New All Blacks

well we should be seeing a new team for the end of year tour since cunturbury arnt all that anymore

BaCkS

Cullen (Wgt)wing, fullback
Blair (canty)Fullback
Lomu (Wgt)Wing
Mauger (Canty)1/2 5 2nd 5
Umanga (Wgt)Center
Robinson (Canty)Centers
King (Wai) 2nd 5, centre
Lowen (Wai)Centers
Howlett (Auck)Wing
Spencer (Auck)1/2 five , full back
Feeney (Otago)1/2 back, 1st five
Kellaher (Otago)1/2 back


FoRwArDs

Soloalo (Wgt) #8, flanker
Collins (Wgt)#8
McCraw (Canty)flanker
Jack (Canty)lock
Holah (Wai)Flanker
Tito (Naki)Lock
Hoeft (Otg)Prop
Blackie (Otg)Flanker, Lock
Feek (Canty)Prop
Wills (Otg)Hooker
Hamett (Canty) Hooker
Meeuws (Akl) Prop
Sommerville (Canty)Prop

and on stand by id have

Miller (Sth)#8
Lee (Otg) 1/2 back
R Robinson (Naki)Lock, Flanker
McDonnell (otg) Prop
Mauger (Canty) centre , wing
Mehrtens (Canty) 1/2 5

We always see a good team 3/4 years but when that world cup comes around we always stumble, why is that?

They cant handle the BIG, high pressure games. Comes down to mental disciple and strength.

Yet those are two factors that every kiwi team boasts...

well today is the day and i think i just about had it right

but danny lee will be in the run on squad if byron is injuryed

and as for the hype about the Auckland flanker ?

pffft totally out played by marty holla

the guy from Southland is a much better player...

lets see what happens today then eh!

Well lets hope they do better than they have with there previous form.

Im glad that spencer made it into the squad.

Carlos was always going to make it. It struck me on Saturday how much he has matured mentally. He was always a great player but still not as good as he thought he was. Now he has lost the worst of his arrogance he is playing better. Overall the squad is fairly predictable.

basically they've picked a rookie squad & if they win they can claim that they're are the best, & if they lose they will just say it was a B team,& try & talk down the fact that england & france are looking strong!

the reason the AB's don't win important games is because they think they have decent mental fortitude when really they don't... much like the rest of NZ sport...

they don't have it upstairs like the ozzies do, its not about believing you can do it, its about KNOWING you can do it... there in lies the difference in our nations' sporting abilities...

it starts at a young age and we need to teach our sporting children how to BE winners, not think they are when they aren't...

We've been fairly successful against aussie recently in cricket, basketball, soccer and a few other minor sports. I do think the aussies are more used to professional sport than us and that makes a difference. the main issue is numbers though. They have a lot more people playing sport and that really counts, especially in team sports. They are also probably the no 1 sporting nation in the world in terms of achievement compared to population size, so we are competing with the best.

Only in terms of achievement per capita -- which counts for nothing in any major competition.

I always fail to see why people draw upon these worthless per capita comparisons.

The more people you have, the more top sportspeople you would expect to have. Why is that worthless. Surely you would expect the US to beat NZ in almost all sports due to their large population.

But they don't, and neither do China or India....

Like I said, worthless comparison.

But the per capita probably doesn't go for rugby. I'm sure we have a much higher incidence of rugby heads than most other countries. Who really cares how good we are at rugby when you consider it on a world scale ...its like saying "yay! we are one of the top tiddlywinks(sp?) playing countries in the world!".

I wish this stupid country would stop idolising rugby players and pay attention to people that do far more worthwhile things for society ...but I guess you get the sportsperson idolisation thing in all countries.

Shaolin, I'm talking about similar countries. The US do beat us in just about every sport, apart from ones they don't play of course, like rugby, cricket, league.

harvey - In terms of people playing rugby, professionalism would see the number of people playing become more important. In the past NZ players were quasi-professional and in other countries they weren't, hence our domination. Now everyone is equal we won't maintain that position. In Aussie for example, playing rugby is now more lucrative than league so top players will opt for rugby above league now.

This stupid country?

LMAO you get a bit cynical around midnight harvey?

I wouldnt call per capita comparisons worthless but a better indicator, as harvey points out is the instances of "rugby heads" or generically speaking "adult player numbers in the sport"

Cream rises to the top and if you gotta lotta top players you end up with heaps of superstars, rather than just a couple

Critical mass is tempered by only being only to field as many as everyone else, but it sure as hell aint worthless

Look at the Indian cricket team, they umm....errrrr...... they......wtf.... oh well maybe not in all cases aye

ugh

I meant "by only being ABLE to field as many as everyone else"

justahalf: I you were only talking about "similar countries" why mention make mention of the U.S. in a previous post?

I stand by my point that Per/capita comparisons are essentially a waste of time. They are not a valid indicator in Global sporting events.

In soccer or tennis, sports which on a global scale enjoy similar per capita numbers in participation. The winners are surely not indicative of the "total" amount of people that each country playing the sport has.

How then would you explain a country the size of Holland (15 million) reaching the World Cup Final twice.... tbc

If you can't figure out that the larger a country is the more success they will have in sport generally (assuming they are countries who actually play sport to similar levels) then you need to open your eyes more. Sure there are exceptions but the general rule applies, the more people you have to choose from the better you will be.

Au contraire, if you can't see that a countries respective population size offers only a very limited explanation of their success on the sporting field you're an idiot.

If it were population based, how would you explain the relative success of Australia (Tennis, Swimming, Rugby, Hockey, etc) New Zealand (Basketball, Rugby, Golf), The Netherlands (Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball)

None of these countries have a population of more then 20 million, and with the exception of perhaps rugby, none of them have anywhere near the highest total amount of people playing each respective sport.

Culture, State of the art sporting facilities, World Class Coaching, a top domestic league, and an abundance of resources (monetary or otherwise) are far more important factors.

quote: "assuming they are countries who actually play sport to similar levels"

That's just a weak as disclaimer.

i hope that jonah improves before the world cup, his form in the NPC was shocking, i didnt even really see him play that much.

wtf happend here then

Nanz - that's cos he couldn't even make the starting line-up for Wellington.

I'm happy for Steve Devine that he made the All Blacks and Blues (cos he deserves to be there) but I feel sorry for Mark Robinson who now has nothing. It's a big shame.

Shaolin - exceptions only prove the general theory, not disprove it

The NZRFU should be paying Mark Robinson $60K next year as a retainer. They stuffed up his contract and left him in the lurch. He would have picked up a contract if he had of known all along he wasn't going to be in the blues. They told him he was and changed their minds, costing him any chance. A good employer would pay him the salary and draft him in when another halfback gets injured.

mark robinson? hahaha fuck that send that prick overseas he is so overated plenty of better up and coming 1/2 backs than him.

Issac Boss
Danny lee
Kevin Farrell

its funny how the womens day label him a star? star of what ? if he didnt get into the super 12 he is not that goda rugby player simple as that.