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- May 29, 2007
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It was a mixed week for NZ teams. The Crusaders and Chiefs had important wins, while the Blues and the Highlanders lost matches they could’ve won. Throw in a few injuries to key players and you have an interesting week all up!
Props
Ben Tameifuna (Chiefs) – Very Unlikely
Big Ben is a fantastic prop in the making, but his decision making is absolutely abhorrent. He was pulled near half time to make way for the superior Big Ben, which is understandable. Tameifuna is a great bench prospect for the Chiefs, but will likely not progress much further with Afeaki the clear best tight head in the squad.
Ben Afeaki (Chiefs) – Very Likely
Afeaki being selected is just a formality now. His work around the field is second to none for props, and his scrimmaging ability is nothing to laugh at. With Faumuina suffering a medium length injury, Afeaki is a certainty for the All Blacks come June. Faumuina should be back in time for the squad naming, but with his injury and Owen Franks’ form leaving much to be desired, Afeaki has a great chance of getting some solid game time against France.
Wyatt Crocket (Crusaders) – Unlikely
Crockett had a quiet game against the Crusaders. At this point in the season Ben Franks clearly has the upper hand, and unless Crockett starts to up his game it will be hard to see the selectors looking past Franks.
Ben Franks (Hurricanes) – Likely
Did not play.
Joe Moody (Crusaders) looked good off the bench this weekend, in his first lengthy appearance. Pauliasi Manu (Chiefs) continues to offer steady performances.
Hookers
Hika Elliot (Chiefs) – Even
Elliot has lifted his game over the last couple of weeks, Mahonri Schwalger may have trouble getting the starting hooker jersey back off him once he returns from injury. Elliot is busy around the park and solid in the set piece, and with Coles missing a couple of weeks, he may just have the upper hand in the battle for third choice hooker berth.
Dane Coles (Hurricanes) – Even
Did not play.
Codie Taylor (Crusaders) earned his first cap for this weekend, and looked strong on offence (though stuck to the left wing like an old school winger). James Parsons (Blues) is improving with every game and will be a great reserve once Mealamu returns. Liam Coltman (Highlanders) had one of his best professional performances too and will benefit hugely from the consistent game time he will get with Hore and Brayden Mitchell injured.
Locks
Luke Romano returned from injury against the Kings which means there will definitely be no openings in the June squad. Anthony Boric (Blues) also made his much anticipated return. Mike Fitzgerald (Chiefs) is maturing into a good replacement for Craig Clarke.
Loose Forward
Matt Todd (Crusaders) – Unlikely
Todd was a defensive maestro against the Kings, making all ten of his attempted tackles. His lack of versatility probably counts against him, but if selected it is unlikely he would do a bad job.
Steven Luatua (Blues) – Even
A couple of average performances in a row from Luatua means his place is not as secured as it may have been a few weeks ago. His fitness probably needs a bit of work, but his ability in the set piece is at the higher end for NZ loosies.
Luke Braid (Blues) – Even
Braid delivers strong performances each week, and is physical on both offence and defence. He is now an integral part of the Blues set up and will probably get a cap or two down the line. Whether the selectors see him as a potential long term player is still up in the air.
Brad Shields (Hurricanes) – Even
Did not play.
Peter Saili (Blues) took a step back this week, while George Whitelock (Crusaders) had another good performance. John Hardie (Highlanders) turned in another industrious performance.
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Chiefs) – Even
Kerr-Barlow has delivered one solid performance after another and is very unlucky to have caught Colin Slade’s broken jaw-itis. His stint on the side line will give
TJ Perenara a chance to gain ground. Will a few weeks prior to the squad announcement be enough to hold his position in the All Blacks?
TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) – Even
Did not play.
First Fives
Chris Noakes (Blues) continued to blossom for his new team, while Colin Slade (Highlanders) is slowly returning to being a quality player. He might need to get a bit of kicking practice is, however.
Centres
Andrew Horrell (Chiefs) – Even
Horrell is a very safe player, but still possesses a bit of the X-factor that guys like Tim Bateman are missing. His skill set is diverse, and seems to play with confidence at all times. While there is a bit of a log jam at the moment, with Conrad Smith unavailable come the end of the year, and Kahui departing, Horrell could have a shot of making the team sometime this year.
Francis Saili (Blues) – Likely
Like the rest of his team, Saili suffered from a bit of a handling issue against the Waratahs. His attacking play, however, was fantastic, creating numerous opportunities for his team mates to capitalise on.
Rene Ranger (Blues) – Unlikely
Ranger’s age and non-committal means he probably sits behind other candidates in the pecking order. He will have to deliver consistently good performances for the Blues if he is to be considered. The fact that he is more of a power player will also not be in his favour, due to the likelihood of Nonu being inside whichever centre is selected. That being said, he was a constant threat on attack against the Waratahs.
Elsewhere, Jason Emery (Highlanders) should retain the 13 jersey for the remainder of the season down south, and in a couple of years will have a serious chance of getting selected in the All Blacks. He does need to bulk up a bit, however.
Outside Backs
Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs) – Unlikely
With Kahui back from injury we should see Nanai-Williams slipping out a spot or two, where he will have a better chance of pushing his case for selection.
Johnny McNicholl (Crusaders) – Unlikely
McNicholl didn’t get as much quality ball this week as he would’ve liked. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the defensive Stormers in South Africa, where go forward will be at a premium with Dan Carter and Kieran Read both missing.
Charles Piutau (Blues) – Likely
Every week I realise I should have Piutau in my fantasy squad, and every week I fail to select him. While he didn’t have an error free performance for the Blues (in fact he was one of the worst for handling errors), when he did keep his hands on the ball he was a menace. One of the most promising things about Piutau is that he is great at holding off attackers and putting them in two minds, meaning he can slow them down and give his team mates a chance to recover on defence after conceding a line break.
Probable Squad:
Hookers – A Hore, K Mealamu, H Elliot
Props – T Woodcock, O Franks, C Faumuina, B Franks, B Afeaki
Locks – S Whitelock, B Retalick, L Romano, A Williams
Loose Forwards – K Read, S Cane, V Vito, L Messam, S Luatua
Halfbacks – P Weepu, A Smith, T Kerr-Barlow
First Fives – D Carter, A Cruden, B Barrett
Centres – C Smith, M Nonu, F Saili
Outside Backs – I Dagg, J Savea, C Piutau, H Gear
Utility Backs – B Smith, R Kahui
Out – D Coles
In – H Elliot
Blues - 7
Chiefs - 8
Hurricanes - 5
Crusaders - 6
Highlanders - 6
Props
Ben Tameifuna (Chiefs) – Very Unlikely
Big Ben is a fantastic prop in the making, but his decision making is absolutely abhorrent. He was pulled near half time to make way for the superior Big Ben, which is understandable. Tameifuna is a great bench prospect for the Chiefs, but will likely not progress much further with Afeaki the clear best tight head in the squad.
Ben Afeaki (Chiefs) – Very Likely
Afeaki being selected is just a formality now. His work around the field is second to none for props, and his scrimmaging ability is nothing to laugh at. With Faumuina suffering a medium length injury, Afeaki is a certainty for the All Blacks come June. Faumuina should be back in time for the squad naming, but with his injury and Owen Franks’ form leaving much to be desired, Afeaki has a great chance of getting some solid game time against France.
Wyatt Crocket (Crusaders) – Unlikely
Crockett had a quiet game against the Crusaders. At this point in the season Ben Franks clearly has the upper hand, and unless Crockett starts to up his game it will be hard to see the selectors looking past Franks.
Ben Franks (Hurricanes) – Likely
Did not play.
Joe Moody (Crusaders) looked good off the bench this weekend, in his first lengthy appearance. Pauliasi Manu (Chiefs) continues to offer steady performances.
Hookers
Hika Elliot (Chiefs) – Even
Elliot has lifted his game over the last couple of weeks, Mahonri Schwalger may have trouble getting the starting hooker jersey back off him once he returns from injury. Elliot is busy around the park and solid in the set piece, and with Coles missing a couple of weeks, he may just have the upper hand in the battle for third choice hooker berth.
Dane Coles (Hurricanes) – Even
Did not play.
Codie Taylor (Crusaders) earned his first cap for this weekend, and looked strong on offence (though stuck to the left wing like an old school winger). James Parsons (Blues) is improving with every game and will be a great reserve once Mealamu returns. Liam Coltman (Highlanders) had one of his best professional performances too and will benefit hugely from the consistent game time he will get with Hore and Brayden Mitchell injured.
Locks
Luke Romano returned from injury against the Kings which means there will definitely be no openings in the June squad. Anthony Boric (Blues) also made his much anticipated return. Mike Fitzgerald (Chiefs) is maturing into a good replacement for Craig Clarke.
Loose Forward
Matt Todd (Crusaders) – Unlikely
Todd was a defensive maestro against the Kings, making all ten of his attempted tackles. His lack of versatility probably counts against him, but if selected it is unlikely he would do a bad job.
Steven Luatua (Blues) – Even
A couple of average performances in a row from Luatua means his place is not as secured as it may have been a few weeks ago. His fitness probably needs a bit of work, but his ability in the set piece is at the higher end for NZ loosies.
Luke Braid (Blues) – Even
Braid delivers strong performances each week, and is physical on both offence and defence. He is now an integral part of the Blues set up and will probably get a cap or two down the line. Whether the selectors see him as a potential long term player is still up in the air.
Brad Shields (Hurricanes) – Even
Did not play.
Peter Saili (Blues) took a step back this week, while George Whitelock (Crusaders) had another good performance. John Hardie (Highlanders) turned in another industrious performance.
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Chiefs) – Even
Kerr-Barlow has delivered one solid performance after another and is very unlucky to have caught Colin Slade’s broken jaw-itis. His stint on the side line will give
TJ Perenara a chance to gain ground. Will a few weeks prior to the squad announcement be enough to hold his position in the All Blacks?
TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) – Even
Did not play.
First Fives
Chris Noakes (Blues) continued to blossom for his new team, while Colin Slade (Highlanders) is slowly returning to being a quality player. He might need to get a bit of kicking practice is, however.
Centres
Andrew Horrell (Chiefs) – Even
Horrell is a very safe player, but still possesses a bit of the X-factor that guys like Tim Bateman are missing. His skill set is diverse, and seems to play with confidence at all times. While there is a bit of a log jam at the moment, with Conrad Smith unavailable come the end of the year, and Kahui departing, Horrell could have a shot of making the team sometime this year.
Francis Saili (Blues) – Likely
Like the rest of his team, Saili suffered from a bit of a handling issue against the Waratahs. His attacking play, however, was fantastic, creating numerous opportunities for his team mates to capitalise on.
Rene Ranger (Blues) – Unlikely
Ranger’s age and non-committal means he probably sits behind other candidates in the pecking order. He will have to deliver consistently good performances for the Blues if he is to be considered. The fact that he is more of a power player will also not be in his favour, due to the likelihood of Nonu being inside whichever centre is selected. That being said, he was a constant threat on attack against the Waratahs.
Elsewhere, Jason Emery (Highlanders) should retain the 13 jersey for the remainder of the season down south, and in a couple of years will have a serious chance of getting selected in the All Blacks. He does need to bulk up a bit, however.
Outside Backs
Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs) – Unlikely
With Kahui back from injury we should see Nanai-Williams slipping out a spot or two, where he will have a better chance of pushing his case for selection.
Johnny McNicholl (Crusaders) – Unlikely
McNicholl didn’t get as much quality ball this week as he would’ve liked. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the defensive Stormers in South Africa, where go forward will be at a premium with Dan Carter and Kieran Read both missing.
Charles Piutau (Blues) – Likely
Every week I realise I should have Piutau in my fantasy squad, and every week I fail to select him. While he didn’t have an error free performance for the Blues (in fact he was one of the worst for handling errors), when he did keep his hands on the ball he was a menace. One of the most promising things about Piutau is that he is great at holding off attackers and putting them in two minds, meaning he can slow them down and give his team mates a chance to recover on defence after conceding a line break.
Probable Squad:
Hookers – A Hore, K Mealamu, H Elliot
Props – T Woodcock, O Franks, C Faumuina, B Franks, B Afeaki
Locks – S Whitelock, B Retalick, L Romano, A Williams
Loose Forwards – K Read, S Cane, V Vito, L Messam, S Luatua
Halfbacks – P Weepu, A Smith, T Kerr-Barlow
First Fives – D Carter, A Cruden, B Barrett
Centres – C Smith, M Nonu, F Saili
Outside Backs – I Dagg, J Savea, C Piutau, H Gear
Utility Backs – B Smith, R Kahui
Out – D Coles
In – H Elliot
Blues - 7
Chiefs - 8
Hurricanes - 5
Crusaders - 6
Highlanders - 6
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