ABs let off the leash for the Lions
The British and Irish Lions face a torrid start to their tour of New Zealand with leading All Blacks set to be released to soften up the visitors through the Crusaders and Blues.
Any hopes the Lions had of easing into their 10-match tour will be dashed by news that Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Israel Dagg, Sonny Bill Williams, Jerome Kaino, Charlie Faumuina and co will line up for their respective Super Rugby teams in early June.
The Lions open their anticipated tour, New Zealand’s first since 2005, against the provincial Barbarians in Whangarei on June 3. Four days later they can expect a battering from a stacked Blues side at Eden Park, with up to 11 All Blacks to feature. We won't have any problem with being battle hardened.
The Crusaders, who boast 12 All Blacks of their own, are next up in Christchurch on June 10.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen confirmed no one in contention for first test selection would be precluded from playing for the Blues and Crusaders.
‘‘That’s all been sorted. The first two Super Rugby games before we assemble they’ll all be available. After that they’ll be with us,’’ Hansen said.
Given everything Christchurch has endured, from the earthquakes to Port Hills fire, Crusaders coach Scott Robertson believes having his All Blacks on deck will only enhance a match that is already sold out.
‘‘It’s hugely significant for our region, the Crusaders and the people of Christchurch after what we’ve been through and not being able to host a test match it’s our equivalent,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘To have the All Blacks playing on top it’s going to be a pretty special evening. It’s history making.’’
Christchurch last hosted the Lions in the infamous test which featured the Tana Umaga and Brian O’Driscoll incident.
‘‘There was a lot of controversy and feeling in that game,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘Twelve years on it’s not the All Blacks but the Crusaders playing and I’m sure it’ll be right up there.’’
Former All Blacks captain Umaga, now Blues coach, made it clear knocking over the Lions was a major priority.
‘‘Certainly as the first Super Rugby team to play the Lions, we are delighted the All Blacks will be available for selection,’’ Umaga said. ‘‘It will be a special occasion for the players and for the club and we would respect that by putting out our best team available.’’
At the other end of the spectrum, the Highlanders, Chiefs and Hurricanes will be without their All Blacks. The Chiefs, who play the Lions three days after the fourth unofficial test against New Zealand Maori in Rotorua, are yet to find out whether they’ll be without their significant Maori contingent too.
The All Blacks will assemble on June 11, just under two weeks before the opening test at Eden Park on June 24.
Traditionally the All Blacks are rusty in their first test of the year but Hansen is yet to decide whether his expected 33-man squad will need a warm-up match.
‘‘We won’t have any problem with being battle hardened. We’ve got guys playing Super Rugby right up until when we assemble,’’ he said.
‘‘Planning is well under way to work out how we are going to go into that first test well prepared.’’
Hansen has been a keen observer of the tightly-contested Six Nations, noting a shift in attitude and expectations, but expects to get a clearer picture of how the Lions will attempt to attack the All Blacks in the six lead-in games.
‘‘You’re only guessing at the moment but you’d imagine they’ll attack us at set piece; try and drive a lot of their lineouts and keep us in our own 22 and not give us too many counter attacking options.‘‘
Phil Gifford opinion – pB3
IAN ANDERSON
ACT 2, SCENE 2
The besieged troops are again under attack from an unrepentant enemy. In the distance, a trumpet sounds, heralding his arrival. The troops turn their heads in hope towards the man, armoured and armed.
Enter, stage the spotlight.
That’s the scene Black Caps fans are expecting – and embracing – when New Zealand meet South Africa in the opening one-dayer in Hamilton today.
The stage’s biggest player was New Zealand’s most-talked about cricketer all week. That chat got louder late on Friday night.
As New Zealand was rudely spanked by the Proteas at Eden Park, grumpy fans voiced their dismay at why Taylor wasn’t in the Twenty20 side following his controversial – yet predictable – omission earlier in the week.
To have seen Taylor’s reaction to the Black Caps’ batting capitulation would have been priceless. As a proud national representative, their failures may not have been an agent of joy – but few could have begrudged him had a sardonic smile creased his face as the side folded in his absence.
The 32-year-old will left, Ross Taylor, into be back in the fold today at Seddon Park in Hamilton as New Zealand and South Africa play the first match of their five-game One-Day International series.
It’s a hometown ground Taylor has excelled on twice this season; both times in remarkable circumstances.
In late November, his participation in the second test against Pakistan appeared hugely unlikely after it was revealed he needed surgery on an eye to fix a growth that had affected his vision. The surgery was instead done after Taylor had made his 16th test hundred – 102 in the second innings of a dramatic victory – putting him one short of the NZ record for test tons held by his late mentor Martin Crowe.
The eye surgery and recovery ruled him out of the ChappellHadlee Trophy ODI series in Australia in December and the visitors paid a heavy price for his absence in a humbling 3-0 series defeat.
Taylor wasn’t chosen for the three T20 matches against Bangladesh, nor the same number of one-dayers but came back to the fold for the return leg of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy earlier this year. After making 16 in New Zealand’s win at Eden Park, the right-hander became the backbone of New Zealand’s batting effort in the series decider at Seddon Park, making 107 off only 101 balls in an innings his skipper Kane Williamson described as ‘‘one of his best one-day hundreds’’.
In a tidy tie-in with his test triplefigure achievements, that drew him level with Nathan Astle as the country’s most prolific one-day century-maker at international level with 16 tons.
Despite the batting failure at Eden Park, Taylor’s international Twenty20 days seem over – New Zealand aren’t likely to play a match in that format again til late this year.
But the one-day arena he’s still an essential selection, averaging 43.42 in a career that began in March 2006. His record at today’s venue is even better – 544 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 54.40. He has two tons and five half-centuries among that, with his last five ODI knocks in his hometown bringing scores of 57, 112 not out, 34, 56 and the afore-mentioned 107.
All of Taylor’s talents and experience will be essential against an opposing side that jumped out of the blocks with alacrity on Friday night, ending NZ’s unbeaten home run of 12 victories this season across the three formats.
If that wasn’t alarming enough, the Proteas’ ODI form should make fans quake at the knees. The AB de Villiers-led squad thumped Australia in the republic 5-0 and then repeated that margin of victory over Sri Lanka recently, which unsurprisingly led to them grabbing the No 1 spot in the world in the 50-over per side format. formidable total to chase.
His 50-ball ton eclipsed the previous fastest domestic century record held by former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum [52 balls], while playing for Otago against Auckland in the 2007-08 final.
Wellington threatened early on, but once skipper Hamish Marshall departed they fell away as the run rate soared.
Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis, playing with a broken right thumb, bowled tidily, taking 4-28 from his four overs.
Fulton, the lone member of Canterbury’s successful playing 11 when they last won the domestic one-day title in February, 2006, produced a belligerent innings, carting Wellington’s bowlers all around the ground.
He brought up his third domestic 50-over ton in the 18th over, working a single through mid-wicket off Matt Taylor.
His century consisted fours and seven sixes.
Pinch hitter Tim Johnston provided some handy runs in the closing stages of Canterbury’s innings, blasting 17 from nine balls as the red-and-blacks set Wellington a large target. of nine