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AAP
Updated May 14, 2013,
11:03 am
Winger Frank Halai has marked his first season in top-level rugby with inclusion in an enlarged All Blacks training squad to prepare for next month's three-Test series against France.
Halai, playing in his first Super Rugby season with the Auckland-based Blues, is the top try-scorer in the tournament with eight after 13 rounds.
Halai's Blues teammates - centre Francis Saili, fullback Charles Piutau and flanker Steven Luatua - were also among 10 uncapped players named on Tuesday in All Blacks coach Steve Hansen's 38-man squad.
The others were the Hurricanes trio of halfback TJ Perenara, flanker Brad Shields and prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, plus Crusaders utility back Tom Taylor and lock Dominic Bird and Chiefs prop Ben Afeaki.
Hansen recently said he would probably need to shed some experienced players as soon as this year to begin building for the 2015 World Cup.
However, the likes of hookers Andrew Hore and Keven Mealamu, lock Ali Williams and midfield veterans Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu have all been included despite struggles with injury or form.
Hansen said the majority of the team that will play France will come from the squad, which will take part in two training camps later this month.
"The camps will give us the opportunity to prepare a foundation on which we can grow our game throughout the (test) series," Hansen said.
"As it did last year, it will also give us a small window of opportunity to introduce some young players into the ways of the All Blacks and allow both these players and All Blacks management to get to know each other a little better."
The squad includes Chiefs flanker Sam Cane, who is seen as a strong candidate to take the openside role vacated for the France series by All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. McCaw has been granted a lengthy "sabbatical" from rugby and will not return until the Tri-Nations series in August.
Crusaders flanker Matt Todd, who is also a candidate for the openside role, did not make the training squad.
Squad: Frank Halai, Steven Luatua, Keven Mealamu, Charles Piutau, Rene Ranger, Francis Saili, Piri Weepu, Ali Williams, Ben Afeaki, Sam Cane, Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, Beauden Barrett, Dane Coles, Ben Franks, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Brad Shields, Conrad Smith, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Victor Vito, Dominic Bird, Daniel Carter, Wyatt Crockett, Israel Dagg, Owen Franks, Kieran Read, Luke Romano, Tom Taylor, Samuel Whitelock, Hosea Gear, Andrew Hore, Ma'a Nonu, Aaron Smith, Ben Smith, Tony Woodcock.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...squad-call-up/
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Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
I wonder how many of those uncapped players are eligible to play for Polynesian countries and how quickly will they represent the blackness as a consequence?
C'mon the![]()
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What an absolutely ridiculous comment to make Gigs
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.
look at australian footy codes - getting more multi cultural by the month...
Wait was Gigs' comment interpreted as a racial thing and not a - you know - jersey colour thing?
Love a good conspiracy theory. Problem here though is of the ten uncapped players, nine were born in NZ.
The exception is Frank Halai who was born in Tonga but has been living in NZ since he was a kid. Was educated at the same Auckland school, Wesley College, as the man he is being compared with, Jonah Lomu.
Apart from the Blues, has played for NZ Sevens team and Counties-Manakau in the ITM as well as Waikato.
His residential qualifications look pretty sound to me.
Blown outta the water Gigs,a little bit of research before you gob off wouldn't go astray.
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.
Shakle draggers might be in with a chance![]()
Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
Born in Tonga....my uninformed suspicions were correct!
Saili could play for Samoa
Piutau played Junior World Cup for Tonga
Luatua, however HAS played JWC for New Zealand.
That's the Blues done, do I need to continue?
Last edited by GIGS20; 15-05-13 at 08:19.
C'mon the![]()
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