@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Scotland:

@dogmeat said in All Blacks vs Scotland:

Taylor and Stanley had played ONE test together prior to the 87 WC

95 Lomu Kronfeld Mehts and Osborne had 5 tests between them

2011 On top of the injury issues at 10 the back 3 practically got introduced on the way to Eden Park for the first test.

they are 3 of our 4 most successful WC's 2015 is the outlier.

Sure it's nice to have a setlled experience team with viable back-up options across the fiels, but it hardly ever happens.

Another example for 2011 is halfback. If you look at 2010 it was clear that Jimmy Cowan was the first choice starting halfback starting 9 matches including Wales x3, Ireland, Boks x2, Oz x2. In 2010 Weepu came off the bench in 6 matches and started 3. He hadn’t started a test match since 2008 EOYT before he got the start in 2010 Welly test vs the Boks.

Come 2011 prior to the RWC, Cowan starts tests vs Fiji Boks x2, but they give the two Bledisloe starts to Weepu.

RWC rolls on and Cowan starts the first match against Tonga. We have Weepu on the bench in the second match (vs Japan) as a reserve 1st 5 (Ellis started and Cowan was the reserve halfback). Match 3 is France our most important pool match and Henry goes to Weepu (with Ellis as reserve). Final pool match vs Canada and he starts Cowan with Ellis as the reserve. Weepu is selected as reserve 1st 5.

QF vs Argies - starts Weepu with Cowan as reserve. By this time Cruden has joined the squad and into the team.

SF vs Boks - starts Weepu with Ellis as reserve. By this time Beaver has joined the squad and is named in the 22 but doesn’t play.

Final vs France - starts Weepu with Ellis as reserve.

So a long winded way to say - given how it played out in the RWC with our halfback position, what happened the year prior had very little bearing IMO. The critical thing was that Weepu had experience and was called on in 2011 despite up and down form and fitness in 2010.

Thought Andy Ellis was fantastic closing out that final too, Beaver got all the plaudits , but Ellis calmness in difficult circumstances probably doesnt get the credit it deserves , you just never know who you may need to rely on .

The Silver Fern

kiwiinmelb