McCaw 50 50 to return for Wallabies Clash

[Thequeerone]

McCaw has recovered from his ankle injury quicker than expected - and is considered to be a 50 50 chance to play on Saturday. The final decision will rest with Mc Caw himself.

This weekends game is also Carters 50th international.

The All Blacks reckon that Deans will find it an emotional experience sic(fancy wanting to beat the all blacks ) and they can't wait to break the winning streak.

Either McCaw or Braid will replace Adam Thomson, Brad Thorn returns from suspension for lock Anthony Boric, and Greg Somerville takes over from tighthead prop John Afoa.

In the backs, outside centre Richard Kahui will play his second Test in place of Conrad Smith, while winger Anthony Tuitavake replaces Rudi Wulf.

Thomson has been dropped from the 22-man squad as has fullback Leon MacDonald who is "pretty battered and bruised", according to Henry. Smith takes MacDonald's place on the bench.

full article from Wellington :
AFP: All Blacks pencil in McCaw for Wallabies Test

The team to play us is as follows:

Mils Muliaina, Anthony Tuitavake, Richard Kahui, Ma'a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Daniel Carter, Andy Ellis, Jerome Kaino, Daniel Braid/Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.

Reserves: Keven Mealamu, John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Sione Lauaki, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Conrad Smith.

[jargan83]

McCaw named in NZ Bledisloe Cup side

The All Blacks have bracketed captain Richie McCaw and Daniel Braid on the openside flank for the Bledisloe Cup rugby Test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

A decision on the availability of McCaw will be made later in the week and will depend on how his injured ankle continues to recover.

He trained well on Monday and Tuesday but coach Graham Henry must decide whether to risk the 62-Test veteran two weeks ahead of his scheduled recovery date.

Either way, there will be five changes from the starting team who lost 28-30 to South Africa in Dunedin.

McCaw named in NZ Bledisloe Cup side - Rugby Heaven - Breaking News

[jargan83]

i would love to know whats going on here outside the shot.....................did he bring his sheep to this press conferance??

[jargan83]

according to an article on page 69 of todays West Australian, Ritchie McCaw has been ruled out of saturdays Test
Posted via Mobile Device

[Flamethrower]

McCaw out of Bledisloe
By MARC HINTON - RugbyHeaven | Wednesday, 23 July 2008
McCaw out of Bledisloe - Rugby news & coverage - Stuff.co.nz


Like a high-stakes tradeoff, the day after the Wallabies lost their inspirational skipper for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup showdown in Sydney, the All Blacks have seen their own Captain Fantastic limp out of the contest.

The All Blacks have confirmed skipper Richie McCaw, who had been originally named to make a dramatic injury comeback and start the test on the openside flank, has lost his battle to prove his fitness and has withdrawn from the lineup.

Auckland's Daniel Braid, who was New Zealand rugby's player of the year in 2007, will now start the match in the No 7 jersey, ending a five-year spell in the international wilderness.

It had been a huge call in the first place to include the All Blacks' most influential forward. McCaw went down during the June 21 test against England with a serious high ankle sprain, medical opinion later suggesting he faced a six-week minimum recovery period.

But when the 62-test veteran began training with the All Blacks in Wellington this week, he had looked a good chance to complete a "miracle" recovery.

Coach Graham Henry subsequently named him to start in the No 7 jersey at Tuesday's team announcement, though Braid was designated as his official backup.

Henry said at the time that McCaw was only a "50-50" chance to play, but added it was hoped he would take his place for the pivotal Tri-Nations contest.

"He's got the determination and the desire to play, he's done all the rehab and he's making good progress," said Henry.

But the coach said McCaw's "instinct" would ultimately guide whether he would be all right to play – and in this instance the skipper has obviously had an early gut feeling he would not be up to a clash of this magnitide.

Braid now steps into a massive starting assignment against the proven one-two combination of George Smith and his bench backup Phil Waugh. It will be Braid's first appearance in the All Black jersey in five years, his last appearance coming at the 2003 World Cup.

Rodney So'oialo re-assumes the captaincy in McCaw's absence, and the Wellington loose forward will be hoping he fares better on that front than he did in Dunedin when the All Blacks stumbled to their first home defeat in five years.

McCaw's defection directly offsets the Wallabies' own pre-test blow when skipper Stirling Mortlock was ruled out of the match with continued head problems following on from last weekend's big win over the Springboks in Perth.

Both men are hugely influential performers for their teams and in the buildup to a test of massive significance and pressure such as this one it's essentially a straight tradeoff.

The pressure now goes on to the respective understudies, Braid and Ryan Cross who will play centre for the Wallabies, to step in and show that they can perform somewhere near the level of the celebrated leading men they replace.

The All Blacks will travel to Sydney on Thursday with 24 players. Flanker Adam Thomson and wing Rudi Wulf join the match-day 22 in making the trip across the Tasman.

Meanwhile, Kevin O’Neill who has trained with the All Blacks this week will play for Waikato against Bay of Plenty in an Air New Zealand Cup pre-season match tonight. All Blacks prop Neemia Tialata will play club rugby in Wellington this weekend.

All Blacks: Tony Woodcock, Andrew Hore, Greg Somerville, Brad Thorn, Ali Willliams, Rodney So’oialo, Daniel Braid, Jerome Kaino, Andy Ellis, Dan Carter, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Ma'a Nonu, Richard Kahui, Anthony Tuitavake, Mils Muliaina. Reserves: Keven Mealamu, John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Sione Lauaki, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Conrad Smith

[Jess]

Evens it up a little.

But that AB line up is still the stuff of nightmares... for us I mean.

[KenyaQuin]

We'll (ABs) will win anyway even against the cheating lowlife OzMob frontrow

[laura]

Kenya! I thought you were different!

I think the Wallabies have a slim chance of winning this, I would love to say they will whip the pants off the All Blacks, but I think its going to be a massive contest and both teams being without their skipper will be tough. Without Richie, the All Blacks haven't done bad at all, but the Wallabies seem to have sorted themselves out for the moment and hopefully they can pull it off.
I have full faith in the boys in Gold, but it will tough and if they don't win its ok so long as they gave it their all (so very cliche` but true) and dont come away too battered and bruised.

[pruc]

this will be a good game
mccaw out is a blessing for ab
they get to develop enougher flanker at an international level without hurting the teams chances of winning greatly

[prop53]

Makes no difference if he plays or not remember 15 per side, to make a team.