Rugby Union: Henry Leaves Weepu to Drown Sorrows Over World Cup Cut

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 the past two years but has been undone by the emergence this year of Brendon Leonard, who set up the only try of the victory over Australia in Auckland on Saturday which delivered the Tri-Nations title for the All Blacks.

Weepu was one of six players fined £200 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 the decision to omit him, with the young Canterbury player Andrew Ellis named as the third scrum-half in the World Cup party.

The All Blacks have favoured taking the ball on through the middle of rucks in the Tri-Nations, neutralizing 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 more time to recover from an achilles tendon injury. "I have spoken to him and he has handled his disappointment well." Only one of the six curfew-breakers, the center Conrad Smith, made the squad, with the second-row Troy Flavell and the Worcester-bound wing Rico Gear among those omitted.

Henry showed a penchant for surprise selections before the 1999 World Cup when he was in charge of Wales and selected the Australian center Jason Jones-Hughes in his squad even though the player had never played rugby in the country.

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 that people's ability to conduct themselves in an appropriate way is important. We have been working towards the World Cup for years; now it is the only focus of our attention."

While the All Blacks are the overwhelming favorites 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 14, has not made any surprise selections in his 30 and will give the outside-half Andre Pretorius and Bobby Skinstad time to recover from injuries, nor has he bowed to government pressure to include a quota of non-white players, naming six rather than the 11 demanded by the government last month 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 whatsoever.

"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. That's why our planning for the 2011 World Cup starts now: we have not made much progress in the last few years but that is not the national coach's fault."

Australia name their squad today after a Tri-Nations campaign which defied pre-tournament expectations; they lost to a late drop-goal in South Africa and defeated the All Blacks in Melbourne.

Following the Kiwis' Tri-Nations win on Saturday the Wallabies are savoring a chance to return the unwanted favor should the antipodean neighbors meet in France in the autumn.

John Connolly, Australia's coach, pointed to key refereeing decisions on Saturday and said: "There is not much difference between the two sides."

Final squads


New Zealand


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 Rodney So'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.

South Africa


Backs Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Ricky Januarie, Percy Montgomery, Akona Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Andre Pretorius, Francois Steyn, Ashwin Willemse.

Forwards Bakkies Botha, BJ Botha, Gary Botha, Schalk Burger, Os du Randt, Victor Matfield, Johann Muller, Danie Rossouw, Bob Skinstad, John Smit (capt), Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthro Steenkamp, Albert van den Berg, CJ van der Linde, Wikus van Heerden.