Former All Black Aaron Mauger reported to be keen to come home...

Former All Black Aaron Mauger reported to be keen to be home:

There is a potential midfield boost for the All Blacks with second-five Aaron Mauger reported to be keen to come home. However, Ma'a Nunu would appear to have that position secured at present. The spectre of the talented Richard Kahui looms over the All Blacks midfield.

The Crusaders have yet to make a formal approach to Aaron Mauger, despite reports the former All Blacks second-five is keen to return to New Zealand. The Crusaders would appear to be solid in that position, though with Steven Brett gone to the Blues, Mauger could cover there.

Mauger is reportedly keen to leave English club Leicester and return home ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder says he has heard Mauger wants to move his young family back to New Zealand and while Mauger has been in contact with them, they have not been targeting him or chasing him.

Blackadder says it seems to be an increasing trend for former All Blacks to return from overseas late in their careers.


Acknowledgements:© 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Three All Blacks stars to play for Canterbury in Ranfurly Shield/Air NZ Cup match against Wellington on Sat. night...

Canterbury will start their three All Blacks stars in the Air NZ Cup/Ranfurly Shield rugby challenge against Wellington on Saturday.

Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Brad Thorn have all been confirmed in the starting 15 for the match in Wellington, with All Blacks skipper McCaw today named to play at No 8.

His customary role at openside flanker is filled by George Whitelock, who retains the captaincy after leading Canterbury in McCaw's absence this winter.

The match marks the first time McCaw has played in a shield challenge.

Carter has recovered from a slight calf strain which he picked up in the Tri-Nations test win over Australia in Sydney last Saturday.

Also back in Canterbury's ranks is loosehead prop Wyatt Crockett, who was involved with the All Blacks during the build-up to the Bledisloe Cup test but wasn't used in the playing 22.

Another international, loose forward Kieran Read, has not recovered sufficiently from knee injury to take his place in the Canterbury side.


Canterbury coach Rob Penney welcomed the availability of his All Blacks.

"It's great to have these guys available for us and keen to play and that enthusiasm is the key. They are obviously quality players and are extremely excited about playing in this match.

Carter comes in for Stephen Brett, who played well in Canterbury's 25-21 victory over Tasman last weekend and will be on the reserves bench.

Thorn replaces Luke Romano and McCaw comes in for Mike Coman, who is expected to be sidelined for three weeks with an ankle sprain.

In other changes, second five-eighth Ryan Crotty replaces Tim Bateman, who moves out one spot to centre, with Adam Whitelock named on the reserves bench.

James Paterson comes on to the left wing for Tu Umaga-Marshall.

Canterbury
Colin Slade, Sean Maitland, Tim Bateman, Ryan Crotty, James Paterson, Dan Carter, Tyson Keats, Richie McCaw, George Whitelock (captain), Michael Paterson, Brad Thorn, James Broadhurst, Peter Borlase, Ti'i Paulo, Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves: Corey Flynn, Andrew Olorenshaw, Sam Whitelock, Matt Todd, Andy Ellis, Stephen Brett, Adam Whitelock.

Acknowledgements: NZPA

All Blacks need to get their minds back into test match rugby mode - ask Brad Thorn...

All Blacks need to get their minds into test match rugby mode - ask Brad Thorn...

Dual international Brad Thorn reckons the intricacies of rugby mean it's harder to get an All Blacks test team up to speed than a Kangaroos league side.

And the 34-year-old should know, having played for both teams during a stellar footballing career on either side of the Tasman.

As the All Blacks look to pick up their game after last week's ugly loss to the French in Dunedin, Thorn feels things are coming together with a bit more time under their belts.

"It's harder in rugby because there's so much technique to scrummaging, there's so much skill and technique to lineouts, cleaning rucks ... there's just so much stuff there," said Thorn who will play his 26th rugby test this weekend after representing Australia in league eight times. He also played for Queensland 14 times during career with the Brisbane Broncos that took in 200 matches.

Apart from a few stars missing through injury Thorn sees little difference to this season than his previous experiences in the black jersey. They just got exposed by a fired up French team and now they have to respond.

"It's hard to cover that all in one week and keep the boys fresh mentally. It's quite a challenge but no excuses ... the French had just finished their season, they came over and played well.

"Early last year against Ireland and England we were disappointed with some things too. It's a fairly solid process getting your game together and as the season went on the All Blacks were really humming. So hopefully we can take another step in improvement this week and get more used to playing."

The week has been an emotional rollercoaster for Thorn who celebrated the birth of his fourth child, baby daughter Niva to go with his three sons.

"I might have to sign a contract for another five years to feed them," said the big lock.

Now he's got to knuckle down and get ready for the challenge of facing a fired up French side where his personal marker will be Sebastien Chabal. That individual tussle should be one of the highlights.

"There always seems to be quite a bit of hype around him ... the flash hairstyle and beard really are part of the package and he gives 100 percent," Thorn noted of the controversial Frenchman.

"He looks a pretty sharp player from what I have seen. He's come along while I was playing league but he seems to have played some really good rugby for France."

But Thorn looks at the bigger picture for things to push his buttons.

"It's good having good opponents to play against to test yourself and challenge yourself. But for me the motivation is putting on the black jersey. I think that should be the same every week. That's how I feel."

He says it's the same when people start talking about these All Blacks staring at just the sixth series loss on home soil if they get tipped over again. That was news to him.

"You can think about that stuff but I just think it shouldn't matter who you are playing, when you are playing or whatever, you put your body on your line, play to the last whistle and give everything you have got. Whether you win or lose you walk away knowing that you have given it your best hit."

Thorn does that with remarkable consistency. He was one of the few older hands who could walk off Carisbrook with some sense of personal satisfaction last week despite the result.

Ad Feedback And as he enters the twilight stages of his international career he has some advice to rugby's rulemakers make up your minds about the laws and stick to them.

The difficulties the All Blacks had adjusting from the ELVs was evident in the opening minutes of the Dunedin test when they failed to handle the French maul and they struggled with the tackle ball situations as well.

"I've been playing rugby for about a year and a half and before that I had three years of league so I haven't seen a maul for four or five years. Every time I did we were able to pull it down. You can't do that now.

"You can do something one week and the next week you can't. It's the same with the guy who makes the tackle.

"It felt like we improved in those areas as the game wore on but we pretty much walked straight into it.

"Hopefully the rules of rugby can find where they are at and we can move forward five, 10, 15 or 20 years with the same rules so we can enjoy it and get on with it. It would be good for the spectators and players."

Spoken like a true professional.

Former All Black Luke McAlister to return to NZ rugby in May 2009...

Former All Black Luke McAlister to leave English club, Sale and return to NZ in May 2009 - could replace Dan Carter this season:

All Blacks' backs coach Wayne Smith wants Luke McAlister rushed straight back into the squad when he returns to New Zealand in May.

The 25-year-old has signed on with the NZRU through until 2012 and will leave English club Sale at the end of this season. McAlister has cited a desire to be closer to his family for his decision to return.

Smith says it is great news. He says McAlister should be given dispensation to play international rugby without having to play in the Air New Zealand Cup first.

"My personal view is that if he signed a long term contract to be here playing then it would be enough for me, but I don't make those decisions."

Smith says McAlister will be taking a big hit financially, which shows his commitment to playing in New Zealand.

Former All Black first five Grant Fox is thrilled with McAlister's decision.

"He's still a young man. I guess he's done his OE and he's got good reasons to come home and making that commitment to New Zealand rugby till 2012. It's just good - at a time when the game I love's got a few issues - this is good news."

Fox is also a member of the Blues board and hopes McAlister signs for the franchise. He will make a decision on which province he will play for when he returns to New Zealand.

Sale of the Century


Compliments:
© 2009 NZCity, NewsTalkZB
Rugby NZ Newslinks NZ

NZ All Blacks win the silverware - won pulsating match against Australian Wallabies...

NZ All Blacks rugby union team win pulsating match against Australian Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia...

The New Zealand All Blacks rugby union test side stared defeat in the face but refused to blink at what was described as a seething Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, last night.But they unleashed a withering and dramatic second half effort, after being down 7-17, to storm back to a scintilating 28-24 win over the Australian Wallabies.
The All Blacks have taken their fourth consecutive Tri-Nations title with that pulsating victory over the Wallabies in front of a sell-out 52,328 at Suncorp Stadium. Both teams had beaten each other at home earlier, and had also won and lost against the South African Springboks, who had been knocked out of the competition. The All Blacks also retained the Bledisloe Cup against Australia. The fourth game to played before the end of season tour of Britain and Ireland at the neutral venue of Hong Kong will be irrelevant as the competition is now a dead rubber.

Both teams crashed out of the Rugby World Cup quarter -finals last year, but are clearly the top two sides overall in world rugby. If there was a world championship in rugby, this would have been it last night. Both teams played some awesome rugby, but the All Blacks lived up to their reputation as the best team and brand in world rugby.

Ironically the coach of the Australian Wallabies is New Zealander, Robbie Deans,who coached the Canterbury Crusaders to four of their seven Super Rugby titles. Many of the Crusaders players are in the current All Blacks side. Robbie Deans failed to get the coaching position with the All Blacks when the encumbent, Graham Henry was c controversally retained.

Lightning struck again - All Blacks crash out of the Rugby World Cup once again...

Well lightning struck again recently. The undoubted form and class rugby team of recent years failed at the World Rugby Cup. And brought down in a French ambush once again. What happened?

The All Blacks can beat any team in the world in a series, but in one off sudden death games it gets unstuck.It wins Southern Hemisphere Tri Nations Tournaments nearly every year. The same with The Bledisloe Cup matches against Australia. It thrashed the Lions at home a couple of years ago. It won a grand slam against the Home Nations last year.This year?

Let me tell you that Graham Henry got his own way as coach of the All Blacks and the NZRFU spent 50 million NZ dollars trying to win the RWC.

The All Blacks played wonderful rugby for three years and developed some wonderful players. Henry almost had two players in every position, except he never replaced Tana Umaga at outside centre, and used the world's potentially best fullback,Mils Muliaina, at centre when the other players failed for one reason or other, mostly through injuries.

Graham Henry's reconditioning programme, which saw 22 of the best All Blacks taken out of Super 14 for eight weeks, resulted in the AB's being underdone and injury prone at the business end of the world cup.The South Africans had the right programme, won the Super 14 without the AB's, beat England and won the world cup.Good on them!

Daniel Carter and Richie McCaw, the two best rugby players in world rugby during the last two years, went into the quarter finals against France with injuries that prevented them from lasting the game out. There were other AB's with injuries. Henry wanted and maintained he had two players in every position. There was no back up open side flanker to McCaw,only utility flanker Masoe; and Nick Evans followed Dan Carter to the stands with an injury too!

There are people who want Henry retained as coach. He is a very good coach, but maintained everything he had done was to win the RWC. He was a failure and should fall on his sword.The All Blacks have to have a new coach for the next world cup at home in New Zealand in 2011.The last time they won was at home at the inaugural world cup, where they were light years ahead of the opposition, including beaten finalists, France.

Four more years. congratulations to South Africa and England, special mention to Argentina, and Le Bleus!

The Writers Lounge

Tana Umaga was not an All Black legend - just a great captain...

Tana Umaga was not an All Black legend - just a great captain...

I don't wish to demean the very successful career of Tana Umaga, from the Lower Hutt suburb of Wainuiomata. There has been emotional outpouring for Tana since he hung up his boots as far as playing in New Zealand is concerned.He played league in Wainuiomata, and was selected in the Junior Kiwis, before switching to rugby and playing in the Petone premier side.In the early days Tana was a very quick attacking player, but a bit of a soft-arse on defence at times.

He progressed to the Wellington senior representative side and became one of the original Hurricanes players. He also progressed to the All Blacks on the right wing; Jonah Lomu( a real legend ) being on the left wing then. Tana was a prolific try scorer on the wing, but looked towards his future by shifting to centre. He wasn't an instant success in that position - he left a lot to be desired there, but improved as a professional rugby player.

A claim from Wainuiomata that he stands up there with Meads and Kirkpatrick was rather ridiculous. Tana may be a legend in Wainuiomata, Petone and Wellington, but he is not an All Black legend as a player.

To be an All Black legend a player had to be world class, or one of the greats in his position. Tana was neither as a player. He improved with age as a centre, a bit like old wine, and became respected by his peers and supporters. We do not have to dwell too much on his on-field negativity, but it is a fact and affected his overall record as a player.

Of course it is a captain that Tana will be remembered the most, firstly as captain of the Hurricanes, and then Reuben Thorne's successor as All Black captain with the change of coach. Tana became a very successful captain of a very successful All Black team, which has progressed even further with Richie McCaw at the helm - a team that stands close to immortality with the beckoning Rugby World Cup in a few months time.

Tana's decision to only criticise referees, whether rightly or wrongly, after his retirement doesn't do much for his credibility - it was considered rather arrogant by some people.The referees probably deserved it, but it probably would have gone down better if Tana was still captain of the Hurricanes.