Hang on… most wings and full backs were selected due to their running ability prior to the current SH trend for kicking. When did coaches ignore the fact that their back three might have problems under a high ball? Rokocoko is simply out of form.

I’m not sure why anyone should be worried about the Boks. They hardly flexed their muscle at all this year. If that’s the best they can do, I’m not phased.

‘Or a combination of both. And I’m pretty sure that’s what Spiro was describing in his article.’

I don’t think so which is why there is no reference to tight forward play.

A cople of points in contention…

1. The Pumas played the bomb kick and chase strategy effectively in the 2007 WC and were defused by the Boks in the semi final. The Bomb Kick is a good counter strategy to rush defence propagated by Jake White and then adopted the following year by other teams like wales which gave them the 6 N title.

2. “and if a cross-kick had been caught in the last play could have won the Test.” last time I heard the catcher must be behind the kicking line when the ball is launched. The camera clearly shows in line that the AB players were waiting well ahead of the kicking line, clearly offside… in fact the legality of the preceding McCaw catch and try is highly questionable. The last AB try attemps were desperate rather than stratregic and they were just lucky to get away with it as Graham would have put it…”they got the rub of the green that time”.

It’s early days yet, but I think the coaching shake-up is a good move, and I like the fact that the players have pushed for a forward platform. The wing situation may be a ploy to diffuse the high ball situation, but it also addresses the fact that Rokocoko is and always was an 11. You really need a different type of player to complement your 11, ala Williams/Batty, Wilson/Fraser, Kirwan/Wright and Wilson/Lomu, otherwise you end up attacking the same way down both sides.

Hopefully, we’ll peak for the game against France and go undefeated on tour. We’ll see how brave Henry is in terms of giving new caps significant game time. I hope he gives one or two players an entire Test against the likes of Wales, England and France. It’ll also be interesting to see how big an effort the NH sides make to copy the successful French and South African tactics against NZ. If we can get through this tour with reasonable performances, I think the year will have been a minor success.

If a player can slot straight into a starting position with the Wallabies, never having played a super game – what does that say exactly for the coaching staff of Australian super teams?

The only exception would be if we had a run of injuries in some specialist positions – and needed some very last minute stop gaps.

The fact that blokes are getting picked from NZC shows why Australia needs an equivalent. Can you imagine a bloke getting picked for the Wallabies from club rugby? Some would argue Dave Dennis is an example, but he was in the Tahs squad, so he is a professional player. Other than the S14 players, Aussie club players are semi-pro at best, so the step up to the Wallabies will be just too huge.

Trivia question, who was the last Wallaby to be picked for Australia without playing for his province. Don’t tell me it was Phil “Boxhead” Kearns from Randwick 2nd grade …. I don’t know the answer, so would be interested to know as an aside to this issue. I’m betting no one in the professional era.

I don’t think so KO. While the defence was excellent, so was the defence of a number of international sides. It was the constant build up of pressure caused by retention of possession that was the key to this success.

“There’s two ways to beat a patient phase game, either back off and rely on an organised defence, or swamp the contact zone.”

Or a combination of both. And I’m pretty sure that’s what Spiro was describing in his article.

In these and all selections are coded messages to all players. For me, the messages are 1. play well or bye bye, 2. I am not afraid to being in more youngsters. 3. I hear and see the obvious problems with the lineout and will address them personally. 4. rugby is an evolving game, and attack and counter attack have become a partially lost arts. 5. the high ball is in vogue. 6. Possession is still the name of the game for the AB’s and a competent line out is essential to this. 6. AB’s are short of big, tall timber.

Fox, resting players is a failed strategy. It has more of a dulling effect than too much rugby for the majority of players in the majority of positions. There is nothing like a match to hone skills.

All in all, we spectators are in for some exciting rugby if the trend is to run it back. Counter attack is not as risky as it appears. next time some one kicks, take a snap shot of the defensive line, “as crooked as a dog’s hind leg” disjointed and without the time to reassemble. so there is space for the ball runners and pressure on tacklers to make those one on one tackles.

The shock inclusions of Delaney and Smith has the country buzzing immensly and has everyone talking many with a smile on their face especially those from the smaller unions because it once again shows that you do not have to be playing for the big five to make the All Blacks.
Will these players go onto be regular starting All Blacks remains to be seen.
Delaney while being hot to trot in the opening half of the ANZC provincial competition, BOP has falling to the wayside losing four straight and scraping past lowly Manawatu by one point on the weekend and much of that form also has to be placed on Delaney as he just didn’t step up, one is entitled to accolades but also must take some of the blame. Smith has been a shining light in an otherwise disappointing Otago team. Guildford has had a stellar year and deserves his spot I’m picking he’ll get a start against Italy and be on the bench for one of the bigger matches.

All in all changes had to come something was not right in the camp this year it was obvious for the world to see, player defections to europe poor, selections maybe and the biggest Injury to key personnel have all hindered the All Blacks this season. I also believe they were complacent they were so used to winning that they expected to win.
Now these guys have had a taste what it feels like to be that close to the wooden spoon it may reignite that fire, also the fact they were 3 zip losers to South Africa is certainly something that this team will need to use to motivate them on the Northern Hemisphere tour.
France should be wary of a All Black team with a deflated ego, retribution is imminent and the only way is up.

Jokes (?) aside, it looks like a pretty strong squad to me and KO, the “presumption” as you call it, that Henry is picking players to counter the bomboozle tactic is fairly clearly argued. Is it true? It seems logical. Maybe Henry was on loo when Spiro called for comment.

There is no doubt that Macqueens gameplan on attack was to recycle possession and look for weaknesses in defences, but it is also evident that he did think about a little thing called defense as well (it’s not rocket surgery!) and delegated that duty to the great Les Kiss.

That is all.