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Sonny Bill Williams is the only new All Black, while there are recalls for Hika Elliot, Hosea Gear, Andy Ellis, Isaia Toeava, Daniel Braid and Stephen Donald in Graham Henry's 30-man end-of-year touring squad named tonight.
In a squad containing a few surprise choices, and one or two notable omissions, Henry has gone with three hookers and three halfbacks for the trip, meaning the squeeze went on elsewhere. He has also selected veteran players Andrew Hore (hooker) and Sitiveni Sivivatu (wing) who are on the comeback trail from injury and will not be ready to play in the October 30 tour opener in Hong Kong against the Wallabies
The decision to stack up at hooker and halfback has also left room for only two specialist first five-eighths for the five-test trip, with the 19-test 26-year-old Donald getting the nod as Dan Carter's understudy on the back of three sensational outings for Waikato in the ITM Cup.
Both young No 10s Aaron Cruden of Manawatu and Colin Slade of Canterbury who saw action during the Tri-Nations have missed selection for the trip in what Henry acknowledged was a tight call.
There is also no place for in-form Canterbury centre Robbie Fruean, who misses out to fit-again Auckland utility back Isaia Toeava, or for talented Northland back Rene Ranger who is squeezed out of the backline mix by the return of Sivivatu and the recall of sevens gold medallist and Wellington wing Hosea Gear. Talented Wellingtonian Victor Vito also misses out after featuring throughout the Tri-Nations, with Waikato's Liam Messam getting the nod in a group comprising just five loose forwards.
Gear will be a popular choice on the back of some fine form throughout 2010, capped by an outstanding display for Gordon Tietjens' gold medal-winning sevens side in Delhi. He joins Joe Rokocoko, Cory Jane and Sivivatu in the wing contingent, though Henry said Sivivatu will play the next two weeks for Waikato and join the squad in London as he looks to work his way back into game shape.
Joining Gear in the recalled brigade are Hawke's Bay hooker Elliot, Auckland flanker Daniel Braid, Donald, Canterbury halfback Ellis, and Toeava who has played just a game and a half since coming back from major hip surgery.
Gear toured in 2008 when he played one test against Australia in Hong Kong and also featured in last year's Tri-Nations test against Australia in Wellington before missing out on the end-of-year tour. But since then he has knocked on the door vociferously with a string of impressive performances.
Donald featured in 10 tests for the All Blacks last year but wasn't available for the earlier internationals this year because of shoulder problems. Since his return he has been in commanding form for Waikato, and probably clinched selection with a virtuoso 22-point haul up against Cruden on Thursday night.
Braid has played four tests for the All Blacks, the last of those in 2008 when he started against Australia in place of the injured Richie McCaw. Since then he spent two seasons with the Queensland Reds and was re-signed by the NZRU earlier this year for this very purpose.
Ellis gets the nod as the third halfback after not featuring since last year's tour, with Wellington's Alby Mathewson the natural replacement for Piri Weepu who went down on Saturday night with that fractured ankle that will keep him out of the game for six months.
Toeava last featured in the 2009 Tri-Nations and only returned to the field last week after having hip surgery at the end of the Super 14, while the uncapped Elliot, who has been in bullocking form for the Magpies, was a tourist in 2008 (playing against Munster) but had been on the outer since.
As expected Williams gets the nod as one of four midfielders for the trip after confirming his readiness for the step up with an outstanding ITM Cup campaign for Canterbury. He and Toeava will back up the established pairing of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith.
The 25-year-old former rugby league international has shown real class with his distribution and running game and has made major strides in other areas such as defence. The former Bulldogs and Kiwis star is into his third season in the XV-man code after playing alongside former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga at Toulon in France from 2008-2010.
Henry said Donald deserved his recall in what was an agonisingly tight call between three quality five-eighths in behind Carter.
"It was a very difficult selection," he said. "We picked Stephen Donald because we think he's gone up the graph on his ability to play the game. He's been a major influence on the resurgence of the Waikato side over the last month or so -- he's been a game-breaker and game-winner, as we saw against Manawatu the other day."
But Henry said Slade and Cruden had done little wrong in their own performances.
"It wasn't an easy call ringing them and telling them they weren't in the team. They have done all they can quite frankly, but we feel Donald played better than those two, he's had 19 test caps and we think he's improved considerably since he last played for the All Blacks."
Henry also shied away from a suggestion Williams had been picked as a "work in progress".
"He's been selected on form," said the All Blacks coach of his most celebrated pick. "He's played very well for Canterbury. His ability to be a game-breaker is there, he's got huge strength and ability to offload in the tackle, and he's played particularly well.
"But all All Blacks are works in progress, and he'll obviously learn on this tour and improve hopefully."
The coach also confirmed that Fruean had been pipped by Toeava's late run, saying the young Cantab was "one selection away" from a spot in the squad.
"If we'd had another injury he would have come into consideration, but we've picked Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith who have been the centre pairing for a number of test matches and are world-class players and Soony Bill and Isaia Toeava are the backups.
"Isaia has the ability to play in the back three and also at 12 which is helpful, and he's a proven performer at test match level in recent times. In his couple of games for Auckland he's shown he hasn't lost any of that ability."
Henry confirmed that, like Sivivatu, Hore would not play until the Grand Slam part of the tour, and that situation had forced them to take three hookers on the tour.
Weepu's horrific injury against Taranaki had not changed the thinking at halfback, with three always going to be picked, he added.
"We're devastated by the injury to Piri Weepu last night, and our thoughts are with him," added Henry. "He's been a high-quality player for the All Blacks all year, but has a fracture/dislocation of the ankle and will be out of the game for six months. That's devastating for him."
The All Blacks squad, containing 16 forwards and 14 backs, contains 972 test caps, making it among the most experienced groups to have left these shores. They will assemble in Auckland on Thursday for a pre-tour training camp before flying out for Hong Kong at midnight on Saturday.
ALL BLACKS SQUAD
The 30-man All Blacks squad for the end of year rugby tour to Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Ireland was named today by head coach Graham Henry:
Backs: Andy Ellis (Canterbury), Daniel Carter (Canterbury), Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Stephen Donald (Waikato), Hosea Gear (Wellington), Cory Jane (Wellington), Alby Mathewson (Wellington), Mils Muliaina (Waikato), Ma'a Nonu (Wellington), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Waikato), Conrad Smith (Wellington), Isaia Toeava (Auckland), Sonny Bill Williams (Canterbury).
Forwards: John Afoa (Auckland), Anthony Boric (North Harbour), Daniel Braid (Auckland), Tom Donnelly (Otago), Hikawera Elliot (Hawke's Bay), Ben Franks (Tasman), Owen Franks (Canterbury), Andrew Hore (Taranaki), Jerome Kaino (Auckland), Richie McCaw (Canterbury, captain), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Liam Messam (Waikato), Kieran Read (Canterbury), Brad Thorn (Canterbury), Sam Whitelock (Canterbury), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour)
* new All Black
Not considered through injury: Israel Dagg, Corey Flynn, Richard Kahui, Luke McAlister, Piri Weepu, Ali Williams.
Tour schedule:
Saturday 30 October, All Blacks v Australia, Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
Saturday 6 November, All Blacks v England, Twickenham, London
Saturday 13 November, All Blacks v Scotland, Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Saturday 20 November, All Blacks v Ireland, AVIVA Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 27 November, All Blacks v Wales, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/4242333/Sonny-Bill-Williams-gets-All-Blacks-call-up
