Friday’s rugby news has Hansen playing mind games, Israel Dagg dropped, Moore demanding perfection and Pienaar feeling the pressure.
[one_half last=”no”]
Hansen doubts Beale selection
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was “dumbfounded” by the selection of Kurtley Beale at five-eighth, questioning whether it had anything to do with the NSW playmaker’s contract situation. “The other guy (Beale) is under contract and league are chasing him so you might start to think maybe the ARU has told him he’s got to pick him,” Hansen said.
Fellow Wallaby inside backs have supported Beale, with halfback Nic White calling Hansen’s statement a “conspiracy theory” while inside centre Matt Toomua said that the team had full confidence in Ewen McKenzie’s selections. Link also said that he “would not dignify” Hansen’s musings. [/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Dagg out of favour in NZ
As for the All-Blacks, Steve Hansen’s side will run out without the fully-fit Israel Dagg, who has been left out in favour of Ben Smith. With Smith at the back, Cory Jane retains his spot on the right wing, Julian Savea on the left wing and Dagg left out of the 23 altogether.
‘‘While we have been very happy with Israel Dagg’s performances at 15, Ben has come in and raised the bar to another level,’’ Hansen said. This selection would seem to go against Hansen’s general maxim that players will not lose their spots to injury, with Ben Smith stepping up in the last two games of the England series while Dagg was rehabbing a knee injury. [/one_half]
[one_half last=”no”]
Moore gives his two cents
Injured Wallabies captain Stephen Moore has given his impression of what it will take to beat the All Blacks on Saturday, saying that, in his experience, Australia will need basically a perfect performance. “Set-piece has to be solid, your defence has to be solid, your bench has to be solid,” Moore said. “You need to start well – that’s something the boys will want to do – and your last 20 [minutes] is going to be very important as well.”
Moore consistently refused to hype up the Wallabies while he was playing, but the injured hooker has now emphasised the Australian Super Rugby success and the improvement in McKenzie’s team, while still saying that the Test arena is a different ballgame. [/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Pienaar under pressure
While the Springboks have named a new, younger side for the start of the Rugby Championships, more changes are still expected throughout the tournament with particular pressure applied to Test halfback Ruan Pienaar. The speed of Piernaar’s service has been roundly criticised in recent years, with many South African fans lamenting the loss of Fourie du Preez as well as the struggles of back-up 9 Francois Hougaard.
Asked whether Pienaar would have to step-up, Meyer said: “I think all nines in South Africa really need to play at a higher tempo…That’s one area I’ve always said I think South Africa have fallen behind.”
[/one_half]
