All Blacks End of Year Home Nations Tour

[Bad Company]

All Blacks fixtures

Nov 6 New Zealand v Wales Cardiff
Nov 13 New Zealand v Ireland Dublin
Nov 20 New Zealand v England London
Nov 27 New Zealand v Scotland Edinburgh

The First game is coming up this weekend, NZ v Wales, the first game of the Grand Slam tour which comes 100 Years after the All Blacks suffered a famous loss to Wales 3-0 in the only loss of their 35-match epic tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America. The 1905 team is the team who first coined the name "All Blacks"

Will history repeat itself this weekend with a Wales victory? I don't think so, but stranger things have happened.

[Bad Company]

The Team for the All Blacks v Wales test is as follows.

Mils Muliaina (Auckland); Rico Gear (Nelson Bays), Conrad Smith (Wellington, Tana Umaga (Wellington, capt), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland); Daniel Carter (Canterbury), Byron Kelleher (Waikato); Rodney So'oialo (Wellington), Chris Masoe (Taranaki), Jerry Collins (Wellington); James Ryan (Oytago), Chris Jack (Canterbury); Carl Hayman (Otago), Anton Oliver (Otago), Neemia Tialata (Wellington)

Replacements: Andrew Hore (Taranaki), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour), Angus Macdonald (Auckland), Richie McCaw (Canterbury), Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Ma'a Nonu (Wellington), Leon MacDonald (Canterbury).

[Wengerland]

Very surprised at McCaw's omission from the starting 15, but with Wales missing some key players like Martyn Williams and Dwayne Peel i think you'll have enough to win.

Should be a good game though, two sides who play class rugby.

[Bad Company]

Yeah, I'm surprised, but not all our players can play all the games. Masoe is a good flanker who has the chance to step up, It'll be good to see how he does in an international game.

[Team Sheep]

Half time: Wales 3-13 New Zealand.

We're missing our Lions players. Ceri Sweeney and Mark Taylor are liabilities for me. We've got to make our set pieces work in the second half, and maybe we can get into this game.

[Bad Company]

I only got to listen to the game on a car stereo at 5am, so I fell asleep for the 2nd half. Going to watch it tonight but a good win by us, we seemed rusty though.

[Sting Fan]

Wow I havent seen the game yet but the score line makes it sound an asskicking.

And as for being Rusty Company I think the exclusion of Mc Caw (as much as I dislike him) was a mistake that would make the forwards seem rusty. Mc Caw was the skilled memeber of that back row with Collins and Soaialo providing the pure muscle to back him up. Masoe brings a lot of power but little finese for a flanker and I really think Masoe should have gone on for Soialo or Collins while someone like Marty Holah finnaly got some freaking recognition. Dont get me wrong I am a huge Masoe fan but he doesnt bring the skill set Mc Caw or Holah do to that role.

Oh and I still cant stand Daniel Carter.

- Edit - WTF is up with my rep?

[Bad Company]

Well, After the ABs Demolished Wales, it's on to Ireland.

Team to play ireland

NEW ZEALAND: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Ma'a Nonu, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Sione Lauaki, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Jason Eaton, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Saimone Taumoepeau, 18 Carl Hayman, 19 Chris Jack, 20 Rodney So'oialo, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 Mils Muliaina.

not ONE of those players started vs Wales

We have so much depth

[Bad Company]

Kickoff is at 3:30am My Time, and it's almost 6pm, gonna start hitting the booze soon. The All Blacks shouldn't have any problems with Ireland, but stranger things have happened.

[Wengerland]

Well you thrashed Ireland aswell, so i'm not confident about England's chances. We weren't great defensively against Australia, particularly in leaving space out wide, and the All Blacks can punish that with ease. Still, with Tindall and Noon it should be solid in the middle cause it's definetly not an attacking pairing, which Robinson said he wanted, but not having Ollie Smith in the squad seems to indicate otherwise.

God i hate him, it's just a shame that after last week's win it probably won't affect his position if New Zealand batter us.

[Bad Company]

Yeah, I'd be disappointed if we don't beat England, but you guys always seem strong on Home turf when you play us.
Graham Henry seems to have made some good choices in picking the team to play you, and we are lucky to have the luxury of being able to pick 2 International Teams out of our squad.
The team to play England comprises seven from the starting XV that beat Ireland 45-7 last weekend and eight from the 41-3 win against Wales two weeks ago.

All Blacks team to play England:
15. Mils Muliaina
14. Doug Howlett
13. Tana Umaga
12. Aaron Mauger
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
10. Daniel Carter
9. Byron Kelleher
8. Rodney So'oialo
7. Richie McCaw
6. Jerry Collins
5. Ali Williams
4. Chris Jack
3. Carl Hayman
2. Keven Mealamu
1. Tony Woodcock


Reserves:
Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata, Jason Eaton, Mose Tuiali'i, Piri Weepu, Joe Rokocoko, Leon MacDonald

[Bad Company]

England v NZ in 3 hours :y:
NZ for the win I rekon, even without mccaw.