Rugby: Second-string All Blacks get chance to stake claims

Stephen Donald. Photo / Getty Images

All the focus might be on the Barbarians' stars and Richie McCaw, but a fair few All Blacks will be quelling test match-like nerves as they run on to Twickenham for tomorrow's tour finale.

At least half the All Blacks side have points to prove at the end of what the coaches dubbed a six-week "selection tour".

For first five-eighths Stephen Donald and tighthead prop John Afoa, it's their first start of the tour after several bench cameos while others have really only had the scrum-and-kickfest against Italy to show their wares.

For the likes of Donald, Brendon Leonard, Rodney So'oialo, Liam Messam, Jason Eaton and Afoa, it's a chance to ensure the red pen doesn't hover over their names before the summer break.

So'oialo, 30, is the interesting figure in the side, with the 62-test All Black having been clearly overtaken by Kieran Read in the No 8 pecking order after a frustrating year.

A heavy workload and a pesky neck injury saw him below his best, but the Wellingtonian vowed he would fight all the way to retain his black jersey next year.

"It is a good battle. It's easy to get into a team but to stay there is bloody hard. A true test of someone's character is how well you can bounce back from things," So'oialo said.

"I've done that many times. I'll simply work hard to come back next year and play really well in Super 14."

The man who captained the All Blacks four times last year in McCaw's absence, and also led them against Italy, admitted fatigue got to him after the Super 14 and he would enjoy his four-week break at tour's end.

"It's one thing I didn't do that well this year, I wasn't smart on the body. I've been abusing it for many years for the All Blacks and I probably didn't listen to it well enough."

The clear advantage the All Blacks have over the Barbarians - dominated by top Springboks and Wallabies - is the fact the second-stringers trained together for much of the six-week tour, whereas the Victor Matfield-captained Barbarians assembled on Sunday.

Donald will marshal the All Blacks' backline before making way for Mike Delany at halftime or soon after.

He was determined to make it count after just 26 minutes in three tests off the bench.

"It's a Barbarians game but we're pretty focused on going out and doing the job. We'll try to be entertaining but we've got to finish this tour right," Donald said.

"It's up to us to go out and look after ourselves and it's up to them to play how they want to play."

The scrum will also be under scrutiny, with Afoa heeding coach Graham Henry's advice to improve his efforts and Wyatt Crockett keen to make up for his Milan nightmare.

Afoa said a heart-to-heart with Henry when he was dropped for the Cardiff test was a wakeup call.

"It was a real shock to the system. We had a chat and he gave me things to work on and I've been doing that the last four weeks," Afoa said.

Twickenham, 3.30am tomorrow

BARBARIANS
Drew Mitchell
Joe Rokocoko
Jaque Fourie
Jamie Roberts
Bryan Habana
Matt Giteau
Fourie du Preez
George Smith
Schalk Burger
Rocky Elsom
Victor Matfield (c)
Carlo del Fava
WP Nel
Bismarck du Plessis
Salvatore Perugini

ALL BLACKS
Cory Jane
Ben Smith
Tamati Ellison
Luke McAlister
Zac Guildford
Stephen Donald
Brendon Leonard
Rodney So'oialo
Richie McCaw (c)
Liam Messam
Anthony Boric
Jason Eaton
John Afoa
Corey Flynn
Wyatt Crockett

Barbarians: Stephen Moore, Tendai Mtawarira, Quintin Geldenhuys, Andy Powell, Will Genia, Morne Steyn, Leigh Halfpenny.

All Blacks: Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata, Adam Thomson, Tanerau Latimer, Jimmy Cowan, Mike Delany, Sitiveni Sivivatu

- NZPA