World Cup: Graham Henry likes to throw curve balls when it comes to selection and he was at it again yesterday when he left the scrum-half Piri Weepu out of the New Zealand 30 for France. Weepu has been contesting the scrum-half position with Byron Kelleher for two years but is undone by the emergence this year of Brendon Leonard, who set up the only try of the victory over Australia in Auckland on Saturday.
Weepu was one of six players fined €300 by the New Zealand management last week for staying out late drinking and breaking a curfew but Henry said that had nothing to do with his omission. The young Canterbury player Andrew Ellis was named third scrum-half in the party.
The All Blacks have been taking the ball on through the middle of rucks in the Tri-Nations, neutralising defenders standing around the fringes of a breakdown, and Leonard offers more than Weepu in that area, quick to exploit the smallest of holes and generate momentum for his loose forwards. It would be no surprise if he supplants Kelleher as the first-choice scrum-half during the tournament.
"Piri has not played particularly well in the Tri-Nations," said Henry, who named 29 players yesterday to give the prop Greg Somerville time to recover from an achilles injury.
Only one of the six curfew-breakers, the centre Conrad Smith, made the squad; the secondrow Troy Flavell and wing Rico Gear were among those omitted.
For New Zealand's 2007 assignment in France the coach has chosen 15 players (including Somerville) who were involved in the 2003 World Cup campaign, among them the then captain Reuben Thorne.
"The selections were made on the basis of form," said Henry. "But I will say people's ability to conduct themselves in an appropriate way is important."
While the All Blacks are the overwhelming favourites to win the World Cup, South Africa are regarded as the side most likely to stop them, even though the Springboks finished last in the Tri-Nations after fielding reserve teams in their final two matches.
Their coach, Jake White, who said his planning from now on would revolve around beating England in the group match in Paris on September 14th, has not made any surprise selections in his 30 and will give the outside-half Andre Pretorius and backrow Bobby Skinstad time to recover from injuries, nor has he bowed to pressure to include a quota of non-whites, naming six rather than the 11 demanded by the government as part of its policy of transformation.
"I hope the whole country, including the politicians, will now support the team," the South African Rugby Union president, Oregan Hoskins, said. "This is the squad Jake wanted and there has been no political interference.
"We have to get behind the players as a nation. We have to go forward as a nation and concentrate on bringing the Webb Ellis Trophy back to South Africa. The work on transformation needs to start from the bottom, not the top, and work its way up."
Guardian Service
Backs: Mils Muliaina, Leon MacDonald, Doug Howlett, Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Isaia Toeava, Conrad Smith, Luke McAlister, Aaron Mauger, Daniel Carter, Nick Evans, Byron Kelleher, Brendon Leonard, Andrew Ellis.
Forwards: RodneySo'oialo, Chris Masoe, Richie McCaw (capt), Jerry Collins, Sione Lauaki, Reuben Thorne, Ali Williams, Chris Jack, Keith Robinson, Carl Hayman, Neemia Tialata, Tony Woodcock, Anton Oliver, Keven Mealamu, Andrew Hore.
