Preview: New Zealand v Samoa
It's tempting to write this preview in three short sentences: New Zealand are playing Samoa on Wednesday. New Zealand have a stronger team. They will win by a lot. I mean really, does anyone have anything to add?
It's tempting to write this preview in three short sentences: New Zealand are playing Samoa on Wednesday. New Zealand have a stronger team. They will win by a lot. I mean really, does anyone have anything to add?
It's worth directing a couple of contemptive words at the people who managed to arrange a four-week lay-off between the All Blacks' fifth Tri-Nations game and their sixth, forcing the team to scrabble around for some sort of meaningful contact training before a winner-takes-all Tri-Nations finale. It's worth a couple of contemptive words at the people who extended the tournament so tortuously in the first place in fact, but for it to be arranged as it is beyond incompetence.
Meaningful contact training is really all this match is. It might have been a chance for Samoa to peer through the shop window at the Tri-Nations once again, but the English and French clubs with a Samoan edge to their attacks and defences are understandably not playing ball and releasing their players, and rightly so.
Instead 22 gallant Samoan charges will spend eighty minutes trying to prise the ball from the All Blacks' rusty grasp before trooping off the field with a fifty-point hiding darkening their thoughts. A worthwhile exercise? Not really for them. When your own union considers calling off a match because of the futility of the exercise, you are already being encouraged to merely go through the motions, you are already being made aware of your own limitations.
Graham Henry is not known for under-preparation, but even he has admitted he knows very little about the team put out by Samoa. What is important for him is that New Zealand do deliver the pasting and make sure they focus.
They may run riot in the final twenty minutes and have a bit of fun, but the All Blacks would be well-served to spend an hour grinding the Samoan defence down to a fine powder and clinically finishing moves off, rather than showboating their way through, just as they will need to do in Brisbane in ten days' time.
They may even like to step back from trying to pilfer ball and merely soak up pressure as a form of defensive exercise for twenty minutes or so. Just for the practice. Toy with the Samoans a bit before finishing them off.
The game also presents a couple of people with a couple of chances. Adam Thomson could put his hand up as the number one understudy to Richie McCaw in the absence of any other openside in either island at the moment. Anthony Boric can add another cap and prove his worth at line-out time. Jimmy Cowan can build upon his last two matches, as can Ricahrd Kahui.
But crucially for all of them, they must remember this as a training drill, rather than as a meaningful Test match. As a means of blowing off the cobwebs since their tour to Cape Town. It must serve to focus minds and expose deficiencies in the game-plan for Australia, rather than just being a match against a weak Samoa.
For the Samoans? They may as well run everything. There's a try in there for someone at some point, and many of these players will never get a shot at playing the All Blacks again. That, at least, is worth playing for.
The teams:
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Richard Kahui, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Anthony Tuitavake, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Rodney So'oialo (c), 7 Adam Thomson, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Willliams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Sione Lauaki, 19 Piri Weepu, 20 Stephen Donald, 21 Isaia Toeava, 22 Rudi Wulf.
Samoa: 15 Alatasi Tupou, 14 Reupena Levasa, 13 Pale Toelupe, 12 Jerry Meafou, 11 Esera Lauina, 10 Uale Mai, 9 Notise Tauafao, 8 George Stowers, 7 Alafoti Faosiliva, 6 Semo Sititi, 5 Chad Slade, 4 Filipo Levi (c), 3 Heroshi Tea, 2 Loleni Tafunai, 1 Simon Lemalu.
Replacements: 16 Lafoga Aoelua, 17 Roysiu Tolufale, 18 Maselino Paulino, 19 Simaika Mikaele, 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Roger Warren, 22 Romi Ropati.
Date: Wednesday, September 3
Venue: Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: James Leckie (Australia), Paul Marks (Australia)
Television match official: Geoff Acton (Australia)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)