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Graham Henry has the momentum to get the All Blacks back to number one - with the right team
With Canterbury being dominant in the Super 14, and the Hurricanes and Chiefs being equally consistent, the All Blacks will have impetus and resources to put a humiliating World Cup behind them.
by James Mortimer on 08 May 2008
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With the first Test one month away, the All Blacks have a challenging season ahead of them, with 14 Test matches including a home series against England, a single visit by Brian O’Driscoll’s men, a record four test matches against the Wallabies – and a Grand Slam tour to end the year.
The critical difference to 2008 versus the ill-fated preceding disaster year that was iced by a the earliest World Cup exit of a New Zealand team is that the starting XV has not been cocooned for months without proving themselves in the Super 14. So considering that we have had three months to look at the crème of New Zealand players – who would make an ideal starting team?
Let’s look at the backs:
15 - Fullback
Comments (8)
by Greg Smith on May 08, 2008
Springbok rugby has always, ALWAYS been greater than the sum of the provincial teams making up the team... Super 14 rugby might give the McBlacks some false hope, but I think the African Powerhouse will kick in as soon as the Green and Gold comes into it and then they'll hang that CHOKERS tag back on the AB's. As Rugby Union grows in Africa... its going to be interesting to see how the wee South Sea Pommy Island keeps up !
on May 09, 2008 on May 09, 2008
hey greg, south africa all ready have 4 times the number of rugby players new zealand does. you should have been dominating 10 years ago!
by Greg Smith on May 09, 2008
You're wrong... NZ has more rugby union players ... Soccer is the Number 1 game in South Africa, rugby union crawls in a 3rd whereas its a religion in NZ... thats why beating you is so good... ie it's your MAIN thing and merely ONE of the things we do !
by nesian rugby on May 09, 2008
Greg, NZ has the least players out of the 'Big 5' playing nations. So maybe do your homework before you spout rubbish. Plus its not only the All Blacks who have to win eveything but our 8-time world champion 7s teams, 3-time world champion womens team, world champion u-19 teams, world champion u-21 teams..world champion touch rugby teams...its hard work for a wee, poxy small island in the middle of nowhere to keep it up year after year. Must make you 'big countries' feel a bit pathetic that we can punch above our weight all the time. New Zealand - 141,726 Registered players South Africa - 434,219 Registered players England - 716,505 Registered players Australia - 165,219 Registered players France - 212,059 registered players
by Bokkies are blind on May 09, 2008
If it wasn't for you fluke World cup win in which you struggled to beat a very average England, you would have nothing to brag about. At least the kiwi's can admit they were shit in the World Cup - but we still have been smashing south africans for many years. Oh yeah, how are you guys doing in this years Super 14 again????
Those IRB numbers are a JOKE... look closer... they list under ZERO clubs under South Africa... those figures are TOTAL crap... (you must add ALL the Islanders to kiwiland too... and the likes of MERTENS etc that are born in South Africa
by nesian rugby on May 12, 2008
Add all the islanders you say? Like myself (NZ Samoan) who was born in Wellington, my parents going to school in NZ. I think YOU need to look closer - the IRB stats says ZERO under the SA clubs because someone couldn't be a*sed counting them all and sending them in. Read your own comments and listen to how desperate you sound...ANY excuse to knock the ABs you jump on just to TRY and convince people to support the Boks...let me see...islanders playing for ABs (its called migration hmm hang on thats just like the dutch and brits in SA, or what about Andrew Mehrtens...born in Durban...whoopdeedoo - Bobby Skinstad was born in Zimbabwe), desperate desperate desperate..but its all good, WHEN african rugby takes off you'll show us all...yeah right
by Lemon Squeezer on May 22, 2008
Andrew Mehrtens was born in SA to Kiwi parents who were there on an working holiday. Delusional!!!
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