Graham Henry has unveiled the first All Black team of the 2008 season – and the eyes of the rugby world will be watching to see how they fare against the battle-hardened Irish on Saturday.

In theory, this is one of the weaker of the consistently powerful New Zealand teams seen in many years.  Fourteen players who featured in the World Cup are missing – six of them first-choice All Blacks – and there are six players uncapped at international level. 

However, the abundant depth in New Zealand rugby is apparent with a strong squad, and impressive showings by the Super 14 teams have ensured that this team – while somewhat vulnerable – will be very hard to beat.

'The New Zealanders will be expected to win - being the All Blacks, hosting a world-record home winning streak, and fielding what is still a very strong XV. But while Irish expectation are not as high, they are quietly confident'


On paper, this appears to be as strong a backline as the All Blacks could wield.  Dan Carter appears to be back to the form that makes him the most complete No.10 currently playing the game.  He is halved with Andy Ellis, his Canterbury partner, and their combination is realistically the first-choice pivot selection for the national team. 

The Crusaders pair will unleash a devastating attacking backline, based around the Hurricanes midfield of Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu, the Super 14’s leading line-breaker.  Both are class players, but while Nonu brings unparallel attacking menace, his lack of a kicking boot may inhibit the Blacks.

The threequarter line of regulars Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu are teamed with debutant Anthony Tuitavake – an in-form and typically dangerous All Black back three, although Leon Macdonald is surprisingly on the bench.

The forward pack is powerful, but has some curious positional changes.  The locks are the Canterbury pairing of Ali Williams and Brad Thorn, probably the form tall men of New Zealand rugby.  Andrew Hore, the form hooker of the Southern Hemisphere, has been rewarded with the starting berth, and is flanked by John Afoa and Neemia Tialata, both promising but relatively inexperienced props.  However, both men are near 130kg, which gives the Blacks their expected scrum clout.

While the loose forwards are all expected choices, it is their positional switches that raise eyebrows.  Captain Richie McCaw is named, but is partnered at flank No.8 incumbent Rodney So’oialo – while blindside flanker Jerome Kaino is named at the back of the scrum. Both men are in form and impressive players, but a positional switch is a risky proposition in the first Test of the season.  However, Kaino adds a lineout option to the Black line, something not seen in many years.  However, all three men head the pecking order for the New Zealand loosies. 

They will play an Ireland team whose predecessors have never beaten the All Blacks.  While the Irish have had a mixed 12 months, they bring players who boast the mantle of being the North’s premier domestic champions.  Seven of the front eight are from the Heineken Cup winning Munster outfit, with a further five from Magners champions Leinster – and Eoin Reddan an English Premierhip medal winner with Wasps. 

The New Zealanders will be expected to win - being the All Blacks, hosting a world-record home winning streak, and fielding what is still a very strong XV.  But while Irish expectationare not as high, they are quietly confident. 

This is as vulnerable an All Black team as the men from the Emerald Isle could hope to face, and they are coming off the back of a Six Nations campaign as well as Munster’s brilliant Heineken Cup triumph. 

However, for the first time in two years there is no certainty of New Zealand positions and all players will be keen to stamp their authority on the Black jersey.

The Munster-laden Irish pack will test the All Black forwards, but never has an international team dominated a New Zealand pack. The Irish backline, marshalled by Ronan O’Gara and Brian O’Driscoll, will look to out-think the Black backline, but will risk being physically dominated by the bigger, more attack-minded New Zealand threequarter line.

The clincher may be that the game will be played under traditional laws, something the Irish are accustomed too – while the All Black players have all been operating under ELVs for over three months.  While a disadvantage, the higher necessary fitness of players operating under the Super 14 laws may tell later in the game.

NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Anthony Tuitavake, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis; 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Rodney So'oialo, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 John Afoa, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Neemia Tialata. Reserves: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Schwalger, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Leon MacDonald. 

IRELAND: 15 Robert Kearney, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Luke Fitzgerald, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Marcus Horan. Reserves: 16 Rory Best, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Mick O'Driscoll, 19, Shane Jennings, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Paddy Wallace, 22 Girvan Dempsey.

Prediction: All Blacks will be tested, but will prove too strong at home and win by eight points.