All Blacks defend unfair advantage

What a load of Bollocks. It's like in 2003 when the Aussies did the same thing. Australia by 12.

I guess if you think about this rule a bit further Dan Carter should not be allowed to talk to Slade Cruden or Donald at team meetings, assuming over the phone is fine. Has DC packed his bags and gone home, is he at training sessions, is he now considered part of the coaching staff?. I am not getting all uppity if he is but a strict interpretation of the ruling would seem to suggest that Dan sticking around the team to give advice would not just be contrary to the spirit of the rule but also a clear breach. Same would apply to Mitchell or Palu. They cannot stay around the team once replaced. Am I misunderstanding the rules?

IMO If your a number 7 and don't cheat/bend the rules, your not doing your job properly.

I'm an Aussie "AND PROUD OF IT". I am also a ref and us ref's cop a fair bit of crap from all and sundry, which sucks, to be honest. The AB's are playing by the rules, as Richie has for all these years. Why aren't all of you more concerned with the quality of the rugby ! A country's ability to use players of the best calibre in the world as opposed opposition ! ! ! This is rediculous for this amount of banter over the rules of a competition, the ref's are given guidelines as are the teams from the IRB to how it works. Stop whinging and enjoy the game for all it's faults and great moments. NZ is and could be the #1 team for a while yet. Sorrry to say it. ARGHH

how can you not see this is a very good point? all other teams are only allowed 30 players. period. if the flexibility to bring an extra half-dozen players to NZ, I'm pretty sure every major team in the competition would do it - extra bodies at training would benefit the squad as it keeps the "fringe" players fit and up to speed with tactics in case there are injuries and someone needs to be called in.

It may not be against the rules, but you can’t tell me the All Black camp isn’t using it to their full advantage. They absolutely are, and I'd be livid if they weren't. Perhaps the rule is too lenient and should be changed, but until it is we should use every advantage we have. It might not be cricket, but then it's not cricket is it?

It may not be against the rules, but you can't tell me the All Black camp isn't using it to their full advantage. If this World Cup were happening overseas, I doubt they'd be inviting local players into one of their super secret training sessions. I guess they'd find whatever Kiwis were playing in that country and ask them to help out or probably not use outside players at all. It's unlikely that Richie won't play and that Todd learnt all the calls in time for a shock appearance given that it's Thursday, but my feeling is that it favours the home side too strongly.

hey Johno ; )

2many idnians just admit you want the ALL Blacks to win mate, and won't mind a few home ground advantages helping you. i msut admit i was happy with bryce lawrence referring helped my wallabies.

Great defenders of the minnows! Has anybody informed the smaller rugby nations that if they want a fair and level playing field at the RWC then they'll need to bring another team to play opposition at training? How much do you think that would cost them, so many players plus the rest of the entourage? Could they manage it? Is any other nation aware of this "rule" or just NZ? Sorry, guys, but with all due respect it just ain't right.

That's really bad dc, even by your standards

Johnno, I doubt there would be outrage if Australia was playing within the rules. I agree it can be seen as an advantage, but it's not an 'unfair' advantage if the same rules are applied to all teams. Agree? It's not like there is one set of rules for NZ and another set of rules for everyone else. Though judging by how quickly people are to call our nation cheats, you'd be forgiven for thinking there was two sets of rules. I don't think that's fair, do you Johnno?

http://www.3news.co.nz/All-Blacks-have-not-broken-the-rules-IRB/tabid/1534/articleID/229402/Default.aspx "Opposed training sessions may be arranged, but any player drafted in as injury cover may not train on the same side with the team or attend team meetings or stay in the team hotel. This is the same as at previous Rugby World Cups." - Dominic Rumbles, RWC Head of Communications. England used New Zealand-born back-rower Thomas Waldrom in the very same manner as the All Blacks have used Todd, before officially drafting him in as a replacement for No.8 Nick Easter.

I agree 2manyindians ture, but don't yout ink there is a fine line i know you are a kiwi so try and not be biased. There is a fine lien but the kiwis are in the right and using the home ground advantage with in the rules to there advantage. Other teams can't except australia maybe simply call up players to do this. If the aussies sent players over this week to do this there would be a kiwi outrage.

Isnt it only the Official Squad members who train? No. Thats all i wanted to know.

B-Rock, us supporters shouldn't even need to know the ruling and this subject shouldn't even be newsworthy. On the other hand, you'd think "Officials from other World Cup countries" that state "this has given New Zealand an unfair advantage" would have a grasp of the rules, surely? They've only had since 2003 RWC to think about it. I personally don't agree with the rule, I think the definitions leaves too much to interpretation. A more approriate rule would be "No player who trains with a team and is not part of the official 30 man squad may at any stage compete during the world cup, period". But NZ doesn't make the rules, we just play to the whistle and get called cheats, which is completely unfair. "doesnt mean they will win this weekend though" Couldn't agree more.

To be fair, it is an obscure rule which most supporters would not be aware of (except Sam and yourself of course) NZ is the official #1 team in the world, there is no denying this... doesnt mean they will win this weekend though.

Good pick up Sam - my apologies - Best of luck to them then but it does seem a bit strange - hard to enforce too Begs the question, why doesnt Australia fly over a back up squad to run against the main squad given proximity and available resources? For example, why leave a back up openside at home when they could have been training with the team all tournament? Why dont NH teams fly over a bunch of back ups so they dont have to deal with the long haul flight just before an important game?

Gotta laugh at Steve Hansen's dry humour here at the press conference today He laughed at suggestions that Todd had been called in to simulate the playing style of Australian flanker David Pocock, who is seen as a key figure in Sunday's match. “Don't read too much into it,” he said. “He's just at training and that's it. We've got plenty of people we can turn into David Pocock. Just put a green bib on him and say he's David Pocock.”

Johnno mate, this is the thing. It's not a rule allocated to only the home teams, the same rules apply to all teams. What has become crystal clear is that NZ seems to be the only team who actually understand the ruling. It's not NZ's advantage because they're the home team, it's NZ's advantage because the other teams appear to be a bit thick. :)