All Black Training Squad

[FrankLind]

The two training camps will be held in Christchurch from Sunday 18 May - Tuesday 20 May and Wellington from Sunday 25 May - Tuesday 27 May.
All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said the two camps would once again form a massive part of the team’s preparations for the Steinlager Series against England.
“With players coming from five different Super Rugby teams, it’s important that we get aligned on our game plans and skill sets. The challenge the English bring means we will need to be at our very best as quickly as possible.
“The camps also give the All Blacks Management time to meet and learn in greater details about some of the younger players who have been named. The All Blacks Management would like to thank the Super Rugby coaches and teams for their support in agreeing to these camps.”
Hansen said the number of players attending the camps was limited to 35 so, as usual, there were several players whom the All Blacks Management already knew about who would not be attending the camps.
Hansen said the official 31-man All Blacks squad for the Steinlager Series will be named in Auckland on Sunday 1 June and the camps and Investec Super Rugby games between now and then would help the selectors finalise the squad.
The players attending the wider training camps are as follows:
Hookers: Keven Mealamu (Blues), Nathan Harris (Chiefs), Dane Coles (Hurricanes) and Liam Coltman (Highlanders).
Props: Charlie Faumuina and Tony Woodcock (Blues), Ben Franks (Hurricanes) and Wyatt Crockett and Owen Franks (Crusaders).
Locks: Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues), Brodie Retallick (Chiefs), Jeremy Thrush * (Hurricanes) and Dominic Bird and Sam Whitelock (Crusaders).
Loose forwards: Jerome Kaino and Steven Luatua (Blues), Sam Cane and Liam Messam (Chiefs), Victor Vito (Hurricanes) and Richie McCaw, Kieran Read andLuke Whitelock * (Crusaders).
Halfbacks: Tawera Kerr–Barlow (Chiefs), TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) and Aaron Smith (Highlanders).
First five-eighths: Aaron Cruden (Chiefs), Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes) and Colin Slade (Crusaders).
Midfielders: Ma’a Nonu (Blues), Conrad Smith (Hurricanes), Ryan Crotty (Crusaders) and Malakai Fekitoa (Highlanders).
Outside backs: Cory Jane and Julian Savea (Hurricanes), Israel Dagg (Crusaders) and Ben Smith (Highlanders).
* Note: Thrush will be attending the Wellington camp only and Luke Whitelock the Christchurch camp.
The All Blacks play England at Eden Park, Auckland, on Saturday 7 June; Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, on Saturday 14 June; and Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, on Saturday 21 June.

 

[tigerland12]

1- Woodcock
2- Mealamu
3- O.Franks
4- Retallick
5- Whitelock
6- Kaino
7- McCaw
8- Read
9- Smith
10- Cruden/Barrett/Slade (take your pick)
11- Savea
12- Nonu
13- Smith
14- Jane
15- Dagg

Bench: Coles, Crockett, Faumauina, Bird, Messam/Cane, Kerr-Barlow, Cruden/Barrett/Slade, B/Smith

Well shit......

 

[SaderCheif]

This team..... I like it.

 

[Hawko]

1- Woodcock
2- Mealamu
3- O.Franks
4- Retallick
5- Whitelock
6- Kaino
7- McCaw
8- Read
9- Smith
10- Cruden/Barrett/Slade (take your pick)
11- Savea
12- Nonu
13- Smith
14- Jane
15- Dagg

Bench: Coles, Crockett, Faumauina, Bird, Messam/Cane, Kerr-Barlow, Cruden/Barrett/Slade, B/Smith

Well shit..

I reckon Coles might start against the Soap Dodgers to see if he has developed enough to become the first choice hooker before the RC. The rest is pretty obvious, only call that will be line-ball for me is Smith and Dagg. I don't reckon Dagg's been playing all that well in Soop.

Hard to see us taking the Bledisloe back this year, we've still got a long way to go to match that team sheet.

 

[JJJ]

ABs with McCaw and Read automatic picks and having to choose between Messam and Kaino at 6. Wish we had their problems.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I'd make a coupla changes from @tigerland12's 23 (or is it still 22? Not entirely sure if the extra sub applies to IRB fixtures yet):

10. Barrett 'cos (a) Cruden's had so little footy of late & (b) he's fucking killing it for the 'canes so deserves it. Cruden to bench, Slade back to Cheechee.

14. Ben Smith - were Piatau not injured I doubt Jane would even be there. He gets the bench spot, though.

20. Cane - Richie can play 6 or 8 if necessary, Messam has shown in the past that in bulking up he's lost the pace to play 7 without getting big enough for a Test 8. He'll get a start in game 2 or 3, as will pretty much everyone, on the theory that RWC won't be won by a XV plus reserves but a 23 that can all step up when required a la the Duckman.

Agree with JJJ above, it's much better to have to decide who to leave out than who to include.

 

[Bullrush]

I'd take Luke Braid over both Sam Cane and Matt Todd......the man has been and absolute beast of a work horse for the last 2 seasons and leads the NZ back-rowers in almost all the stats.....he deserves a crack.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I'd take Luke Braid over both Sam Cane and Matt Todd..the man has been and absolute beast of a work horse for the last 2 seasons and leads the NZ back-rowers in almost all the stats...he deserves a crack.

Left his run a bit late don't you think? Sure he'd probably do an OK job but so will Cane, so will Todd & in time so will Savea & some kid currently known only to his family & those who closely follow Secondary Schools footy. Ce la vie.

 

[Highlander35]

The fact that Victor Veto is the 6th or 7th backrow option in the AB squad says so much.

Sent from my LG-P713 using Tapatalk

 

[ACT Crusader]

1- Woodcock
2- Mealamu
3- O.Franks
4- Retallick
5- Whitelock
6- Kaino
7- McCaw
8- Read
9- Smith
10- Cruden/Barrett/Slade (take your pick)
11- Savea
12- Nonu
13- Smith
14- Jane
15- Dagg

Bench: Coles, Crockett, Faumauina, Bird, Messam/Cane, Kerr-Barlow, Cruden/Barrett/Slade, B/Smith

Well shit..

Not bad tigerland.

A couple of comments, Ben Smith is a certain starter now and he and Savea are a damaging combination. The AB coaches love Dagg's kicking game and he is rock solid under the high ball coming forward. He still has some work ons, but he's what they like at the back.

If Cruden is fit he starts, however if there is a question mark over him Barrett gets the 10 jersey and Slade the 22 one. What theses selectors have shown is that both Barrett and Slade cover 10 and 15 so they are good bench options. That allows then to have a specialist midfielder on the bench i.e Crotty or possibly Fekitoa.

Coles needs to start. He needs to build experience. I thought he did okay in his starts last year. The starting props pick themselves, however there will be a good tussle for the bench spots between the other 3. Ben Franks versatility still gives the coaches options to rotate/pick n choose between Crockett and Faumauina if they like.

With Romano goneski, there is a lot of interest from AB supporters on who gets the bench lock spot. Do they go with Luatua who was selected as a back up on the EOYT. Or do they give it to Bird who was in the AB environment last year and seems to have improved his game (from anonymous to noticeable) or do they give it to the young up and comer in Tuipolotu who has made every post a winner in this years S15.

Messam or Kaino? Another interesting one. Messam has played consistently well in black, doing a lot of the little things that allow Read to play that ranging wide game that he so effective at. But a player of Kaino's class cannot be ignored either. He has settled nicely back into Super rugby from his shirt stint away in Japan. Wouldn't mind either to tell you the truth.

Messam wouldn't be a bad bench option either given he plays 6 and 8 well and has been known to cover 7 in the past. However the need for a no8 option on the bench is somewhat lessened now that Kaino has become far more proficient in that area. Someone mentioned Vito. He's played really well IMO, but I reckon he's there in the squad as insurance just in case Read's head doesn't come right.

I'm really intrigued in what direction they go with in this first series and what influence that will have leading into the RC.

 

[FLasH]

1.Woodcock
2.Coles
3.O.Franks
4.Retallick
5.Whitelock
6.Messam
7.Cane
8.Read

9.A.Smith
10.Barrett (if Cruden out injured)
11.Savea
12.Nonu
13.C.Smith
14.B.Smith
15.Dagg

16.Mealamu
17.B.Franks
18.Faumuina
19.Tuipulotu
20.McCaw
21.Peranara
22.Jane

doesnt really matter who the All Blacks start with in the first test match this year, the team will still be very damaging and hard to beat.

Plenty of depth to choose from to blood in.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

How many consecutive victories have The Darkness had now?

19 is the Tier 1 nations record IIRC, although Cyprus has blown that out of the water and they are somewhere around 21 or 22.

 

[tigerland12]

What's Tuipoluto like? I haven't seen him play.