By AFP
November 12th 2009 @ 1:55am
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Three new caps in All Blacks for Italian cauldron
New Zealand coach Graham Henry on Wednesday named three uncapped players in his team to face Italy at the San Siro stadium here on Saturday.
Backs Mike Delany, Ben Smith and Tamati Ellison will make their test bows in the All Blacks shirt with Rodney So’oialo captaining the side for the fifth time.
Henry has rung the changes keeping just three players from the side that won 19-12 against Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium last Saturday.
The All Blacks are expecting an even bigger and more passionate crowd than the close to 75,000 who crowded into the Cardiff stadium.
“It will be a marvellous experience playing at the AC Milan ground (San Siro) in front of 82,000 (people). I’m sure that will create a lot of edge for the Italian side and hopefully also for the All Blacks,” said Henry, who defended his selection of a largely inexperienced team.
“We’ve done it before, I don’t know if New Zealanders get annoyed about it or if you (the press) do.
“We’re just following the objectives of the tour and the objectives were one: try to play winning rugby that we’re proud of in a style that we’re proud of; and to give people an opportunity to play so that we can make logical selections going forward.
“Because we’ve got the players to back up those selections but we cannot do that if we don’t play those players.
“There’s no other opportunity to do that, we don’t play midweek fixtures, we don’t have an extended tour.
“This has been clearly stated on a number of occasions that this was going to be one of the objectives of the tour, so we’re just fulfilling that.”
New Zealand have never lost to Italy in 10 previous matches, often wracking up huge scores although in June in Christchurch they were held to a 27-6 victory.
ALL BLACKS TEAM (15-1):
Cory Jane; Ben Smith, Tamati Ellison, Luke McAlister, Sitiveni Sivivatu; Mike Delany, Andy Ellis; Rodney So’oialo (capt), Tanerau Latimer, Liam Messam; Anthony Boric, Tom Donnelly; Neemia Tialata, Corey Flynn, Wyatt Crockett.Reserves: Andrew Hore, John Afoa, Jason Eaton, Richie McCaw, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Mils Muliaina.
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johnno42 said | November 12th 2009 @ 8:33am | Report comment
hope they haven’t gone overboard with adjustments… still, its good to know that a solid bench is ready, should it all go pear shaped. Not a real fan of ellis and corey flynn is a gamble (he’s injury prone) but the rest of the side looks great. Should be a great game. Go guys.
katzilla said | November 12th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
I don’t know what to think of him not playing Guildford in this game. If not for Sivis indescretion Guildford probably would have made his debut in this game. Did his good showing against Wales propel him above Sivi? I wouldn’t think so.
But the fact he isn’t even on the bench here?
I guess we’ll know when the team for England gets called.
PastHisBest said | November 12th 2009 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Well he’s got to play Ben Smith at some point.
Greg Russell said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:37am | Report comment
It’s not even 6 months ago that NZ struggled to put away a visiting Italian side. Sure, some big names were out injured (most notably McCaw and Carter), but from available players it was largely a full-strength side that night, including such “core” players as Muliaina, Nonu, Read, Kaino, Thorn and Mealamu (all in the starting side).
Now NZ is in Italy, who will be roared on by 80,000 at San Siro. So what happens with team selection? A completely experimental side, largely consisting of second-stringers, is chosen. Yes, I know the All Blacks have made major strides forward in their last few matches, but isn’t there a strong whiff of over-confidence, perhaps hubris, about these selections?
I guess it’s inconceivable that NZ could lose to Italy (surely not?), but there is such a thing as respect. The Italians have some very capable rugby players (Parisse, Gower, etc.), and surely they proved on their mid-year Australasian tour that they deserve to be treated with respect. Further, 80,000 fans are not coming to San Siro to see NZ’s second best, but that is what they are going to be dished up. What an opportunity for rugby that is being recklessly trashed by the NZ selectors here. They cannot be blamed for Carter’s undeserved suspension – how sad that the Italians will not get to see the man-of-the-moment play – but they can be blamed for benching most of the top All Blacks XV.
I do not often agree with Stephen Jones, but this definitely is a case where he is correct in his refrain that NZ only ever think of themselves, not of what is best for the game of rugby as a whole. Let the Italians see NZ’s best players, just as everyone wants to see Brazil’s best when they take the football field. Does it really matter if playing against Italy makes those players just a little bit more jaded against France and England in the following weeks?
Jerry said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
Name me an international rugby side that does anything other than ‘only think of themselves’ Greg?
PastHisBest said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Yep. For whatever reason Mr Jones believes that the AB’s owe a debt to the rugby world. Altruism is fine as long as it doesn’t effect whatever goals you want and need to achieve as a team.
Dean Pantio said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Gower? Is that a joke?
If things start to go balls up, the replacements from the bench will be quick.
New Zealand’s responsibility to rugby is to itself, just like every other nation. It is the predominant brand in the world and as such it requires maintenance. No doubt if they gave Italy a hiding, there’d be complaints about New Zealand setting back Italy’s rugby, much like there are about the 1995 murder of Japan.
pothale said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
And I promise not to mention the phrase ‘NH unions sending out second-string teams to tour’ as a comparitor.
Won’t even mention the subject.
However, I would love if Martin Castrogiovanni did another number on the ABs front row like he did with the SA guys – three of them went home after he’d finished with them.
The fact that Henry had his little prepared statement about the tour objectives ready and that it’s main one was to try out new talent whilst delivering good rugby points to that this was planned and he knew he’d get brickbats over it. Turning up in the design and fashion capital of the world with a less than fashionable and designer-less team won’t go down well with the Milanese. But hey what do they know about rugby, you could reasonably ask.
katzilla said | November 13th 2009 @ 6:18am | Report comment
‘just as everyone wants to see Brazil’s best when they take the football field’
I’ve seen Brazillian teams without their stars more often then with. Poor comparison.
BTW the Milanese are going to the game to see the one thing they do know about the All Blacks – The Haka.
Doesn’t matter who does it. The rugby will still be quality.
PastHisBest said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:46am | Report comment
I don’t know about you Greg, but rugby first and foremost is about winning as many games as you can. Playing the dirt trackers against Italy gives them the bast chance of achieving that.
No disrespect is intended and I doubt the Italians see it that way either. i would think Italian rugby would get more from a close result – one way or the other, than a complete arse-whipping. You would have to imagine that there will be a vast number of people new to rugby at the game, and should Italy get up? My God, that would be sensational for the game!
Lastly, the AB’s owe the game nothing.
Greg Russell said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
Jerry and PHB: you guys have a point. Basically it’s just a sporting version of the “greed is good” philosophy of the late 80s. Maybe that is the way to go, but I dunno.
My comment is really tied to the unusual circumstances of this match. If it was just in a small stadium in front of rugby diehards, I would have no problem with the selections. But 80,000 at San Siro does seem to be an usually evangelical opportunity that it is a shame to squander. Maybe it will give the Italians a frisson of excitement not to be thrashed by so much, but people should not be assumed to be idiots. The Italians will know they are not seeing the best NZ players, and they will be disappointed by that. Any sports fan first and foremost wants to see the best players. As an Australian I would care much less about the Wallabies beating a NZ side that lacked McCaw and Carter.
I also think it’s a shame for the top NZ players that they do not get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in front of a full San Siro. Even if they were to win by 100 points, in years to come they will still remember it more than yet another win at Twickenham in two weeks time.
Finally, you surely can’t expect me to take a comment like “the AB’s owe the game nothing” seriously? Everyone who plays the game owes it something, and the higher one’s status, the more one owes. It’s called noblesse oblige.
Darwin hammer said | November 12th 2009 @ 11:58am | Report comment
So when prey tell should the NZ selectors be allowed to pick the players within their squad – or are you suggesting that all tours should be restricted to 22 players ? ….
If the Italians are good enough then they’ll get a result – if they’re not then what’s the point of picking the top team esp when they’ve got back-to-back-to-back games … it’s unfortunate but it’s now part of the touring schedule at some stage they second string side was going to get a run out – and everybody knew that this game along with the babas game was going to be it – NZ have done nothing different to what’s been done in the past by Australia and SA ….
the NZ selectors have enough pressure to perform every time they walk out on the paddock – they don’t now have to also be burdened with being the standard bearers for “what is best for the game of rugby as a whole” … while others can merrily go forth and foist farce games such as that rubbish babas game the ARU scheduled in their brand new market earlier this year …
The Italian RU have taken full advantage of having the AB’s in town – they’ll walk away with 100% of the gate and the result may be closer – so the supporters should be more engaged also
silver said | November 12th 2009 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Great post Darwin.
Furthermore other nations that get 100% of gate takings use those funds to buy up our players.
MarkR said | November 12th 2009 @ 4:07pm | Report comment
OK, to approach this from another angle – other than Read, Thorn, who’s really missing ?
FB – Mils is on the bench & Jane was NZs form FB
Wings – would like to see Guilford there but you’ve got NZ’s #1 pick in Sivi
Centre combo, – OK , at this point I give up, Smith/Nonu vs McAllister/Ellison – fair point
10 – umm, you’ve got our top 2 with Carter suspended
9 – Ellis with Cowan on the bench – your complaint is (remember Leonard got knocked out last week even if people aren’t saying it he was out cold for a couple of seconds.
8 – You can’t seriously be complaining about Rodney
7 – Latimer with McCaw on the bench, where you expecting Whitelock now you’re living in ChCh ?
6 – Messam – OK Thompson/Kaino would be better
4/5 – Brads missing, that’s all. Give the guy a break, I know you’re kids at school together but he’s almost as old as I am !
3/2/1 – I can’t see a complaint here
So what was your point again %-) other than the centres 6 & 4 looks like a pretty good side to me. But I am approaching this as a contrarian.
I’ll duck for cover now….
zhenry said | November 12th 2009 @ 6:06pm | Report comment
MarkR has a point, but even more so McAllister is world class – had a horror return from UK – Messam wont let the Italian crowd down and the tight 5 are almost top notch.
According to Assist Coach Smith, Carter was not going to play. Bit boorish I thought and unnecessary. Its a mute point now but had he been available Carter should have come off the bench, as a mark of respect for the sell out ground and recognition of the enthusiasm of the ‘football mad’ Italians. They needed to do that.
johnno42 said | November 12th 2009 @ 4:43pm | Report comment
i think liam messam will do well. i think he was made a scapegoat for the french loss and i think he will fit in well with Latimer.
Chris Beck said | November 14th 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
I agree with Greg Russell on this one.
The better the team, the less leeway they ought to feel they have, in my opinion, to just toss a random lineup onto the field.
It seems to me that if you want the sport to grow, it is best served by the best teams playing something reasonably close to their best lineups. The teams that make up the world game are a continuum, and as such, the leading lights of the sport ought to feel some sort of obligation to field representative lineups against lesser opposition. The alternative is that the top nations play each other exclusively, and I don’t think anyone wants that.