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Jaded All Blacks need to lift one more time

31.08.05 1.00pm
By Daniel Gilhooly

The All Blacks forwards have one more big rugby test in them, says assistant coach Steve Hansen, calling for another strongarm performance against Australia in Auckland on Saturday before enjoying a month's rest...

About 4 weeks ago they were complaining about being underdone after they produced a loose performance v South Africa because they had just had 27 days without a game.

They then play Aussie in Sydney and win easily against a shit side who they routed up front.

They then have another 13 days off before playing South Africa.

And now they need another rest for a month because they are playing two games in two weeks.

They must be absolutely knackered and in sore need of their second month off from playing rugby out of the last three or so months.

Who exactly is jaded?
At the most our forwards of Hayman, Mealamu, Woodcock, Mccaw, Jack, Williams, Collins and So'oialo have only had seven games in the last 12 weeks. It's more like 5 or 6 for most of them plus they have almost all been subbed off at stages.

Collins is having an early rest and being replaced by Lauaki who has started twice in 3 months. He must be really exhausted.

Our backs have been a merry-go-round with players coming and going through injury or 'retirement' (Marshall).

Give me a break guys. The rest of the article really is a sob story that beggars belief.

I admit that the forwards should take some time off because they will have the meaty end of the NPC (probably), because they will need to be physically and mentally fresh for the Northern hemisphere tour. But jaded? Give me a break.

Assuming they played every super 12 match plus semi and final and every test to date, and played the last 3 NPC round games plus the semis and final and all the end of year tour games it comes to 29 competition games. But fact is several have missed plenty through injury, non-selection or their team not making the Super 12 playoffs.

So it'll be more like 20-25 for most of them.

Which is what any rugby player in New Zealand gets through in about half the period of time for nothing but a few bumps and bruises.