All Blacks call in Donald and Gear for Slade, Muliaina

i reckon cooper's gonna have a blinder..a france-aust final with the french having just enough in the tank to take home their first world cup..

19 Thompson 20 Ellis 21 Donald

Inane should go on to coach the Wallabies when his career is over. Kahki -who has Indian heritage--once played for NZ Army team I believe. Dagg/Kahui/Jane back 3....SBW competing with Toeava for bench spot methinks.

Hey, OJ, none of that groin talk. I'm the resident expert in that area. Pierce said so and he fiddles around in that area. The other newsroom rumour is that the AB search team have found a bloke smoking dope in an inner city flat in Mt Eden, not far from the park, and the good news is that he thinks he remembers playing number 10 once. They're measuring up for a jersey as we speak.

Playing the All Blacks at Eden Park is never going to be easy and for some reason the Wallabies have had a bad run of luck at eden park recently (even to Ireland).

Kaino>Pocock? Not sure about that, Kaino is playing with a consistently solid forward pack around him while Pocock has to contend with average Wallaby forwards. He was almost soley responsible for Australia winning against Saffas.

Both guys called in wont feature on the pitch unless more injuries occur although Gear would slot straight in no probs. Beale out which is a loss but no surprise given it's a hammy. The Wallaby post game walk around the cake tin wouldn't have helped. I wish the Wallabies wouldn't do this, understand they want to thank the supporters however a quasi victory lap of sorts is naf and unnecessary. They did it after 03 Semi and it was like they won the thing. I assume Dingo will put JOC to fullback, AF to 13 and AAC to the Dinger. As for the game and predictions etc... The Wallabies are massive underdogs and rightly so. They have played probably 20-30 minutes of good rugby against a decent team in this Cup and that's it. Against the Boks it was great defence plus Pocock, Horwill and JOC that got us home, the rest was a complete clusterf&ck. Still waiting for at least 40 minutes of good rugby let alone 60 or wait for it, 80 minute effort, BINGO ! Yes the Eden Park hooodooo will be rolled out all week but I guess eventually the have to win there so this Sunday would be nice. How the Wallabies recover from yesterday will be crucial. I don't think anyone both sides of the ditch would disagree the AB's are red hot favourites and should win. The Wallabies have no real form to call on, players are busted and our own Duck of a 10 is coming off an absolute shocker with little if any confidence going into the biggest game of his career. Yes they are so overdue for a performance it's not funny.

Cruden will tear his groin within the first 10 mins and then you know what time is... Duck time. You just wait for the big wind up as he sends another one thundering into touch.

Next Sunday is the match of the year. Whoever wins This Cup should be son's of the Southern Cross and I will back whoever gets to the final! I think it will be closer than a lot of the "experts" think and as an Oz supporter I think we have a chance in spite of QC. I probably cling to the hope that our "new" coach has more to lose in this one game than anyone else. What an opportunity to make yourself really really wanted by 2 Unions at least. Robbie has the team he wants and the future for Oz footy is in his hands via the team he sends into battle. At least he finally seems to use the bench........ Eden Park, 1st match of the new era! Can't wait, now how many sleeps? (Easy, I said SLEEPS, not sheeps!) but someone is definitely going to be rooted at the finish.

What no back up specialist No.10? Substitute SD for SBW and the comeback is complete.

Return of the mighty DUCK! The saga is complete. All Blacks are doomed if they let SD within driving distance of Eden Park on Sunday.

Attention ladies and gentlemen the HMS All Blacks has a new (backline) captain; his name is Stephen Donald please feel free to reach for the nearest life jacket. God save us (NZ).

This shouldn't effect the Wallabies at all. They need to focus on improving there own performance and make sure quade is the right choice at 10 for us. I though Cruden was better then Slade anyway at 10. Wallabies need to sort out there game plan and possession retention otherwise the ABs could play Melamu at 10 and still win. My kiwi mate here in London knows Nick Evans and reckons he is going round to his place with a plane ticket. I look forward to what will be a immense battle. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.

Maateee you guys are favourites, let us have the under dog tag, we play better like that! Oh and those weren't the Qantas engines starting, the engineers just turned the smoko room heaters on as no planes flying, funny that.

Phew is it a full moon outside tonight (actually peeing down) in NZ? Weepu is my fav AB, my wifes also but I think its not for the rugby (thought she liked my big Aussie frame). His form which I said was coming in previous posts has arrived and I am really happy that he is on the main stage. I do not rate Ducky and I believe Cruden is way to raw, as was Slade but in Weepu you have a man mountain who against the Argies played 9 and 10, simply perfect from the man. I think this was also alluded to by Stuart Barnes. Just happy both teams made the semis and it is a shame for us in the SH that they don't get to meet in the final however the way Wales has played and France in their last game I think us SH fans should be very appreciative that those teams have turned up with some beautiful rugby which we are supposedly renowned for but they are executing far better and have made this RWC top class.

bring it all on, wallabies have to be favourites as they have the tri-nations and basically destroyed us the last time we meet and they know thats what they have to do again to beat us, but the ABs are at home and at the fortress and the Argies gave us the game to prepare us for the semis. Good luck to both teams, oh oh, is that the qantas engines i hear warming up?

Chuck this is a flip of the coin game and nothing any of us throw up over the next week, though interesting at times, will be able to say how the game will play out. I hope it is a game free of controversy and that we are treated to a classic which would befit a final. It is a shame Carter, Mitchell and Mils will not have a chance to play as they deserved to be a part of RWC history in perhaps the last time NZ will ever host them. One good thing is that I won't be able to chew my nails as they are already gone and as I posted before I am feeling a lot calmer than I was at the same time last week, maybe in my eyes my Wallabies have met my expectations for this RWC. A little defeatist maybe but hope the boys are thinking a little more relaxed come this weekend and enjoy the occasion, the atmosphere as I am (breath deeply my wife says) and just maybe they will play a blinder?

Come on Warren even on your high horse of negativity towards the ABs surely even you know it is next to unlikely that Duck will take the field in this tournament unless there is an injury to Cruden or Weepu. I don't think anyone will take much notice that he has been called into squads except for people like you and JB who just pounce on any chance you can get to put a boot in. Australia may have won against a out of sorts Boks it was in no way convincing, I wouldn't be so smug if I were you not just yet.

Pressure is shared if you ask me, Australia has never lost to NZ at a world cup, they have the pressure to maintain that record. NZ on the other hand has never lost a WC at home so it balances it out a bit. After reading all the comments on how poor Argentina were and how the ABs struggled I'd expect Australia to win the match in a canter from the wat some of you Australian posters are going on. By trying to lay the load of pressure at one teams door is to admit defeat already. Be under no illusions Australia are under a huge amount of pressure also.

15. Dagg 14. Jane 13. Smith 12. Nonu 11. Kahui 10. Cruden 9. Weepu 8. Read 7. McCaw 6. Kaino 5. Thorn 4. Whitelock 3. O Franks 2. Hore 1. Woodcock 16. B Franks 17. Mealamu 18. A Williams 19. Vito 20. Cowan 21. SBW 22. Toeava