Allo Blacks name their team . . .

One change . . . Joe Moody replaces the injured Wyatt Crockett at loosehead with Ben Franks coming onto the bench.

15 Ben Smith, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody

Substitutes 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Sam Cane, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Sonny Bill Williams

"Allo" Blacks is a typo, no reference to 'Allo 'Allo!

Come on Bokke!!!

Palms are starting to get sweaty.......

I posted the team at about the same time you did Rooinek.
We have no excuses in terms of the players named, they are our best players. Fingers crossed for a great performance.

 Link to duplicate thread

I have noticed something interesting this for this game. For a change, the majority of the posters here are happy with the team! Maybe a little disagreement on a player here or there, but I think the consensus is that this is our best team! In general that is the case with the AB's and their supporters, so even though their team has only just been announced, I doubt we'll see any sort of revolt against it. 
All building up to a great climax! 

 Link to duplicate thread - the real link

 Key points of interest

• The All Blacks matchday 23 for the Test against South Africa has an average age of 28 and has 1,318 Test caps of experience.

• The All Blacks and South Africa have met three times at Rugby World Cups: in the 1995 Final, the bronze match in 1999 and the quarterfinal in Australia in 2003.

• This weekend’s the two great rivals will be playing their 91st Test match: the All Blacks record stands at 52 wins, 35 losses and three draws.

• Wing Julian Savea has scored eight tries at this year’s Tournament, a single Tournament record equal with All Blacks great Jonah Lomu and South Africa’s Bryan Habana.
If he scores he'll break the drought when playing against the boks and the tournaments' record.

• Eight of the All Blacks will extend their records as the most capped All Blacks in their position this weekend: Richie McCaw (openside flanker), Keven Mealamu (hooker), Owen Franks (tighthead prop), Kieran Read (number eight), Jerome Kaino (blindside flanker), Daniel Carter (first five-eighth), Ma’a Nonu (second five-eighth) and Conrad Smith (centre).

Ja Bluebok. Time to put all the petty bickering about individual players to one side and support the actual team that's going to be running out onto the field for such a HUGE game of rugby!

Can't wait!

Bokke!

 I think all eight players are still near their peaks & if not the difference is made up with experience. Kev is the only doubtful one but as he is coming off the bench he will be fine for the role. Plus he has really improved in leading the Haka.

 
It's not our best ... not by a long shot ... but perhaps the best of the lot there.

Go All Blacks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I would have picked that team ten days ago without making one single mistake - no surprises.

Yeah Clean, we could have had a much better team, but out of the players on the soggy island, this is about as good as it gets. 

i was a little concerned with skudder, but good to see hes all right.

i still dont like how we dont have a specialist lock on the bench, luke romano should be on the bench.
cane should be left out all together to make room, and vito can cover the loosies.
this no lock dosent sit comfortably with me.

barlow on the bench over perenara is another hmmmmmm issue for me.
barlows the best defensive halfback in the world, but tj perenaras game is one thats from the same mould as aaron smith.
perenara has also shone brightly while barlow was recovering.
dosent bother me as much as the lock issue, but i still rate perenara ahead of barlow

im glad moody is in the team, hes going to cement the loosehead the way woody has done for the last 10+ tests.

interesting All black and Bok RWC stats

All Blacks
- have played 5 RWC tests and won 5 (4 of those in pool matches which kept the RWC pool stages record at 100%, the only nation in the world  with a perfect record)
- have scored 236 pts and conceded 62pts
- have scored 34 trys and conceded 4 trys

Boks
- have played 5 tests and won 4 and lost 1 (the loss to the japanese is not only the biggest upset in RWC history, its the biggest upset in world rugby period)
- have scored 199 pts and conceded 75 pts
- have scored 24 trys and conceded 5 trys

GO THE MIGHTY MIGHTY ALL BLACKS!!!

ps welcome back rooy,

Sasuke, this business of only bringing 3 locks to the RWC is becoming something of an All Black tradition. Can't say I understand it myself . . . when you get the likes of Messam, Cane and Vito all fighting for a single spot on the bench while an injury to any one of your locks means you don't have lock cover on the bench . . . seems just plain stupid if you ask me. 
I recall you did something similar at the last RWC and maybe the one before that as well? Not sure what the thinking is there but just because you've gotten away with it in the past doesn't make it any less short-sighted. 
It's not like you guys are short of good locks. James Broadhurst had a breakthrough season this year and Patrick Tuipolutu remains one of the most underrated and dangerous locks in the S15.
Good luck on Saturday my friend . . . although you know I don't really mean that!
Com e on Bokke!!!

 Rooi, they gave Broadhurst a shot & he didn't do so well. Tuiplutu is injured, he would have made a fantastic addition & will be the next lock to step up to the test level. 
I don't understand the AB policy on locks either & not having Romano on the bench when we are playing the Boks seems odd. The ABs seem to be putting mobility ahead of size in terms of the bench. Perhaps because the replacements will come on late in the game & provide more if we need to score points. This depends on us not getting one of our starting locks injured early in the game though.

 If Retilluck and Whitelock go the distance. I guess that is what the selectors and coaches are banking on. I personally think the Abs are going to smash the Boks sorry  haha. Be tight first 45 mins, but I Think Boks well run out of puff. The abs bench looks better too.

 ABs bench is phenomenal but not having a lock on the bench will have to be dealt with. If we replace a lock in the last 20 they will be going up against wee Matfield so in terms of physicality it will be an AB advantage.  Can I hear an AMEN from Beeno & CleverMike?
However, if we have to replace a lock because of injury before then we may be at a disadvantage in the scrums but advantage at the breakdown, line outs and general play.