Tuesday, July 08, 2008

AB's Team Named

The team is

1. Tony Woodcock
2. Andrew Hore
3. John Afoa
4. Anthony Boric
5. Ali Willliams
6. Adam Thomson
7. Rodney So’oialo (c)
8. Jerome Kaino
9. Andy Ellis
10. Dan Carter
11. Rudi Wulf
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Sitiveni Sivivatu
15. Mils Muliaina

Reserves:16. Keven Mealamu 17. Neemia Tialata 18. Kevin O’Neill 19. Sione Lauaki 20. Jimmy Cowan 21. Stephen Donald 22. Leon MacDonald

I would have pretty much gone down this path with two exceptions - Cowan in for Ellis who is too small to play the Boks and Tuitivaki in for Sivivatu who is playing crap. Good move on Afoa - Somerville is slow around the field and hands let him down badly. He might shade Afoa in scrummaging, but the Boks front row is hopeless by their standards, so a good selection to go for more mobility and grunt in the tight where its needed in the absence of Brad Thorne.

Just one question who in the world is Kevin O'Neill?

(I do know, I was being rhetorical)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you like my highly provocotive take on the game? Sadly I haven't managed to provoke any Saffas into responding.

Agree with you on Sommerville. Going overseas at the end of the year couldn't have helped him either. Why waste time getting the experience up of the props who are staying here?

Dissagree on Sivivatu. I didn't think he was terrible. He dropped one ball, I recall. But he tackled well, generally. I'd be tempted to give Tuitivake a go ahead of Wulf, but neither have really impressed.

Agree again on Cowan.

Oh, and get rid of Lazy Lauaki.

BJ said...

I wasn't sure it was provocative as much as accurate!

Sivivatu just hasn't been himself - low work rate, mistakes, it was he who fell of the De Villiers tackle to let in Habana. The only thing he did very well was chasing some kicks. I'd rest him.

Course he'll probably score 3 tries this week when the AB's cut loose...