The Last Reshuffle For All Blacks?

The word on the virtual street this week is that there could be as many as 10 changes to the All Black team to take the field at Rustenberg this weekend against the besieged Boks. Among those 10 changes are some surprises that will probably fail to cause much surprise as the naming of the team seems to be the worst kept secret in international rugby. Who can forget Wallaby claims they knew the starting lineup a week before the first test this season...not that it did them much good getting a twenty point whupping in Christchurch.


Apparently Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman from the starting forward pack for the All Blacks are tipped to return, probably with Andrew Hoare at number 2 to round out the front row. Having dragged John Afoa all the way over from New Zealand it is a bit rough having the big powder puff sitting on the bench, while risking the two most important props in New Zealand rugby in what will probably be the Springboks most doer performance all year. After the allegations of questionable play during the last test match, it'll be interesting to see what, if any, dubious underhanded play comes out this week. Imagine not giving the boys a microphone for the haka so that the Boer crowd could drown them out with shouts of ole, ole, ole.

The second row should be Ali Williams and Chris Jack, provided that the big man recovers from a virus that had him confined to bed yesterday. It would be good to see someone else have a crack and measure how the lineout performs with a different jumper in there, along with a different number 2 throwing the ball in. The top level loose forward trio of McCaw, Collins, and So'oialo should return to take the field this week. I have to add that So'oialo has been playing some superb rugby these last few weeks, getting around the field like nobodies business. He is everywhere that man, watch him for a while and see how well he is reading play at the moment.

The lafbaack should be Jimmy Cowan, getting his first start in quite a while. He will team up with superstar Daniel Carter and Aaron Mauger who returns from his groin injury. Joe Rokocoko and Siteveni Sivivatu return to the wings, and there is some speculation on the full back and centre positions. Some have speculated that Doug Howlett will play in the number 15, presumably resulting in Mils Muliaina playing at centre, or perhaps Isaia Toeava will play there. That would be a big call as Douggie hasn't played at the back for the All Blacks since the test in 2003 against England in Wellington...not many good memories of that game for All Blacks fans.

I would be surprised to see Toeava not in the mix following these comments from All Blacks management during this Tri-nations competitionc learly indicating that they regard him as a major talent, and I would expect a central figure in the World Cup campagin of next year, and subsequent tournaments. Most recently selector Steve Hansen (admittedly the forwards coach) had this to say:

He is a young man and there have been a lot of expectations, and that's a lot to carry around. [On Sunday] he did particularly well after an unfortunate knock on. He had a peak at the try line which is an easy thing to do.

For him to pick himself up from that and play what I thought was his best test was a credit to him.

He defended really well and made good decisions. It was the first time we really got the ball wide against South Africa over the last couple of years and he has to get some credit for that.

His hands in the centres role were outstanding.

One day he will be a super star, I've got no doubt about that. The public and you people [the media] just have to be a little bit patient because we're prepared to be.

We know how good he is. We see it every day at training and we've seen in flashes in the games he's played.

Just give the kid a bit of a chance and sit back and watch this space.

(source: Jim Kayes, stuff).

Kayes goes on to analyse the failures of Toeava in the test match the weekend, claiming that he missed two opportunities to score tries. The fact that he single handedly made the opportunity going toe to toe with the South African winger and missing out by the narrowest of margin on dotting the ball down over the try line when he would have been unsighted? You're joking if you think he deserves criticism for that mate. That would have been a freakish try, and a try that would have justified the huge support he is getting from the All Black coaching staff at this point.

He definitely did cough the ball up once during the game, thus missing an opportunity and a defnite try. That is true, no argument there. But come on, this guy is young, not experienced at this level and will make mistakes because of that. He, and others in the team, need more experience at this level before they will reach their true potential. This is what the rotation policy is for, to blood these guys and get them used to the necessity of taking every opportunity at the top level that is available. You can be sure that Toeava will be wiser for the experience of having played at that level and will add this to his game. The days of throwing young players into the deep end of international test football to see if they sink or swim are over, thankfully, and a more measured approach is at last being adpoted that will bring considerable rewards to New Zealand rugby in the future.

Predictably the Springboks are preparing to dump coach White at the end of the Tri-Nations. Under the guise of a coaching panel to assist Coach White and his Springboks, this Thursday will see the convening of four past national coaches, representatives of 'previously disadvantaged communities', and of course the South African Rugby Football Union. DFesperate to stress that this forum is not an opportunity to stab the coach in the back and do away with him, it is being emphasised by SARFU that this is a constructive forum, to provide helpful advice to coach White to assist in improving the performance of the Springboks. Yeah, whatever. I don't think that you're fooling anyone. He'll get it in the neck like every other South African coach that fails to deliver. The only reason it hasn't happened by now is that there are only two games left in the Tri-Nations tournament this year.

In a positive move, A J Venter has rejoined the Springboks ahead of the clash this weekend, however the remainder of the team has not yet been anounced. We can obvioulsy expect a number of changes to be made to the starting side, with Montgomerey surely deserving demotion to the bench for continuing on his woeful form at the moment. He just isn't up to it, and I would epxect to see Pretorious come into the starting side. However, it is unlikely that any tactical changes at this late stage will see the Springboks reverse the 19 point defecit the All Blacks were able to clock up last week. Coach White put it down to being tired, and playing too much rugby. Well, if that is true they really are shot. It was the All Blacks that were backing up, dealing with jet lag and the hangover from a touch test match the previous week. I don't care where you play or who you are, you cannot get that much fitter in a week. They'll bring passion to the game, they'll do whatever they can to win, but it would be a brave person who would put any money on them successfully shutting down the potent All Black machine at this late stage.