KEY POINTS:
Blues coach David Nucifora has hinted he will continue to shun the reconditioned All Blacks from his next starting lineup after his side became the new Super 14 leaders.
Four returned All Blacks - Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, Ali Williams and Joe Rokocoko - are available for the Blues' next mission against the Chiefs but may get no further than the bench in Hamilton.
Here is the latest selection of your views:
Kyle M
Never change a winning team. Simple. The Blues have struggled when full of All Blacks the last couple of years. How do you tell someone like Rudi Wulf, or Rawlinson "I know we're winning and you are playing the best rugby of your career but you are dropped." You dont.
Jacob Aniterea
In the interest of the team, David Nucifora needs to bring back his ABs this week. Sure the team he has fielded so far have done more than a great job. What happens if they become injured? Theres half a season of rugby left to play and I would hate to think that the returning ABs will only have 2 or 3 games leading into the semi finals (if we make it of course). The current players have nothing more to prove. They are all match hardened. Game time is all the ABs need. Get them in early so that come finals time, not only will they be up to scratch, but you also have a list of other proven players to pick from. PS. They didnt make the All Blacks for being the second best player in their position!
Aaron Subsin
David Nucifora should be letting these blokes get some football under their belts. The whole reconditioning thing is just so the 22 selected could have a proper pre season in a world cup year. Now that they have returned they need to get match hardened before the real games start.
I really have no cares for who wins the S14, as it is shaping as either the Blues or Crusaders anyway.I would rather see our best players match fit and battle hardened in time for the Tri Nats and more importantly France.
Diana
Dont forget - Nucifora is an Aussie! Why would he want to see a great conditioned ABs team?
Robin Ross
Last time I looked David Nucifora was an Aussie. It doesnt take took much to see where his real loyalties are.
Norman
The Blues lineout on Friday was ordinary and has been all season thus far. Why wouldnt you bring Ali Williams into the team?
Robs
Nucifora should take instructions from the All Black coach because at the end of the day it is all about winning the World Cup. Who cares about the Blues winning the Super 14 when the World Cup is at stake?
Darren
On what Chris said about the 4 All Blacks returning to the Blues. Chris, they don't need to prove themselves. They did that last year. Mealamu, Woodcock & Williams are world class and should walk straight back in. Rococoko, well, Howlett is a more complete player that he will ever be. One must look at the bigger picture Chris. The All Blacks should take precedent over all Super 14 teams, because the prize in November is a much bigger one than the prize at the end of May.
Wendy
All I can say is why change a winning combination. Go the Blues!
Graham Medcalf
How the NZRFU must regret having appointed an Australian to coach the Blues. The primary ambition for the NZRFU is for the All Blacks to win the 2007 World Cup. It is why it supported Graham Henry's reconditioning programme. Now this Aussie upstart is the Trojan horse in the All Blacks preparation for their best chance to win a World Cup in 20-years. Imagine if the NZRFU-appointed Nucifora manages to sabotage the All Black World Cup preparations and Williams or Woodcock or Mealamu falter because of a lack of match preparation. What a hero Nucifora will be in Australia, perhaps being rewarded with the Wallaby coaching job. How silly will the NZRFU then look in putting an Aussie in charge of New Zealand's biggest Super 14 franchise.
John
Chris (below) has got it right. The Blues are winning with their current team and doing it well. When I was a kid, I was told you had to earn your place in the team. Your place was not a right no matter what your reputation. This applies to the returning ABs who will earn their places back when they prove they are better than the incumbent. Carter & McCaw for Crusaders are 2 obvious exceptions who on a bad day would be better than anyone else. Carter certainly proved this on Saturday.
Helen
I think that we need to think about the big picture. The ABs need to be match fit, to get to that point, they need to play rugby and not just any rugby...top level. That is Super 14. We have the Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations and the big one, the World Cup coming up. Dont care what anyone says: we need to win this World Cup. Not only is it the 10th anniversary, but it is the one competition which seems to elude us. I dont want to see that put in jeopardy by internal politics and antics which go on.
Dave
Lets face it, that was not a great performance by the Blues. Yes they one won, but they were outgunned in scrums and there were a lot of mistakes. I find it hard to believe that the Woodcock and Williams and the 3rd pick for their positions. When we get to the end of the season and up against Canterbury in the finals we need all of our best players at full pace. Theirs will be!
Simon
Nucifora is a professional coach hired by the Blues. His interest is in the Blues, not the ABs. Just like Real Madrid or Liverpool, he is only biased by form and merit, not by allegiance to an external team. Its the reality of professionalism.
Alex Sibley
All Blacks are All Blacks, thats why they are the best, they should be playing because the are better then everyone else in their position, even if the team is top of the table, this is for the better long term not the first 14 weeks of the Rugby Year.
Matt Brown
So the Blues have been the best of the rest. As soon as the ABs get a lean on, the Blues will be will beaten black and blue.
Lance Beste
Get the process agreed up front. If you make an arbitrary decision to remove players as a coach of one team, then you cannot expect a coach of another team to follow that decision automatically. If the Blues win all is fine except for the All Blacks who are not playing. If the Blues lose so does the coach. It seems the media and Graham Henry have put the coach of the winning Blues in an impossible position. It is also obvious the world cup has been put above all other competitions. It doesnt make sense to put one player above the team so why put one team above all others? The reason the All Blacks have a good team is not just the coach, it is also the rugby levels these people play in from week to week that creates these special players. We hear constantly that the All Blacks cant lose and that the World Cup is in the bag. We have heard this before and managed to lose the cup every time except once. It was a mistake to take the players away from playing and time w ill tell us if this was the right decision but even then we wont know whatever the result if it was a wise decision. Go back to the process and make sure everyone is in agreement next time.
Jessica Howie
I am a Blues supporter and I commend Nucifora for his actions. The Blues have been playing so well this season, the best since they last one the S12 I reckon. Why should the 4 All Blacks come back from a break and automatically be in the starting team. The current starters have earned their spot and shouldnt be punished for not being an All Black. It would be different if the team was playing like crap (i.e. the Hurricanes and even most of the Crusaders) then there would be a reason to start the AB's. I look forward to seeing the Blues win the S14 this year, they deserve it. It will be good to see Williams and Woodcock back but they should start off the bench and only get a starting spot if they do well.
Geoff
We are in a World Cup year! All coaches, including Mr Nucifora should realise that their role is not only to bring the best out of their players, but also to support the national coaches in their objectives. The All Blacks are now faced with the situation of some key players missing out on much needed match play. To sideline the very best talent smacks of sour grapes - and unfortunately I am drawn to comment that one must conclude that one's "state of origin" may be an underlying reason.
Shea Baker
I am a huge rugby supporter and I think what Graham Henry has done has had a lot of ups and downs. Positives probably outweigh the negatives but I cant believe the NZ rugby public expect these All Blacks to have an immediate impact. 3 months out of contact game time will surly take a few weeks to get used to, but I am disappointed that David Nucifora has not given his All Blacks a run especially against a pathetic Waratahs side. This week against the Chiefs will be a much harder task for the Blues away from home and I understand returning them in this game would be hard. That leaves the 4 Blues All blacks possible only making the field for the Blues agaisnt the Cheetahs round 10 which I think is very late for these elite players. But also on a positive note, I think David Nucifora is an amazing coach and dont want him coaching the Wallabies (as he could make them good again). Well done David and good luck for coaching jobs in the future.
Stacey
I thought it was great of the teams that let their All Blacks back and they did a good job too, it will take them a couple of games to get back into it, but also these All Blacks are professionals and mature so they know that they have to get up and play well to prove themselves. It is a pity that the Blues coach is being a bit arrogant and foolish in not letting the All Blacks come back/ Firstly, it was not their choice and secondly they are as good as currently Blues players in their position, if not better. Again he is taking it out on the All Black players and forgets they are not mere children but adults and professionals who will step up and play as best as they can for the team, its not like they are going to go out there and fall on their faces. Come on let them have a go. It is no good for the game and the blues, so lack of management and lack of team spirit from the coaches.
Chris
Last time I checked David Nucifora is the Blues coach not Graham Henry. David Nucifora is paid to do the best job for the Auckland Blues and that is to continue winning games and hopefully win the Super 14. Why would you want to change a winning side that is performing well? Nuciforas only loyalty is to the Blues franchise not the All Blacks. Its up to the returning All Blacks to prove they deserve to be in the team on merit not on reputation.
A Lawson
Nucifora is the coach of the Blues. GH took away 4 key players from him for the start of the season, and the Blues are on top of the table and playing some of their best rugby in a long time. I back Nucifora in this issue, if he doesnt think that they are ready to return then I am not arguing - they seem to be coping pretty well so far dont they? I thought it was arrogant of GH to take away the reconditioning squad in the first place, and even more arrogant for him to now complain, even privately, that returning players are not getting picked. He has meddled with this S14 season enough already - which as a paying season ticket holder I am more than aware of - and should now let the S14 coaches do as they wish with their squads.
