New Zealand All Blacks' player Dan Carter, left gets the ball away from Australia's Berrick Barnes during their Bledisloe Cup rugby test (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill).
Some time back, Graham Henry stated that he would not cotton wool any of his major players before or during the rugby World Cup. But that strategy seems to be in doubt, especially the “during” part.
In an article in today’s NZ Herald, rugby writer Gregor Paul talks about the jitters many Kiwis have about the injury bugaboo coming back to haunt their team.
As Paul points out, players like Andy Dalton, Carlos Spencer, Umaga, Eaton and Ali Williams all had their RWC curtailed by injuries that came out of nowhere as injuries tend to do.
One minute you’re fit, the next you’re on crutches or drinking your meals through a straw. Dalton’s injury didn’t stop the ABs from taking the trophy in ’87, but we’ll never know what the loss of the others did to the All Blacks’ chances in other years.
This subject came up in a thread on The Roar a few days ago, and it coincided with a trip I took to Auckland on business last week. Through Aussie contacts I was able to talk to quite a few fervid New Zealand rugby fans, and I picked their brains re the RWC.
The consensus was that both Carter and McCaw are close to being irreplaceable. Their worst nightmare is that both of them get banged up. If that should happen, they said, the All Blacks would be vulnerable to the Boks and the Wallabies.
So they feel that Henry should, whenever he can, baby his two best players – a hard task with McCaw being captain.
Everybody I spoke to figured that Henry would have to put out his best team for the Tri-Nations even though the All Blacks open the RWC against Tonga just 13 days after playing the Wallabies in Brisbane.
And just about everybody saw the same Tri-Nations side playing Tonga, the A team playing Japan, definitely the top team against France, the A team against Canada, then the top team from that point on – the A team being any combo that rests Carter and/or McCaw and a few other mainstays.
Four out of ten thought the All Blacks will face the Boks in the final, the other six thought the Wallabies will be the opponents.
Those favouring the Boks thought their pack would get them to the final, those favouring the Wallabies thought our backs would overcome our scrum weakness.
As for the top All Blacks team, the consensus was Dagg in for Muliaina, and SBW sandwiched between the experience of Carter and Smith.
But there was not total agreement on the makeup of the front five.
Bottom line, I found the Kiwis to be confident of victory. But they’re all rubbing a rabbit’s foot, specially re the game against the French on September 24.
They’re sure they’ll lick France, but they don’t want Chabal busting up their best lineout man again. Or anybody whose initials are DC or RM.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
He was born 1905, 1904 or 1908 according to various reports, in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, and is remembered as one of the great Māori players.
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