All Blacks ready to knuckle down

Hi Paul, this AB team have moved on from the three match series. The EOYT squad is obviously not the same side that played in June, the attitude has hardened thanks to the RC. (especially their match against SA in Johannesburg) Starting XV in June 1. Wyatt Crockett (11) 2. Dane Coles (4) 3. Owen Franks (45) 4. Luke Romano (11) 5. Brodie Retallick (13) 6. Liam Messam (20) 7. Sam Cane (4) 8. Kieran Read –captain (48) 9. Aaron Smith (13) 10. Aaron Cruden (20) 11. Julian Savea (9) 12. Ma’a Nonu (76) 13. Conrad Smith (66) 14. Ben Smith (12) 15. Israel Dagg (25) Reserves: 16. Keven Mealamu (102) 17. Ben Franks (23) 18. Ben Afeaki * 19. Jeremy Thrush * 20. Victor Vito (20) 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow (2) 22. Beauden Barrett (5) 23. Rene Ranger (3) Obviously the core of this June side have been retained but this EOYT squad have been to some deep dark places within since then and complacency will not be an issue. My team vs France this weekend. 1. Tony Woodcock 2. Andrew Hore 3. Charlie Faumuina 4. Brodie Retallick 5. Samuel Whitelock 6. Liam Messam 7. Richie McCaw – captain 8. Kieran Read 9. Aaron Smith 10. Dan Carter 11. Julian Savea 12. Ma’a Nonu 13. Ben Smith 14. Corey Jane 15. Israel Dagg Reserves: 16. Kevin Mealamu 17. Wyatt Crockett 18. Ben Franks 19. Steven Luatua 20. Sam Cane 21. Tawera Kerr-Barlow 22. Aaron Cruden 23. Charles Piutau Steve Hansen will not take this French side lightly. All Blacks to win by10 points plus.

I have a funny feeling about this game. The French playing at home is a different team to when they are on the road. The fact that the ABs might take this game for lightly (by thier standards) based on the June results poses as a greater risk than the England or Ireland game. I wouldnt be surprised if France actually beat the ABs catching the ABs off guard

I think 120-odd years of tradition might have something to do with it. Don't think the Maori ABs have assembled since 2010, Cost prohibitive to run both them and the juniors so each is getting a fair crack I assume.

"Battered Bleus await All Blacks" Sounds like a Tui beer add. Tell the French we'[ll field our 2nd. 15 ........................"Yeah Right!"

Yes! ...... and they do have them! Let's hope for none of those.

I'm a big fan of Genia, though he received typical Aussie over hype. Very sorry to see him so off his game at the moment, he may need a break or change of scene, but I'm sure he'll bring himself right. He's probably being too tough on himself ... needs to seek proper (independant ) support.

Hear! Hear!

Yep the French at home and again wearing the underdogs tag will give the tree a fair shake imo. Can't wait till the weekend. But crikey with the SH v NH games and a League Cup to also keep an eye on no wonder the lawns are needing a mow, wonder if the missus wouldn't mind starting the lawn mower and pushing it round would even contemplate the in/outlaw coming round to visit and to mow the lawns but alas she lives in NZ. With all the time recently I have been putting in helping to keep the house tidy something has to give. Now where's that remote.

"" Battered Bleus await All Blacks 03rd November 2013 17:43 Six of France's 30-man squad reported for duty unfit to train on Sunday ahead of their opening November Test against New Zealand. With just six day to go before hosting the world champions at the Stade de France, head coach Philippe Saint-André has little time to call on reinforcements. "Vincent Debaty has been sick all week, Yannick Nyanga has a torn ear, Jonathan Pelissié has an eye injury, for Rémi Talès has a suspected fractured nose, Camille Lopez has a sprained ankle and Wesley Fofana a foot sprain," said Saint-André as his squad gathered at Orly airport. "We'll see, we'll go to [headquarters at] Marcoussis, we will do proper check-ups and decisions will be made possible in the late evening or early morning tomorrow (Monday), in the knowledge that some players on the [replacement] list go to Hong Kong this evening (Sunday), so it will be fast," he added. Of the six players placed on the back-up list in case of injury, Racing Metro prop Eddy Ben Arous and wing Marc Andreu, Toulouse number eight Gillian Galan (who has a shoulder injury), are set to head to Hong Kong where their teams will compete in a friendly match on Saturday. "Six, that's still less than the overall average...before the Italy game [during the Six Nations] there were twelve" said Saint-André with a wry smile, advocating "a positive attitude. " The French coaching staff will reduce the group 26 players on Tuesday with the final matchday 23 players to face the All Blacks set to be announced on Thursday. Saint-André says the squad will take it easy during the week but has called on his team to give it their all in Saturday's clash. "We must be very precise. First the players it must recover. We won't do much training so we must be as organised as possible an stay fresh," said the coach. "And Saturday, the heat is on! It is imperative we throw caution to the wind, play with a lot of aggression, be ultra-disciplined and be as bold as possible. "We're going to take a positive attitude, enthusiasm to give it everything like crazies for 80 minutes. The statistics are not for us. The All Blacks, in their last 30 games, have 28 wins, one draw, one defeat, but we want to show that sometimes the statistics are not worth anything. "The Tests last November yielded positive results for us. Beating Australia and Argentina was pretty good already, and this time round we are playing teams who are a level up from those and this is just what we want to compare ourselves and where we are against these types of teams. "We are often good in November because the guys still have a lot of energy. These are exceptional Tests, a bonus for us and makes us happy to contest them. "There are lots of people who criticise me for not being able to build a solid backbone to the team, that is hooker, number eight, half-backs and full-back. "Well our first choice number eight (Louis) Picamoles is injured, the scrum-half Maxime Machenaud (hand) is injured, our fly-half Frederic Michalak has just returned from a long-term injury (shoulder), and our first-choice full-back Brice Dulin is also returning from injury (knee)...we make do with the means at our disposal and we try and make them perform accordingly." ""

moaman Absolutely agree. The french will have the recent 3-0 series loss, RWC loss and the fact they'll be playing the No 1 side as ample motivation to have a bloody good crack at the AB's. Heck, the list of current injured french players and a home crowd are also motivational items for those eventually chosen, to play against the AB's this weekend. I'm quite sure the AB's know this and they realise how difficult it really is going to be, to try and secure a win against the home side. It is going to be a cracker this weekend.....can't wait.

We shouldn't underestimate France,at home particularly.

You can't call it a 3rd xv even with 32 -odd players away with the national side and the eligibility criterion........

It all depends on which French side shows up as to whether the match is an eighty minuite contest. A reffeering display like in the wallabies match however could really bring the match down, but unlike the Wallabies, the All Blacks should be able to take the reff out off the match.

"I cant believe this is the NZ no. 2 team..." That's because it isn't. The Junior's are NZ's 2nd XV. The Maori are the 3rd XV as they have a significantly smaller talent pool to draw from. On that note I have no idea why the NZRU persist with the Maori over the Junior's. They're pointlessly limiting the number of players we can field in these sort of matches, and Maori caps don't tie players to NZ so non-AB's can waltz off and still play for Australia, England etc... (see Riki Flutey for example)

Are you for real???

anyone watching the NZ Maori vs Canada.? I cant believe this is the NZ no. 2 team based on the rugby played at the moment. Just terrible

at least there is one other guy who understands objective s :)

Dont think piutau has that xfactor speed for internationals. But his defence and line breaks are first class.

+1 This All Black side is good enough to take the vagaries of the officials out of the game

Now you have a glimpse of what it felt like to be a Wallabies supporter in the latter years of Gregan or recent play of Genia....