Under-pressure
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has made four changes
to his starting XV ahead of Saturday’s second Test against
France.
Henry
has acted swiftly following
their shock 27-22 defeat in Dunedin
as he bids to avoid becoming only the second All Blacks
coach to suffer a 2-0 series reverse at home to the French.
Outside
centre Isaia Toeava, number eight Liam Messam, flanker Adam
Thomson and Andrew Hore have been replaced by Conrad Smith,
Jerome Kaino, Tanerau Latimer and Keven Mealamu
respectively.
Toeava
and Messam have both been dropped, with Messam – who scored
a try against France – not even making the subs’ bench.
Thomson and Hore both drop out after picking up injuries,
while Waikato Chiefs hooker Aled de Malmanche and Canterbury
Crusaders flanker George Whitelock have been added to the
replacements.
Scrum-half Jimmy Cowan, meanwhile, has admitted New Zealand
had been outplayed by France in Dunedin, especially in the
high-octave opening half hour.
“In the
first 20-30 minutes they out-physicalled us at the
breakdown,” he said. “Probably the score wasn’t a true
reflection – we were lucky to get away with what we did. All
credit to the French. They’ve raised the bar and the
challenge for us is to get to where they were tonight,”
added Cowan.
Forwards
coach Steve Hansen also praised the French and said his
players had to step up to compete. “They’ve come out of the
Super 14 competition which is about four or five rungs down
from Test match rugby. It takes time to get used to that and
we paid a price early on for that,” he admitted.
One area
where the French were dominant was at the breakdown, but
Hansen believes his players will have learned in time for
the second Test at Wellington. “We just got out-muscled.
That’s something that’s not easy to stomach really. But it’s
an easy thing to fix,” he said.
New
Zealand XV:
Mils Muliaina (capt), Cory Jane, Conrad
Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Joe Rokocoko, Stephen Donald, Jimmy Cowan,
Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Brad Thorn,
Isaac Ross, Jerome Kaino, Tanerau Latimer, Kieran Read.
Subs:
Aled de Malmanche, John Afoa, Bryn Evans, George Whitelock,
Piri Weepu, Luke McAlister, Isaia Toeava.
Australia have also made changes from
their side which beat Italy 31-8 in Canberra at the
weekend, with more than half their starting XV being rested
for the second Test.
Coach Robbie Deans said he had made the
changes to have a look at fringe players ahead of their
forthcoming clash with France.
“The changes should not be seen as a slight
on the blokes who have missed out after last weekend,” he
said. “It’s quite the opposite. We were happy with the way
the guys played.”
Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock, fly-half
Matt Giteau and winger Drew Mitchell are among those being
rested, with Berrick Barnes called in to take over at No 10.
Deans has also made five changes in the
forwards, including an entirely new-look front row which
will feature Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander and
23-year-old debutant Pek Cowan.
Veteran flanker George Smith moves to number
eight and takes over the captaincy.
Australia XV: James O'Connor, Lachie
Turner, Ryan Cross, Quade Cooper, Peter Hynes, Berrick
Barnes, Luke Burgess, George Smith (captain), David Pocock,
Peter Kimlin, Dean Mumm, James Horwill, Ben Alexander,
Tatafu Polota-Nau, Pek Cowan.
Subs: Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe,
Phil Waugh, Josh Valentine, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper.
South Africa, meanwhile, have named
Racing-Metro signing Francois Steyn at full-back in their
starting XV to play the British and Irish Lions on
Saturday.
Jon Smit will captain the Springboks from his
tighthead prop position, while Ruan Pienaar was passed fit
enough to start at fly-half, with Morne Steyn – the only
uncapped player in South Africa’s 22 - on the bench.
South Africa XV:
Frans Steyn, JP Pietersen, Adi Jacobs, Jean
de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du
Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Heinrich Brüssow,
Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, John Smit (capt),
Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira
Subs: Gurthrö Steenkamp, Deon Carstens, Andries
Bekkerfr, Danie Rossouw, Ricky Januarie, Jaque Fourie,
Morne Steyn
Elsewhere, Toulon’s former rugby
league international Sonny Bill Williams believes he
can make the All Blacks’ squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
New
Zealand born Williams, 23, impressed critics during his
maiden season of union in France and thinks he still has
time enough to improve sufficiently and push for inclusion
in 2011, although he knows it will not be easy.
“You just have to look at the All Blacks
backline and the players that are left out of the All Blacks
team, you know the quality of the players over there is
crazy,” he told Australia’s ABC radio.
“I think
I’m a pretty confident player and I think over the next
couple of years, if I stay on the field and I string
together a lot of games and keep playing good footy and I
keep learning the way I am now, I can [male it],” he added.
Williams
admitted it was too early for him to be considered now – “If
I was a New Zealand selector I wouldn’t be in a rush to come
knock on my door,” he said – and conceded “a lot of things
have got to fall into place” before he would be worthy of
selection.
Speculation about Williams’ future has been rife after he
only agreed to a one-year extension of his current deal with
Toulon, paving the way for a possible return to New Zealand
at the end of next season.
“I
definitely want to play rugby at the top level,
international rugby. But if that doesn’t work out, then it
doesn’t work out,” he said. “When I first went to rugby
[union] I wanted it all, and I thought it was just going to
happen just like that, but I’ve come to learn that good
things take time. So I’ve just got to be patient, I’ve just
got to keep trying to play good footy and learn as much as I
can,” added the former Bulldogs star.
