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Whether you are a fanatical fan of the All Blacks, or just watch them for their…uh…skills, then there is no doubt you will be keeping an eye out for them this season.
With rugby pretty much being an all year round sport now, with the Sevens being played throughout the year, and then the NPC starting up even before winter does; there is no escaping our country’s national sport.
So here’s some insight into our 2007 All Black squad, because if you’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of them over the coming months, it’s nice to know a little bit more about them.
Who to Watch Out For
John ‘Animal’ Afoa at only 23, with just three tests under his belt, is a player who has a high work ethic and has been an essential part of the scrum in previous years for his Auckland side. These factors make him dangerous competition for selection for his other front row team mates.
Andy Ellis, who was not very well known before last year, quickly earned himself a name for being the first choice half back for his side in Canterbury. At 23, and having played only two tests for the All Blacks, he is surely one to watch as his skills develop.
Nick ‘Snapper’ Evans, 26, may not look it, but he is deceptively strong and fast. He is regarded as one of the most promising and versatile backs on the New Zealand rugby scene, being able to switch between 1st five eighth and fullback; and also has good goal kicking ability.
Neemia ‘Neyza’ Tialata, 24 is another key player in the scrum, being able to play both sides in either tight head or loose head position. He is both a strong defender as well as a more than capable runner.
Sitiveni Sivivatu, 25 has got good speed, and has the ability to not only find space, but he can also create it if it’s not there; an important skill to have in any fast moving team sport. On his debut for the All Blacks, he set a record, by becoming the first All Black to score four tries in his debut game. He rejoined the team in 2005 after suffering an injury, and in his first game back he scored two tries.
Luke ‘Lukey’ McAlister, 23 really stepped up to the plate when he had to take over for an injured Dan Carter in his debut year in 2005. He showed that he was more than capable of taking on the role. Not only can he convert tries however, he is also versatile in that he can wear the number 10 jersey, as well as the number 12 and 13. He has been successful in all three positions in his games for North Harbour and is still developing his skills to be a great tactical player.
The Usual Suspects Mils Muliaina, 26 is a very dependable player, being able to cover both the wing and the centre, as well as playing fullback.
Anton ‘Hatch’ Oliver, 31 is a great source of leadership as he brings experience and strength to the front rows, as well as the side on a whole, which has many young players in it. He brought his tally of Super 14 caps to a total of 120 when he played all but one game for the 2006 Highlanders, a national best out of all New Zealand players.
Joe ‘Roks’ Rokocoko, 23 is well known for his speed, his strength and his agility on the field, as well as his natural talent for being able to pose mid-air whilst scoring a try! Speaking of tries he has a great ability for setting them up, and finishing them off. In 2005 he played for three national teams all in the same year: the All Blacks, the Junior All Blacks and the NZ Sevens side. He scored 21 tries in total for all three teams.
Rodney ‘Rodders’ So’oialo, 27 is a powerful number 8, but he has the well known fitness, speed, skill and size to play anywhere. He is the type of player who thrives in the team’s free-running environment, and is reliable on both defence and in attack. He captained the 2006 Hurricanes and played in every single game.
Jerry ‘JC’ Collins, 26 is (excuse the term!) built like a brick #$*@ house and is always reliable on defence. With his time on the first class rugby scene he is developing linking skills traditionally associated with a flanker, and he has fine tuned his skill of offloading in the tackle.
Dan ‘DC’ Carter, 25 is reliable at kicking goals, as well as having a variety of physical skills such as speed, strength and a winning sidestep. He also has the mental capabilities which make him a skilled tactician and a calm, solid backline leader. And to top it all off, he also happens to look hot as the new Jockey spokesperson…mmmm…
Back in the Day
Do you remember….?
John Timu. He became an All Black in 1989 as a replacement to an injured John Kirwin. He played 50 games for the All Blacks, 26 of them being tests. He left the All Blacks at the tender age of 25, early in his career, switching to rugby’s rival code, rugby league. He went to Sydney to play for the Bulldogs.
Va’aiga Tuigamala. He was one of the first great and powerful wingers, rightly earning his name as Inga the Winger. After 1989 his game had changed however, as he began to lose his previous form. He went from being a winger to a centre, where he continued to be a powerful force, but not as explosive as he formerly was. He then moved to league, playing for Wigan in England. He played professional representative rugby for Manu Samoa, but never came back here to play. Josh Kronfeld. He played a dominant role in the 1995 World Cup, debuting only 12 weeks before. He caused a huge controversy in 1995 during the tour of France and Italy with his strong views on nuclear testing. He felt so strongly about it he wore an anti-nuclear logo on his head gear. He was also passionate about surfing, and could always be spotted on the field with his socks around his ankles; a sign of not only his high work ethic, but also his rebellious personality.
And last but not least...
Make sure you keep an eye out for the new jersey. It’s much tighter, and therefore much nicer to look at! Of course it helps with the tactical aspect of the game, you know, being harder to grip, lighter in weight, and better breathing, but yeah, more importantly it shows off how gorgeous our boys are. Oh how shallow I am….
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them for their…uh…skills, then there is no doubt you will be keeping an eye out for them this season. 
Neemia ‘Neyza’ Tialata, 24 is another key player in the scrum, being able to play both sides in either tight head or loose head position. He is both a strong defender as well as a more than capable runner.
Rodney ‘Rodders’ So’oialo, 27 is a powerful number 8, but he has the well known fitness, speed, skill and size to play anywhere. He is the type of player who thrives in the team’s free-running environment, and is reliable on both defence and in attack. He captained the 2006 Hurricanes and played in every single game.
