Hansen brings in three more Cantabs

Sasu,, tell me again my theory about Hansen being a one eyed Cantab is misguided .

I'm not saying these players aren't good mind you but you do have to wonder if old Hansen is not after the key to the city.

First five-eighth Colin Slade and three uncapped players have been called into the All Blacks squad as injury cover ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup Test.

Slade, fellow-Canterbury inside back Tom Taylor, Canterbury loose forward Luke Whitelock and Wellington flanker Brad Shields were to join the squad in Wellington on Monday ahead the second Rugby Championship Test against Australia on Saturday.

The injury-plagued Slade, 25, could be in line for his 11th Test and his first since the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina because of injuries to Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett.

Cruden, man of the match in the 47-29 defeat of the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday, is nursing a sore knee.

Barrett, who replaced him for the last 10 minutes, suffered a calf injury and was to be assessed with a scan on Monday.

Because both players are in doubt, and veteran playmaker Dan Carter is still sidelined with a calf injury, Taylor has been called in alongside Slade.

In the forwards, lock Luke Romano will undergo a scan this week to determine the extent of the groin injury suffered 17min into the Sydney Test.

With loose forward Liam Messam already nursing a hamstring injury, the All Blacks coaches have again doubled up by calling up 22-year-olds Whitelock and Shields.

Taylor, Whitelock and Shields have all been part of All Blacks wider training camps this year.

Taylor, 24, was called into the All Blacks squad as injury cover ahead of their tour-ending Test against England last December but wasn't included in the playing squad.

@brycy,

i was already laughing when i read the title of this thread, i was like, well i knwo where this is going, LMAO, :oD

i think u need to lose the cnaterbury paranoia, true slade is in, but he was playing for the highlanders and under NZRU rules, u must play in a NZ spXV team in order to be elgible for the june test ereis and the RC/4nats, so technically slade is highlander, despite of his ITM and 2014 spXV allegiances.

but relaistically who else could we have instead of those players chose???

tom taylor IMO is the right man to be considered 4th in the flyhalf pecking order. plus he has the ability to play 12 and 15.

colin slade is 5th, but his experience and familiarity with the All Blacks is prob waht puts him in 5th place, but the fullback ability dosent hurt either.

brad shields is a good choice, his height gives him a nice lineout advanatge option, but IMO vito, george whitelock and latiner are all better options then vito, especially against the wallys, if it was the pumas, i would love shileds, cos we can use the pumas to bloody new players.

luke whitelock is another good lineout option, being ablke to play lock and flanker is a nice gift and prob better then jason thursh whoi would have only been able to cover lock.
i would have gone hoeata though, i always liked hoeata and like slade, hes famliar with the ins and outs of All Blacks rugby.

one other player who i wouldnt mind seeing is brodies cousin callum, i thought he was freaking awesome for the blues, reminds me of de jager.

i thought that messam was going to be fit this weekend, hope so, and if romano isnt playing which is what its looking like, then luatua can cover lock just as nicely, provided hes fit of course.

no problems with the slections, and its why IMO the rugby powerbase in NZ hasnt shifted to waikato like so many think, the dynasty is well on its way, but its still there not quite there yet despite the amazing 2 titles the chiefs have racked up with the best coach in the comp rennie.