RWC Semi Final: New Zealand - Australia (16-10-2011, 21:00)

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Eden Park, Auckland (16-10-2011, 21:00)

​

Referee: Craig Joubert (RSA)
Touch Judge: Nigel Owens (WAL)
Touch Judge: Romain Poite (FRA)
TV match official: Shaun Veldsman (RSA)


[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD] New Zealand [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Australia [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Israel Dagg [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Kurtley Beale [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Cory Jane [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] James O'Connor [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Conrad Smith [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Adam Ashley-Cooper [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ma'a Nonu [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Pat McCabe [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Richard Kahui [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Digby Ioane [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Aaron Cruden [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Quade Cooper [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Piri Weepu [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Will Genia [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Kieran Read [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Radike Samo [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Richie McCaw [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] David Pocock [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jerome Kaino [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Rocky Elsom [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Brad Thorn [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] James Horwill (c) [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sam Whitelock [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Dan Vickerman [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Owen Franks [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Ben Alexander [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Keven Mealamu [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] Stephen Moore [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Tony Woodcock [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Sekope Kepu [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Andrew Hore [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Tatafu Polota-Nau [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ben Franks [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] James Slipper [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ali Williams [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Rob Simmons [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Victor Vito [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Ben McCalman [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Andy Ellis [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Luke Burgess [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Stephen Donald [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Berrick Barnes [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Sonny Bill Williams [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Anthony Faingaa [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[callsign.springbok]

Two successful Kiwi coaches and two average Kiwi fly-halves go head to head!

 

[Felipe Ramirez]

If australia wins it would be entirely because of Colin Slade who shits his pants everytime he gets the ball, cruden is miles better

good luck to both teams, hope australia remembers how to play rugby for this match

 

[beerholder]

I see Cruden at 10 for this one. Or maybe Weepu, why not?

 

[Amobokoboko]

Slade is injured. So Cruden at 10. Awesome news as the international experience will make him a better player. Just what the Chiefs need

 

[Felipe Ramirez]

Dagg at 10

 

[Darwin]

Dagg at 10

Great idea - we should also play Muliaina at centre
Hopefully the AB's coaches have learnt an important lesson from previous Rugby World Cups: DON'T PLAY PLAYERS OUT OF POSITION! The AB's have two 10's in the squad, Slade and Cruden, they simply have to choose one of the two for this match and back them to do the job (their choice may be easy if Slade's injury proves serious).

 

[Dizzy]

I would start either Cruden or Weepu at 10. Give Kahui and Jane the wing spots with SBW to come on for impact.

 

[Isurus]

Assuming Slade is injured the lineup will likely be:
1. Woodcock
2. Mealamu
3. O. Franks
4. Thorn
5. Whitelock
6. Kaino
7. McCaw
8. Read
9. Weepu
10. Cruden
11. Kahui
12. Nonu
13. Smith
14. Jane
15. Dagg

16. Hore
17. B. Franks/Afoa (probably Afoa seeing as it's Australia)
18. A. Williams
19. Vito
20. Cowan/Ellis
21. Toeava
22. SB. Williams

The problem with this lineup is cover at 10. Would be nice to use Piri as cover but that's not an option with him now the first choice 9 and kicker and the consistent view of the coaches being that 9's have the highest workload and can generally only play about 60 mins. So the cover has to come from Dagg/Toeava which is a real problem. Is it enough of a problem to move Piri to 20 and start Cowan with Cruden kicking? Possibly, but seems insane to bench him given his performances. It is tempting to say 9. Cowan 10. Wepu 20. Ellis 21. Cruden.

Tough choice for selectors this week, and they have to get this one 100% correct.

 

[james5000]

Assuming Slade is injured the lineup will likely be:
1. Woodcock
2. Mealamu
3. O. Franks
4. Thorn
5. Whitelock
6. Kaino
7. McCaw
8. Read
9. Weepu
10. Cruden
11. Kahui
12. Nonu
13. Smith
14. Jane
15. Dagg

16. Hore
17. B. Franks/Afoa (probably Afoa seeing as it's Australia)
18. A. Williams
19. Vito
20. Cowan/Ellis
21. Toeava
22. SB. Williams

The problem with this lineup is cover at 10. Would be nice to use Piri as cover but that's not an option with him now the first choice 9 and kicker and the consistent view of the coaches being that 9's have the highest workload and can generally only play about 60 mins. So the cover has to come from Dagg/Toeava which is a real problem. Is it enough of a problem to move Piri to 20 and start Cowan with Cruden kicking? Possibly, but seems insane to bench him given his performances. It is tempting to say 9. Cowan 10. Wepu 20. Ellis 21. Cruden.

Tough choice for selectors this week, and they have to get this one 100% correct.

I like your starting team, I'd just swap Hore for Mealamu

Bench

16. Mealamu
17. Franks
18. A. Williams
19. Vito
20. Ellis
21. Toeava
22. SB. Williams

 

[Isurus]

So we can bring in cover for Slade this week? Well in that case then yeah, 21 goes to Slade's cover. Any idea who that is likely to be?

Amazing to think that we could be at the sharp end of a tight semi-final against Australia with our 4th choice 10 on the pitch. Not how this was supposed to pan out.

 

[Darwin]

So we can bring in cover for Slade this week? Well in that case then yeah, 21 goes to Slade's cover. Any idea who that is likely to be?

Amazing to think that we could be at the sharp end of a tight semi-final against Australia with our 4th choice 10 on the pitch. Not how this was supposed to pan out.

Yeah we can bring in cover if Slade is ruled out. As to who it is likely to be.... I have no idea! Donald and McAlister would be the obvious choices, but they are both playing in the Northern Hemisphere - they would take a couple of days to get back, and selecting them would probably go against the AB's policy on selecting overseas based players. Likewise Mike Delany would be another option, but he is playing in Japan. There are really no obvious choices: youngsters like Gareth Anscombe or Beaudan Barrett could well be the next 10's on the list

 

[Kiwiwomble]

i dont think any one would expect big changes from these line ups and then only on the bench probably

 

[james5000]

Yeah we can bring in cover if Slade is ruled out. As to who it is likely to be.... I have no idea! Donald and McAlister would be the obvious choices, but they are both playing in the Northern Hemisphere - they would take a couple of days to get back, and selecting them would probably go against the AB's policy on selecting overseas based players. Likewise Mike Delany would be another option, but he is playing in Japan. There are really no obvious choices: youngsters like Gareth Anscombe or Beaudan Barrett could well be the next 10's on the list

Delaney would be a better option than both Donald and McAlister IMO

I wouldn't have a clue who would be the next in line, i'd have Barrett ahead of Anscombe atleast haha

 

[FlukeArtist]

Probably bring in Matthewson if Slade goes out.
Weepu as 1st five.

 

[james5000]

Probably bring in Matthewson if Slade goes out.
Weepu as 1st five.

Weepu was a star at 9 on the weekend, we don't need to spoil a good thing. Cowan is terribly out of form, and Ellis is just a 6 out of 10 player.

 

[no-1-rugby-fan]

New Zealand to win but it should be a classic encounter.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

At the rate we're going we might work our way down to Stephen Brett. Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!

Or Lachie Munro.

Or, since they seem to quite like throwing him around the back line, why not Sonny Bill Williams at 10? Lol.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Well done to Aussie making the final. We are stuffed without DC. TAB have them paying like $3.30 or something crazy, so I've duly got the house on the Wobblies, who aren't quite as wobbly as we are. Cooper will play a blinder, he is due after 5 shockers. Pocock will rule the ruck and we will be chasing the game once again without DC to guide us.

My worst nightmares have come true.

 

[ACT1NUP]

Probably bring in Matthewson if Slade goes out.
Weepu as 1st five.

Thats a real possibility, although I'd like to see Gear brought in . There ain't any firstfives left worthy of the call up. Although Quade Cooper has been playing crap so I wouldn't mind Cruden starting against Aus with Weepu at 9. If Cruden does get injured or plays badly Weepu has to be swapped to run the cutter. Weepu is the only one with the temprement to run a semi or final with authority, I still question Crudens ability to run a high stakes match but he deserves a chance if only 40m. Bit scary though as 40m is long enough to lose a match or play yourself out of a game. Hate to be Henry right now.