All Blacks coach Graham Henry has decided to dump their best wingers in Hosea Gear and Sitiveni Sivivatu in favour of untested winger Zac Guildford and long-term injury returnee Isaia Toeava.
Guildford has been one of the most promising wings in this year’s Super Rugby competition. Brilliant on attack and reliable on defence, he was a frontrunner for All Blacks selection along with his Canterbury Crusaders fullback Sean Maitland and centre Robbie Fruean.
The latter two were unable to make the initial 50-man squad, but Guildford made it through comfortably and despite an average performance against Fiji, was in blistering form against a Springboks B team in Wellington.
He collected two tries in the game, as did Cory Jane with two of the best.
Guildford had all but cemented his berth in the 30-man squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
He was left out of the next game against Australia to give Sivivatu and Gear a crack at the wing berth. Gear had a silent game but Sivivatu was influential in setting up a try to Ma’a Nonu, before mid-way through the second half scoring one for himself after a break by centre Conrad Smith.
He was substituted directly afterwards with what seemed like an eye socket injury. Unbeknownst to him, but this was going to be last time he would don an All Blacks jumper.
The 29 year old who has scored 29 tries in 45 tests for the All Blacks as well as four tries for the Pacific Islanders, and who has the best strike rate of all the wingers in the upcoming World Cup, was unceremoniously dumped a week later.
Isaia Toeava, a player who can play pretty much anywhere in the backline, is one to marvel at. He made his debut for the All Blacks back in 2005 as a 19 year old, straight out of that year’s IRB Under-19 competition where he was named player of the year.
He has amassed over 30 caps for the All Blacks. He made his debut at fullback, just like another All Black in Israel Dagg, who like Toeava returned from an injury sustained in the Super Rugby competition.
Dagg and Toeava both started in the fifth Tri-Nations game against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. Dagg played really well at fullback in their 18-5 loss to a very strong Springboks outfit but Toeava wasn’t at his best.
Nevertheless he was selected on the bench for the Tri-Nations decider against Australia in Brisbane. The Australians dominated from the start. The All Blacks a made a lot of handling errors, in particular Zac Guidlford who was unable to gather or hold onto the ball.
He was subbed off for Toeava who himself didn’t play very well in attack or defence. The All Blacks lost this match to a firing Wallabies outfit 20-25. This was the first time in 10 years the Wallabies have won the prestigious Tri-Nations title.
Graham Henry’s decision to dump an experienced player like Sivivatu and a powerful winger like Gear didn’t go down well with the fans. Guildford may have done enough throughout the year to demand a place in the World Cup team, and Toeava and Dagg were playing well in Super Rugby before they got injured.
But of all the selections made, this was the only position fans were not happy about, the outside backs.
Sivivatu and Jane were not even in the main 30 before the Fiji tests but forced their way into contention with strong performances. Sivivatu, Jane and Guildford each scored two tries this year for the All Blacks.
Jane’s strong performance throughout the year secured his place in the team but Sivivatu was unlucky to make the cut. Gear, who Graham Henry tagged the best winger in the world after the November Tests last year, was also unfortunate to miss out.
The All Blacks go into the World Cup without wingers who are skilled at breaking lines and beating opponents, or the ability to create something out of nothing. They may be the top bet to win, but can they really do so without true power and pace on the wings?
The likes of John Kirwan, Jeff Wilson, Jonah Lomu and Joe Rokocoko have played a big part in New Zealand’s bids to win the World Cup. Kirwan’s try in the 1987 final against France secured The All Blacks their only Word Cup title.
Can the current crop of outside backs for the All Blacks do the same?
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Read limped off after a tackle on Samo and on his run to the try line, the push by Samo on Thomson pretty much ended his night as well..
zhenry
Guest
Agree with you Henry has to front up about Guildford selection. Forget about the AU owned NZ media questioning him about it. OK you seem to be quite sure Sivi's eye is OK he is coming off the bench for NPC final. W Smith went on about Sivi's game after the Fiji game so Guildford must be Henry's baby. Your comment about Samo taking out Reid and Thompson, joking, went to game, or on video?
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
@kingplaymaker valid point, came as a big shock to me as well....heck even most crusaders fans put Sean Maitland ahead of All Blacks selection than Guildford, what i want to know is .. What exactly did Henry see in Guildford?
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Kieran Read will miss 5 weeks of rugby which included 4 weeks of world cup, shame lol, nice to see Samo take out both Read and Thomson ..haha
Timnaik
Guest
"a flat track bully" hardly, the guy is a runt. That's his problem he's got no size.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Vhavnal I don't think Guildford ever will be cut out for international rugby because he just isn't talented enough. All the other wings under consideration, and Eben gave a list of six to place above Guildford, actually possess the pure talent for the level. Guildford does not. That's what's so bizarre about his inclusion, above at least six players with more talent. For example when choosing between say Read, Kaino, Thomson, Vito, Messam or between Nonu, Smith, SBW, Kahui, Fruean, whatever the faults or form of these players, it is obvious that they all possess enough TALENT to play at All Black level. In fact every other player under consideration in the top 50 does, except Guildford, and yet he starts for the team. I believe it is because Henry has become so fearful of losing that he chooses what he believes to be the safest player in each position, not the most talented. However Guildford isn't even safe and in fact is far less safe than any of his competitors, as well as being less talented! Amazing.
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
@zhenry, his eye injury healed a long time back, heck Sivi is likely start in the ITM Cup Final over the weekend against Canterbury. I agree, Guidlford is not cut out for international rugby just yet, even better utility players like ranger and Ben Smith are suited internationally than him. We have already talked about ranger above, Ben Smith got one All Black game this yer against Fiji as a replacement for Guildford and he played much better in the last 20 than guildford did in the first 60 against Fiji....so not only did sivi show up Guildford, so did Ben Smith and yet Guildford gets picked...i just hope his selection has nothing to do with his fathers death in 2009 and his dream of seeing his son at the 2011 RWC...
Vhavnal
Roar Rookie
Just when the All Blacks dump their ONLY REMAINING Fijian in Sitiveni Sivivatu, Australia promote theirs to starting XV (Samo)
Mungehead
Guest
Nice of you to visit us and give the reasons behind your selections Graham! ;) Seriously though, probably the best post made in this thread so far. My gut still tells me Gear over Guildford but I cannot fault your analysis.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Please add up all the posts... Dear me. It's only you and Jameswm who keep coming out with this better scrummager spiel. And in any case, it's irrelevant what you think because he has barely started a game for Australia and has no credentials at Test level, so the suggestion that he would somehow improve their forward play is utter speculation. Re: Palu - Listen, if a player is missing since 2009 then by 2011 the argument that he is a 1st team player is pretty redundant. Your evidence for TPN being a good Wallaby is based solely on Super form, in which case I could suggest that Ioane would have been picked as a starter ahead of Mitchell. The same argument re: TPN applies to Slipper. TPN and Slipper are a pair of never dones. They haven't achieved anything to merit the constant gloss you varnish them with. Genia and Cooper have roughly 26/27 caps each, and Samo has played 60 minutes of good Test rugby in half a decade, so...
PeterK
Guest
Also Samo has played only a few tests, same with Genia and Cooper etc. A player may have played only 1 test and still be a better player than 1 that has played say 50+ tests like say Baxter.
PeterK
Guest
BTW I do value Moore, just because I believe TPN is better does not mean I dont appreciate Moore is a very good player as well.
PeterK
Guest
they are still quality players that were missing, 1st choice players. I am in not a minority re TPN being better than Moore. Please add up all the posts to prove that assertion. I would say the consensus is failry evenly split.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Eben one of the best posts I've read for a long time. The last point I think is fundamental: a fearful, paranoid deisre for solidity has actually led the AB coaches into choosing players who because they are weak in attack are supposedly more solid in other areas. One problem of course is that these players are losing matches by not making breaks and scoring tries, and are hardly very solid either, as could be seen in the last match. I agree with your top six order too. If the ABs just selected their best players, they would be well-nigh invincible.
Ben S
Roar Guru
To say what would or wouldn't have happened were certain players available is pointless speculation at best. * That Palu hasn't played an international since 2009 is highly significant. * Slipper has started how many Tests? * For all this talk of the magnificent TPN, he barely has an international career and Super rugby isn't Test rugby. You seem to be in a minority that doesn't seem to grasp the value of Moore.
PeterK
Guest
Depends on the definition of lots since it is a qualitive term. TPN, Slipper, Palu and Mitchell if match fit would of made the 22 and 3 of them at least the starting xv. That is excluding Robinson who is out injured for the season. 3 forwards of that quality and power would of made a significant difference. When Samo came off he was replaced by McCalman and the drop was significant. Alexander is a poorer THP than Slipper. TPN has been better than Moore through the Super season.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Care to qualify that statement? Never seen you here before, Holty. Must just be a coincidence...
Ben S
Roar Guru
Nearly as weird as the village troll repeating something that you know to be incorrect, time and time again in order to prove a point that doesn't actually exist. However, that's not nearly as weird as pretending that you're an Oxbridge graduate who lives in Barcelona and who was taught at Oxbridge by professors who don't actually teach anymore... -- I actually wouldn't tell you anything, Mike. Having perused your various spankings off Jerry, it's patently obvious that you're one to avoid. Cheers anyway, but no thanks.
Mike
Guest
True, Holty. "Stop repeating things ... just stop" - it sounds like Ms Flake in kindergarten. Next Ben S will be telling us we're all very naughty boys (or in Suzy Poison's case, girls)!
Holty
Guest
Yet another weird comment!