England and New Zealand name their lineups

England has named their side to take on the All Blacks and there are a couple of changes to the side that got smashed by the Springboks.

Cipriani (Or Capriati as Peter De Villiers is rumoured to have called him in a press interview) has been dropped to the bench but amazingly Sackey (who was a real liability in the Bok game) managed to keep his place....

England
15 Delon Armitage, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Ugo Monye, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Michael Lipman, 6 James Haskell, 5 Nick Kennedy, 4 Steve Borthwick (c), 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Lee Mears, 1 Tim Payne.

Subs: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Tom Croft, 19 Tom Rees, 20 Harry Ellis, 21 Danny Cipriani, 22 Danny Hipkiss.


New Zealand have named a side that looks like it could run riot over England if they're given half a chance....

15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu; 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan; 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino; 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn; 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.

Subs: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Kieran Read, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.

Planning?

I know that Keo has already touched on the subject so I don't want to replicate too many of their arguments, but I sometimes have to query the lack of planning that goes into the management and selection of players for the year end tour.

This year end tour has pitted the South African team against 5-Nations champions Wales, a very weak Scotland and then a so-so English side.

The 'A' team played against Wales and achieved a battling 20-15 win - the narrowness of which I think has spooked SA coach Pieter Devilliers not to experiment in the Scotland game this weekend.

That means that guys like Earl Rose, Jongi Nokwe and Chilliboy Ralelepele have basically gone on the tour as baggage boys. Yeah they might learn a bit on the tour, but they are not going to get game time, which the tour was actually supposed to provide them with.

Ralepele in particular needs to run on at least once.

Nokwe - we know he is a classy winger and he certainly wouldn't weaken the Bok side in a match up against a relatively weak Scotland.

Rose - well if he was picked as such a controversial selection - then why is he not going to get the game time after being thrust into the spotlight?

Unconvincing performance from the Springboks

The Springboks were less than convincing in putting away the Welsh side 20-15 yesterday afternoon.

A win is a win I guess, especially we were experimenting around our flyhalf, but I would have expected them to be somewhat more clinical in putting the Welsh away, especially after achieving such a big lead....

Gonna have to up our game if we're planning to put England away in the coming weeks...

English squad announced

Martin Johnson has announced the names for his English team that will be taking on the Southern Hemisphere sides later this year.

They are:

Forwards - S Borthwick (Saracens), T Croft (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), N Kennedy (London Irish), M Lipman (Bath), L Mears (Bath), T Palmer (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Stevens (Wasps), P Vickery (Wasps).

Backs - N Abendanon (Bath), D Armitage (London Irish), D Care (Harlequins), D Cipriani (Wasps), H Ellis (Leicester), T Flood (Leicester), R Flutey (Wasps), U Monye (Harlequins), J Noon (Newcastle), P Sackey (Wasps).