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Pre Tri-Nations Internationals

Blaze

Banned
The All Black squad has just been named for their Tests against Ireland and Argentina

Collins to captain All Blacks
28 May 2006

Jerry Collins will captain the All Blacks and there were a handful of other surprises when the biggest international squad in New Zealand rugby history was named today for tests next month.


The 40-man squad is divided into 25 players to play in the two-test home series against Ireland, and the starting 15 to play the subsequent test against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Coach Graham Henry has adopted this approach to keep his players fresh following the completion of the Super 14 last night.

Richie McCaw will be captain for the Ireland matches on June 10 and 17 but a surprise appointment was that of Collins as skipper for the Argentina test on June 24.

He has never led his country previously.

There are three new caps, all for the Ireland series - Canterbury winger Scott Hamilton, North Harbour lock Greg Rawlinson and Otago prop Clarke Dermody.

A host of All Blacks not required last year have also been recalled, including Canterbury centre Casey Laulala, Waikato first five-eighth David Hill, and Auckland flankers Jerome Kaino and Troy Flavell.

Eleven players from the Ireland series will be named later to travel Argentina to boost that squad.

The squad for the two tests against Ireland, in Hamilton on June 10 and Auckland on June 17 (25 players) is:

Backs: Mils Muliaina (Waikato), Scott Hamilton (Canterbury), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland), Doug Howlett (Auckland), Ma'a Nonu (Wellington), Casey Laulala (Canterbury), Aaron Mauger (Canterbury), Luke McAlister (Auckland), David Hill (Waikato), Byron Kelleher (Waikato), Jimmy Cowan (Southland).

Forwards: Rodney So'oialo (Wellington), Craig Newby (Otago), Richie McCaw (Canterbury, captain), Marty Holah (Waikato), Jerome Kaino (Auckland), Troy Flavell (Auckland), Ali Williams (Auckland), Greg Rawlinson (Auckland), Carl Hayman (Otago), Neemia Tialata (Wellington), Clarke Dermody (Southland), Anton Oliver (Otago), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Andrew Hore (Taranaki).

The starting XV for the test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on June 24 is:

Backs: Leon MacDonald (Canterbury), Rico Gear (Nelson Bays), Isaia Toeava (Auckland), Sam Tuitupou (Waikato), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Waikato), Daniel Carter (Canterbury), Piri Weepu (Wellington).

Forwards: Mose Tuiali'i (Canterbury), Chris Masoe (Taranaki), Jerry Collins (Wellington, captain), Jason Eaton (Taranaki), Chris Jack (Canterbury), Greg Somerville (Canterbury), Anton Oliver (Otago), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour).

(Note: 11 players from the Ireland series will be named later to travel to Argentina)
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
Wallabies training squad for the games against England was fairly predictable, especially with it being leaked that Turinui wasn't going to be picked. Still cant beleive that Lyons didn't make the training squad.
 

Blaze

Banned
age_master said:
Wallabies training squad for the games against England was fairly predictable, especially with it being leaked that Turinui wasn't going to be picked. Still cant beleive that Lyons didn't make the training squad.
Bill Young was left out as well wasn't he? Although that may not be a bad thing...

Steven Hoiles has been culled from the training squad after Connelly said he needed to put on 6-7 kg's if he wants to play international rugby.
 

KennyD

International Vice-Captain
age_master said:
Wallabies training squad for the games against England was fairly predictable, especially with it being leaked that Turinui wasn't going to be picked. Still cant beleive that Lyons didn't make the training squad.
I was very suprised that Drew Mitchell didnt make the squad either.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
KennyD said:
I was very suprised that Drew Mitchell didnt make the squad either.
:-O

I didn't realise, that didn't rate a mention down here (domehow that doesn't surprise me though). I would have though one of the better young players certainly should have at least been in the training squad.
 

Craig

World Traveller
Rodney Blake will probably get a game for Australia somewhere along the line, certainly a cult hero in Queensland.
 

KennyD

International Vice-Captain
Craig said:
Rodney Blake will probably get a game for Australia somewhere along the line, certainly a cult hero in Queensland.
Im suprised Craigos never got a game for the Wallabies, seeing as he also has cult hero status.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Anything other than two sound thrashings by The Wallabies would be a shock of seismic proportions for us.

Distressing to see how badly the Leicester front row (who could v well be the England front row for the tour) were shredded by a lighter & much less vaunted Sale front three in the Premiership Final. Andy Goode was poo too.

On the plus side we did turn the Baa-Baas over for the first time since before the last WC, but it was a particularly old Barbarians team with a fair few thirty-plussers in there.
 

Craig

World Traveller
Did prop Guy Shepherdson play for the Bay of Plenty a few years back (ie 5?) because I remember reading his name when I was last there in 2001?
 

nibbs

International Captain
all black rugby... boring. bring on the npc and lomu playing for my beloved north harbour
 

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah, the NPC is going to be really exciting this year without the best players in it, and a re-jigged, stupid format....
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Interesting looking England XXII for Oz on Sunday; unhealthy mix of old sweats (White, Rowntree, Catt), blokes in their late 20s & older who hadn't been deemed worthy of a cap til now (Richards, Brown, Chuter, Walshe) & some pacey and/or promising youngsters (Tait, Varndell, Lund, Jones).

I Balshaw (Gloucester); T Varndell (Leicester), M Tait (Newcastle), M Catt (London Irish), T Voyce (Wasps); O Barkley (Bath), P Richards (Gloucester); G Rowntree (Leicester), L Mears (Bath), J White (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), A Brown (Gloucester), M Lund (Sale Sharks), L Moody (Leicester), P Sanderson (Worcester, capt).
Replacements: G Chuter (Leicester), T Payne (Wasps), C Jones (Sale Sharks), J Worsley (Wasps), N Walshe (Bath), A Goode (Leicester), J Noon (Newcastle)

We obviously going to lose, I just hope it's not an embarrassment. Actually, it's obviously gonna be an SH clean sweep, so I wonder who'll lose by fewest? I take the Sweaties myself.
 

Sir Redman

State Vice-Captain
We looked pretty ordinary on attack...our whole game plan seemed to be "pass it back for Nonu to cut inside and the Irish will fall over". Ireland played bloody well I thought; it was only a couple of penalties and some bad decision making that cost them the win (e.g. the chip that led to Flavell scoring). Mind you, we did seem to run them into the ground a bit; they looked stuffed with about ten minutes to go.
 

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