KEY POINTS:
All Blacks coach Graham Henry is to continue his pick 'n' mix choices during the World Cup pool matches.
Henry says it is the only sensible approach to keep the players ticking over physically and to guard against the dangers of lethargy and boredom during such a
tournament.
It would be "ridiculous" to select his top side throughout, he says.
Is Graham Henry right to stick with his rotation policy? Here is a selection of Your Views:
Mike (Sydney)
For the ABs to win the Eden Park Test they need to win their share of the lineout, the weakest part of their game. I can't understand how the veteran Anton Oliver is stating hooker given his awful record of lineout throw ins against Australia.
Jerome (Bondi)
I'm concerned about the view of Graham Henry. To say he doesn't want to win a World Cup by the means of 10 man rugby is strange! I can understand his thoughts but buddy, we haven't won a WC for a few years now. I myself would be quite happy to see us win the final (if we're lucky enough to razzle dazzle our way there) through 'percentage' play. Get down the other end and let Carter bang the droppies! Let's win it then in between the WCs go back to our "champagne" rugby. I am quite sick of hearing, "How well we played in the tournament", "We were the best team", "We deserved to hold to the trophy" blah blah! Quite frankly, a coach is there to devise a way in which the team can win the thing, not once we've lost another semi to say, "Yeah but at least we threw it around"! Please GH, don't tell me the players would be bored during a final playing a style that with 3 minutes to go they are in front and know they are going to win because they weren't attractive to the audience! In a perfect world we go out there and blow everyone off the park playing sexy rugby, but I don't want sexy and I'm sure many others are the same! Just win it! For you, for the players and the people who help finance your job, the people of New Zealand.
Sione (Auckland)
I think the rotation policy is great, in the past we've had 20 years of only playing our top players through a RWC & what have got out of it, nada. Remember Sydney, we lost Tana in a game against Italy when in hindsight we should have saved him for Oz. I agree with the rotation policy because with everyone getting a game during the RWC it will actually benefit the ABs, how? Lets say we already know the top 15 who will play in the final (McCaw, Collins, Carter, Kelleher, etc), however to get there you need to win the pool games. This will come down to guys like Masoe, Evans, Smith, Mauger, Leonard etc players who would only have been bench warmers in previous World Cups. These guys will go and play their hearts out because of the responsibility of making the final will rest on their shoulders and that is what will pull this team together. The fact that everyone has a part in the ABs success or failure, not (as in the past) just the top 15 with some bench warmers tagging along. Sounds corny, I don't care, after 20 years why not try something different?
Adrian (Auckland)
Huh? Calling the Wallabies mongrels is totally contradictory and just typical brain dead kiwi drivel. The pot calling the kettle black. How can the Wallabies be mongrels when they are the ones who have soft forwards and the intelligent backline. Last time I checked it was the Mongrel Mob getting up to its neanderthal activities in NZ, and an All Black hitting his wife. You would never hear of that kind of mongrel behaviour from a Wallaby.
Joe Seph
I think we are going to find that the rotation policy is going to be what wins us the world cup. Think about it, last world cup we claimed, as we always do, that we had the best team in the world. Then Tana got injured in the first game and we couldn't replace him with any real talent. This time we are going to have depth from subs who would make almost any other national team in the rugby world. The phrase 'your only as strong as your weakest link' never meant so much. Good work Mr Henry you have my full backing.
Fujiray
GH, bring Umaga back to heal the wound at 13, 100 per cent sure the AB would win the WC if he play against Mortlock.
Scrumma (Perth)
Yes it may well be but I will leave Greg Somerville out because he is way off the pace, the other I will leave out is Rueben Thorne he may be good for the Crusaders but he does nothing for the All Blacks in my opinion, take players with inspiration who are impact players, who know how to put fear into the opposition when they take to the field, guys who put in big tackles that can rock the other team, guys who can take the ball up with the get-out-of-my-way attitude and set a new dimension attacking ability rather than the opposition knowing that we are going to run them around and all they do is wait for an All Black mistake and then make them pay. I've seen Somerville scrum and the opposition has had the better of him, we've seen the way Troy used to run with the ball. It's these individual abilities that lifts the team, we've seen Carter carve everyone up but he hasn't shown much form either, but what have we seen from Rueben Thorne, at the end of the day the selectors will have the last say.
Sione (Auckland)
Forwards: Drop Thorne & Masoe for Holah & Lauaki.
Backs: Drop Toeava & Howlett for Gear & Nonu.
I don't know why Robinson or Sommerville are in the team but I can't think of anyone to replace them properly.
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