Two late changes as All Blacks prepare for second test against France
Posted by Hamish McBrearty on June 8th, 2007
Injuries to play-maker Dan Carter and reserve Conrad Smith have forced the All Blacks to make changes ahead of their match against France on Saturday night in Wellington.
After a solid performance in the first test, coach Graham Henry made six changes to the starting line up for the second test, stating it was always his intention to rotate players during the Iveco series.
Carter was substituted at half time during the first test after spraining his ankle in the first ten minutes. His place in the starting line up is taken by Nick Evans, who replaced him last Saturday in Auckland. Carter was almost recovered from his injury but ran out of time, forcing the replacement.
Smith has been plagued by injuries for the last few seasons after breaking his leg during a Hurricanes game. This time he has re-aggravated the hamstring injury which saw him miss the first test. His place on the bench is taken by Ma’a Nonu who is recalled to the squad after spending a week with the Junior All Blacks.
Captain Ritchie McCaw was passed fit for the side after suffering a bruised hip, although he admits he is still “a bit sore”.
The loss of Carter is a blow for the All Blacks as he is considered one of the best players in the world, however Evans showed last week he is an able replacement. Given the squad mentality of the All Blacks, it is unlikely that the back-line will even miss a beat without their star play-maker.
Similar Posts:
- All Blacks team for second test against France named
- All Blacks locking woes deepen
- All Blacks team to play France named
- Carter the key as All Blacks get set for Springbok stampede
- All Black World Cup squad named
The Two late changes as All Blacks prepare for second test against France by Hamish McBrearty, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
