KEY POINTS:
Reconditioned halfback Piri Weepu has been replaced by Andrew Ellis in the All Black World Cup squad.
Coach Graham Henry said Weepu was dumped because he had not played particularly well during the test schedule.
Do you agree with the players chosen for the All Blacks' World Cup campaign? Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Warren Bangkok
I see the "Ruben blades" are out again.
Thorne is a completely different player to the likes of JC - he is perhaps the traditional number 6 - he is in the tight all the time and committing the opposition forwards to the ruck/maul. This allows the backs the freedom of movement to score tries without running into a Berger et al. To blame Thorne for the loss to Australia is a pure nonsense. Remember Marshall being hit late by Smith? Rangi playing at centre? Tana on the bench? Ruben has been part of the best franchise in world rugby the Crusaders and when they win they sing "Ruben Thorne Ruben Thorne Ruben Thorne" - these guys are showing the respect for a man that puts up and shuts up. The people showing this respect are not 3rd grade rugby players, not talk back callers or hosts, not arm chair critics but real tough rugby players who have won more titles than anyone else. Perhaps the rest of the country should follow Ruben's example - and just shut up. I thought Smith and Masoe were lucky to be there, Ellis and Luaki are good selections but we need real cover for Richie. Rico must wonder what he has to do.
Oliver
Am sick of everyone detracting from Thorne, just because he isn't running the ball up every play doesn't make him a poor player. Agree with Neill R that McCaw does play a lot better when Thorne is on, and he is in every ruck unlike Collins who seems to be waiting for the pass (not saying he's a bad player). Thorne should most definitely be in the team, as for someone saying Nonu should be in it. His form is worse than Weepu's.
Macus Joseph
This has got to be Henry's most stupid decision to exclude Weepu and Flavell for Thorne and Ellis, what a joke. Cleary Weepu wasn't the only out of form AB this year. Henry should give us the real reason for omitting Weepu. And what about Thorne? Mate, you say it's for leadership, where was this great leadership in the 2003 world cup? Third place that's where. So Weepu gets dropped for a fifth stringer, and Flavell for a choker. Get it together Henry and put them in, or we will once again come home with third place. Weepu and Flavell for Thorne and Ellis. Just remember Ellis has little experience and Thorne just isn't good enough to be a Black, send him to the Wallabies where he belongs.
Jason (Brisbane)
The selectors pretty much got the squad spot on. Weepu or Ellis? Doesn't matter as Weepu wouldn't have got much game time as number 3 halfback. Laulaki was a smart selection as he can roughen up some of those big Aussie and French forwards at the 60 minute mark. The All Blacks just need to settle on their preferred centres pairing and let them get game time with each other. I just pray the ABs don't lose this world cup, I probably won't get that excited if we win cause I expect it but lose and I will have to leave OZ as I'll never put up with all the sledging for another four years!
Ron
During the world cup I reckon that Rueben Thorn should be benched and Collins instead of him. Oliver can't throw but Kevin can.
Liam
I hope they show some vision and put Conrad Smith in the starting XV at centre. Sure he hasn't had a lot of game time this year, but he's the classic centre - he can find the gaps in the midfield, straighten and pass to his wings. Other centres in the squad simply don't do this e.g. Mils Muliania. When used at centre he does a pretty good job of running across field and crowding out his wings. A good centre should be looking to giving his wings the ball with space. Smith is the only man for the #13 jersey with this in mind.
Black Pearl
Here we go again, the pressures on. The year is 2007 and the NZ economy depends on the results of the RWC 07. Just hope that AB's don't choke again. Go the bees!
LM (Auckland)
Reuben over Troy, is this a joke? Troy locked the ABs vs the Springbok A team in SA and the ABs won. Troy played a full game, has played almost every week for the last 17 weeks. Followed up with a great first half against Australia in Australia. He got subbed and the forward pack went to mud. So much for Chris Jack! Troy is athlete and a beast. The only time you see Thorne is when he misses a tackle, which happens often enough these days. Chris Jack used to be awesome, now he is average. He can't lead a maul the way Flavell can, and Jack just isn't the lineout force he once was. These bad selections are bad omens for the RWC.
Matt (Takapuna)
It seems 90 per cent of the people commenting feel that the AB's need x factor to win the world cup when in fact all they need to do is not self-destruct. The ABs are invariably the no.1 side in the world and can win the WC with a smart game plan and composed players. If they use the pick and go with support around the ruck and kick intelligently they will win the WC. If Graham Henry thinks he will win the WC playing an expansive lateral game he is dreaming. I sincerely hope he has learnt from the errors of the past and will employ a true test match game plan. One that revolves around forward dominance and going forward, with some frills from the backs when the occasion presents itself. NZ has the key elements that have been present in all the previous WC winners: a world class captain, a world class goal kicker, and a world class first five. This ABs team under Henry has the potential to achieve greatness, whether they achieve this will depend on their ability to understand reality and escape the expansive dreams that have thwarted our WC efforts in the last 20 years. Play the game with brutal accuracy and ruthless efficiency. To me this is exciting rugby.
Lorenzo (Rome, Italy)
Lauaki ok, but Ellis? I guess that Piri Weepu is better, with more international experience.
Sam Owen (Sydney)
Thorne - Team man, solid, teacher.
Flavell - Peaked too soon.
Weepu - Good player, too tight, didn't click.
Ellis - Investment for future.
Lauaki - Conan the Tongan.
Nonu - Plays Union like a league player, no idea.
Oliver - 9 yrs - he's got to throw one right soon!
Sommerville - Only need him for 20 mins.
AB's to win all games by no less than 20 points.
Jack (London)
I'm so pleased that Sione Lauaki and Keith Robinson have made the squad. Would have liked Tom Willis and Marty Holah in as well. (No, I am not from Waikato.) There is one big weakness in the squad, it is in the backs and that is in the selection of the three soft centres; Toeave, McAlister and Smith. They all can run with the ball, however all three are passive tacklers and astute coaches of France, England, Australia and the 'Boks will aim big runners at the choirboy look-a-likes knowing that is the ABs weakness. After years of tough centres like Joe Stanley, Frank Bunce and Tana we now have three softies. I've watched Maa Nonu play against the very best at Twickenham and Dublin in the past few seasons, for me he is the perfect tough and line-breaking player to bring off the bench. To those of you (it would seem most of domiciled NZ) who say he can't tackle, have a look at his tackle on the Irishman, D'Arcy. When the ABs get beat (like in Melbourne) it will be through the centres. The selectors have forgotten that someone in the centres (like the three icons mentioned above) must be tough. I wish the All Blacks, Good Luck.
Bill
I am sick and tired of reading about the poor Maori boys being left out of the All Blacks, and the drivel about Quotas. In this country we have a Maori All Black Team, but I don't see an All White All Black team. Now that would be racist. I do believe that if players were picked on form, Not only Piri would have been dropped, but that slow fumbling bumbling Byron should have been dropped also and replaced with Jimmy Cowan. It's time you North Islanders started watching the games completely and not just bits and pieces. Thorne is a worker in the forward pack, but doesn't get a mention from the North Island Commentators because he is not a flashy player just a hard worker. Would have been good to have Troy there, two mins from full time in the World Cup Final, and what happens, Troy decks someone gives away a penalty and we lose again, yes it has happened several times before. Good mix in this team.
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