Predictable Team Named Today - Seven Changes to All Blacks

The All Blacks team was anounced today with seven changes to the team that faced South Africa. In essence the changes make the team the same as that which dispatched the Wallabies by 20 points in their last clash, bar one. Ali Williams has returned to the starting line up ahead of Mullet Man Eaton to lock in combination with Chris Jack.

As discussed in previous posts, the return to the so called 'first fifiteen' will reignite debate in New Zealand over devaluing the All Black jersey, and also stoke the fires of those who felt the changes to the All Black team to face Africa were 'arrogant'. Parhaps though, it does at least call into question the rotation policy, as it appears to have been put on hold. When the Bledisloe Cup is at stake, it would seem wise to go for your best team. For the complete team, click here.

The match this weekend will definitely be the toughest so far for the All Blacks who are now facing a Wallaby team at home that thrashed South Africa by a record margin and are riding high on the confidence front. It will be imperative if New Zealand is to win, for the All Blacks to cut down on the error rate and to improve markedly on the lineout performance of last week.

Widely predicted in the Australian media, the team anouncement today has come as no surprise. The Aussies anticipated that the team they faced was and is NZ's best, and that they woud expect to play against nothing else this weekend. They're right, to win the game at the weekend, NZ will have to field it's best team, and they will have to play at their very best to triumph. Except perhaps at scrum time. For more Aussie reaction, click here. Also, this article from yesterday reads as a fairly accurate analysis of the two teams and the game that is shaping up this weekend. Click here to read the article that focusses on Tuqiri's opinion of the game and how much his team has improved. This game should be a cracker and I am looking forward to the media latching on to this one and the shots that will be fired in the build up to the clash of the best two teams in the Tri-Nations.

Aside from the naming of the All Blacks team this weekend, there hasn't been a great deal else going on today. One article of note about the famous Casnozza incident can be read here. I mean come on, 14 years ago, I think it might be time to let that one go and move on. In any event, who really believes all this "I just want an apology" rubbish? If anyone does apologise, the first reponse they get is "Do you think saying sorry makes it alright do you?". Might as well carry on about an apology for bowling the underarm ball...even if it does happen it wont make a jot of difference as people like to have something to complain about. that identifies the opposition as scurrilous rogues who resort to cheating on a regular basis against your own hard fighting honest and true team.... Something tells me that Richard Lowe may not have been the force in world rugby that he was now that there is video replays and citing comissioners and all that other stuff to ensure that there is no place for that sort of thing in today's game...I think Carozza will be waiting a while for an apology on this one.

Bring it on!