Cup matches for his team.
Scans have revealed that Tuitavake fractured a cheek bone in the All Blacks victory over Samoa in New Plymouth on Wednesday.
Rugby: New Zealand 101 Samoa 14
The New Zealand All Blacks humbled Samoa running in 15 tries in a 101-14 victory over a depleted Samoan team. The All Blacks were unstoppable scoring quicker than the timeclock throughout the match, at times the All Blacks notched tries with ease.
Mils Muliaina scored three while Conrad Smith and Richard Kahui both scored two tries in the victory. The All Blacks led 47-7 at halftime but the Samoans were unable to withstand the barrage in the second half as the tries started amassing.
Samoa managed to get on the scorebard through tries to Uale Mai and Alafoti Faosiliva.
Hopefully the result will drive the New Zealand and Australian rugby boards to take a more active role in developing the talent in the Pacific Islands to allow them to play more regular international football and retain their most talented personnel instead of losing them overseas.
A good starting point would be to involve the Pacific Islands in an expanded Super 14 or through a provincial New Zealand, Australia, Asia and Pacific Islands competition.
New Zealand 101
Tries: Mils Muliaina 3, Conrad Smith 2, Richard Kahui 2, Adam Thomson, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Ali Williams, Jerome Kaino, Isaia Toeava, Piri Weepu and Penalty Try
Goals: Dan Carter 6 conversions, Stephen Donald 7 conversions
Samoa 14
Tries: Uale Mai, Alafoti Faosiliva
Goals: Uale Mai conversion, Roger Warren conversion
Has Phil Waugh seen the end of his Wallaby career?
Phil Waugh’s test career may be on it’s final legs after his performance against the Springboks in the 53-8 Wallabies defeat in Johannesburg. Waugh replaced George Smith as the starting openside flanker for the Boks clash but seemed incapable of making a difference at the breakdown. Waugh tried valiantly but could not modify his game or make the impact that was expected in such an important clash.
Ironically when George Smith replaced Phil Waugh early in the second half Smith’s presence immediately started to make a difference at the breakdown despite all the momentum still being with the Springboks.
It has often been thought that Phil Waugh and George Smith are very similar players and due to their height are deemed suitable to play the same position. When both have played together the Australian lineout has suffered with neither tall enough to have any impact.
Phil Waugh is a tough and uncompromising player but George Smith possesses a more intelligent game plan using skill and guile against his competitors. Smith is still the only openside flanker in the game that can nullify Richie McCaw and that is saying something as McCaw regarded as the best in the game at the moment.
Waugh’s game is more one dimensional, he is a tough runner and tackles aggressively but does not provide the creative options that George Smith provides. Perhaps now is the time to bury the career of Phil Waugh and give Richard Brown for the Western Force or Stephen Hoiles the role with the Wallabies, both possess a high workrate and the skill or raw aggression in Brown’s case to intimidate the opposition.
Rugby Preview: New Zealand vs Samoa
New Zealand will take on Samoa tomorrow night at New Plymouth in New Zealand in what will be almost a training run for the All Blacks. Samoa who have not been able to secure the release of their big stars playing in New Zealand or Europe will struggle to be competitive but will naturally give it their all in true Samoan tradition.
New Zealand have a test strength side and will not show any mercy against their Pacific Island rivals in what is a real David and Goliath clash. The Samoan’s have built their team mostly from the major sides in Samoa and seem hardly prepared for the clash ahead of them.
Samoa’s captain Filipo Levi will have his work cut-out trying to pull together the disparate group of players with an aim to be competitive. Only the most vervent Samoan supporter would expect that Samoa could pull off the biggest upset of the decade.
The All Blacks will be without Richie McCaw who is still recovering from a rib injury that was incurred in the Springboks match in South Africa. The All Blacks will be keen for a tough hit out before the Rugby Tri-Nations decider next week and Henry will push his troops hard for a big result.
What will worry Henry most is any potential injuries that his players may incur against the tough Samoan’s. This is likely to be his only concern but the All Blacks have to be careful they do not fall into the same trap as South Africa. South Africa smashed Argentina the week before they lost the crucial match against the All Blacks 19-0 at home.
The Argentina match was supposed to prepare the Boks but in fact did the opposite and it could be perceived as having cost the Boks the match as they did not deliver the intensity required against the All Blacks. This is what Henry will worry about along with any potential injuries to his stars, particularly Dan Carter.
The Ruck and Maul Verdict: All Blacks by 64.
New Zealand
Mils Muliaina, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Anthony Tuitavake, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So’oialo, Adam Thomson, Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Anthony Boric, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Sione Lauaki, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava, Rudi Wulf.
Samoa
Alatasi Tupou, Reupena Levasa, Pale Toelupe, Jerry Meafou, Esera Lauina, Uale Mai, Notise Tauafao; George Stowers, Alafoti Faosiliva, Semo Sititi, Chad Slade, Filipo Levi, Heroshi Tea, Loleni Tafunai, Simon Lemalu.
Reserves: Lafoga Aoelua, Roysiu Tolufale, Maselino Paulino, Simaika Mikaele, Junior Poluleuligaga, Roger Warren, Romi Ropati.
Could the All Blacks tour the Pacific Islands?
Graham Henry has discussed the possibility of the New Zealand All Blacks touring the Pacific Islands. Henry mentioned the possibility in the lead-up to the clash with Samoa tomorrow.
Henry indicated that the opportunity to travel to the Pacific Islands would be a worthwhile idea but it needed to be considered within the already packed Rugby calendar.
There is no doubt that the idea of the All Blacks travelling through the Pacific Islands would be a good idea as the All Blacks would generate massive interest among fans in the places like Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. A tour would also provide some recognition for the contribution the Pacific Nations have made towards the Australian and New Zealand rugby union’s.
Do you think the All Blacks should tour the Pacific Islands?
I think it would be great for the game and perhaps they could interchange with Australia every second year to help build momentum in these rugby nations.
Wallabies enjoy break before All Blacks decider
The Wallabies are having a week off after their woeful performance against the Springboks in Johannesburg. The 53-8 loss is thr worst in Wallaby history and has caused the critics to line up Robbie Deans and the team for critism. Some of it rightly deserved and some perhaps a little over the top.
Wallabies legend Mark Ella was one of the most savage in his article in the The Australian newspaper. He took particular aim at Robbie Deans declaring that he had to be held solely responsible for the defeat, he went on to detail, “It is back to the drawing board for Wallabies forward coaches Jim Williams and Michael Foley as our lineout was a disgrace with numerous crooked throws and a wobbly scrum. If our set piece performs like this against New Zealand, the score could reach triple figures.”
Mark Ella is correct in that the scrum and lineout were terrible, Horwill and Benn Robinson can hold their heads up high but the other tight five, especially Tatafu Polota-Nau and Matt Dunning were terrible in the scrum and the lineout throwing of Polota-Nau failed to give the Wallabies any platform.
Where I believe Ella oversteps the mark is in critising Robbie Deans. While the performance was clearly very poor lampooning Deans is hardly sensible considering the quality of coach he is and the fact it is still year one in what is a four year plan. Deans will be judged not on how well he performs in year one but if the Wallabies can reclaim the World Cup in 2011.
Deans has proven with the Crusaders that he can achieve real results and I expect win, lose or draw the Wallabies will put up an almighty fight in the last Rugby Tri-Nations match of the series against the All Blacks.
What do you think of Robbie Deans coaching to date, can he achieve success for the Wallabies by leading them to a Rugby Tri-Nations win?