Sooo, squad named, and one surprise, for me, that of Ellis over Weepu.  A surprise for every pundit really, as when you read through most selections, Ellis was absent from most.  Except for Phooey's selection, but then Phooey always has a slight Cantab bias, and the fact that he named the entire Canterbury NPC side may have something to do with him also selecting Ellis...

Anyway, Weepu unlucky to be dropped, and in my mind Kelleher lucky to be selected.  "Huh" you may grunt, but both these halfbacks have been average at best, compared to their usually high standards, this test season, and in Kelleher's case, much of last too.  But one had to go, so the superior experience of Kelleher was the trump card here I believe, and that fact that when he goes boozing, he does not get caught coming back into the motel at 4 in the morning.

Lucky Ellis, unlucky Weepu.

Onto one lucky to be selected, especially with the selection of another player.  Chris Masoe.  He has shown us this season that he can't play at seven, and he can't play at eight.  We already have two who have the six shirt sewn up, so he won't play there either.  So a loose forward who is a jack of all trades, and clearly, a master of none - but a 'good bench player'.

Well, the selection of Waikato wrecking ball Sione Lauaki seems to me to have put an end to Masoe's bench spot, so why the hell have him in the squad at all?  The bench forwards will be A Prop, A Hooker, Thorne and Lauaki.  So'oilao to cover seven if McCaw gets injured, as he will do as good a job as Masoe there at any rate, which is 'adequate; at best.  Masoe won't be a starter at seven, and eight and six are more than covered well enough.  Perhaps a specialist seven could have been taken on tour also? 

Lucky Masoe, unlucky Holah.

You then have the story of Troy Flavell, top Super 14 lock, average international lock.  A man with his power and size should be ball running like Collins and Mealamu, and it would be nice to have that option of another big ball runner in the pack.  However, even there he falls down, and tries to become a first five with some seriously spastic 'tactical' kicks during the test matches this season.  Farks sake man, tuck the ball under your wing and aim your 120kgs of muscle at the smallest looking tackler coming your way, and make him earn his dollars.

Flavell may be unlucky that he did not get a chance as a lose forward in he Super season, and that the Cartel look at him as a lock who can play flanker, not the other way around.  But as I have mentioned in the forum, I think the biggest reason that Throne has been selected in the lock / loose forward position is one of safety.  Probably the only 'safe' selection in the RWC squad.  Neither player is a Sitiveni Sivivatu or a  Joe Rokocoko, who are going to win a match for the All Blacks with a piece of individual brilliance, an 80 metre run for a try.  But one of them could lose it with a brain explosion, a moment of thugery, a yellow card, and a 14 man All Black side struggling in the final moments of a match.  That man is not Reuben Thorne.

Finally, I don't think that it was a Flavell v Thorne selection thing here either, it was a Flavell v Lauaki, Lauaki fit, so he RWC bound!

Lucky New Zealand, unlucky Flavell.

These I think are the only 'talking points' in the selection of the RWC side.  Greg Somerville was always going to be given every chance to prove his fitness for the RWC, and the spot left over for he was a no brainer.  Well handled though, with John Schwalger being named as the next cab of the rank should Somerville not come through the early rounds of the NPC.  Schwalger is part of the future with Hayman sodding off at the end of the RWC, and Somerville, well, he'll slot right back into the three shirt, challenged by Tialata over the coming season or three.

With the players selected, who as a match day XXII in a sudden death game then?  Barring injuries, the following...

Muliaina, Rokocoko, Toeava, McAlister, Sivivatu, Carter, Leonard, So'oialo, McCaw, Collins, Williams, Robinson, Hayman, Mealamu, Woodcock.
Reserves:  Hore, Tialata, Thorne, Lauaki, Kelleher, Evans, MacDonald.

That is what I would like to see - I think Kelleher will keep starting, and Leonard keep 'impacting', but wouldn't it be better to impact for 80 minutes, rather than 30?  Sort of like playing 500 and not taking the lead with the Joker until the last trick of the game...

Locks will probably be a coin toss, but I think Robinson's hard nosed game will be wanted along with one of the pretty boys.  One of the locks might even be benched in place of Thorne, as I am sure Williams or Jack could play 6 if there were two loose forward injuries, and a 'needs must' situation arises.

Mauger might be the unlucky one here, he'll start, or be in the stands watching with the dirty dirties.  If he starts, Lucky Luke will get the bench spot in place of Evans I would expect.

I also think that they will continue with the Oliver starting, Mealamu 'impacting' ploy.  But as I said above, impact from the start would be handy too, and Hore from the bench is a pretty handy impact player too - So two strong running hookers, that would be nice!!

SO the team I think the Cartel will select, as opposed to the one I would like to see.

Muliaina, Rokocoko, Toeava, Mauger, Sivivatu, Carter, Kelleher, So'oialo, McCaw, Collins, Williams, Robinson, Hayman, Oliver, Woodcock.
Reserves:  Mealamu, Somerville, Thorne, Lauaki, Leonard, McAlister, MacDonald.

Oh, the squad!!

Outside backs:  Mils Muliaina, Leon MacDonald, Doug Howlett, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Joe Rokocoko.
Midfield backs:  Isaia Toeava, Conrad Smith.
Five eights:  Dan Carter, Luke McAlister, Aaron Mauger, Nick Evans.
Halfbacks:  Byron Kelleher, Andrew Ellis, Brendon Leonard.
Loose forwards:  Riche McCaw, Reuben Thorne, Sione Lauaki, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins, Rodney So'oialo.
Locks:  Chris Jack, Ali Williams, Keith Robinson.
Props:  Carl Hayman, Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, Greg Somerville / John Schwalger
Hookers:  Anton Oliver, Andrew Hore, Kevin Mealamu.