New AB captain & centre combination

[SpaceMonkey]

With Tana Umanga announcing his retirement yesterday, who should be the new AB captain? McCaw is the obvious choice but he has something of a problem with a recurrent head injury. Who else is a possible candidate? I'd like to see Jerry Collins get a shot personally, he has matured tremendously as a player and would lead by example. (Plus it would piss Stephen Jones off no end!!)
Also who are you picks for the #1 centre combination for '06?

 

[ozbash]

captain ? not jerry. it would mean an end to his angry pills.
i think mccaw will probably get it, at least till he gets another concussion and has to give the game away.

centers,, nonu or major maybe, id like to see conrad smith get a decent go at it or mapusua. now theres a tough boy.

 

[Iafeta]

12 Mauger 13 Smith Bench Nonu

Captain? I have a long shot in Byron Kelleher, but I think Weepu may have his number at the moment... It'd have to be Richie McCaw one would think.

Vale the great man - long live the legend of Tana.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

captain ? not jerry. it would mean an end to his angry pills.
i think mccaw will probably get it, at least till he gets another concussion and has to give the game away.

Id've said the same but Jerry really seems to have curbed the excess aggression in the last year or so. Still I guess being captain would limit his role as an enforcer to an extent.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

lol, how awesome would it be if Jerry captained us to World Cup glory. Stephen Jones would probably explode on the spot.

 

[lockyno1]

What about Carter captaining? Seems to conduct himself in the right way on the field!

 

[Southern Warrio]

Neil Brew to have a great super 14 and storm into the centre berth, and McCaw to be the captain.

 

[bayrep]

It should be Smith he seems a bit more consistant than Nonu. Ritchie will be captain, but as others have posted his head aches will be a concern as he has 2 games on and 3 games away. Is Jerry going to be around for that much longer he seems to have been on the scene for years. What about on eof the locks ??

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Jerry is only 25. I believe that him, Mauger and McCaw are all pretty much exactly the same age.

 

[Scott]

McCaw the captain, Oliver and So'oailo are the long shots.

12. Nonu
13. Smith

or

12. McAlister
13. Smith
Nonu on the bench.

Personally I think we need a distributor at 13, Smith fits the bill. No better player in the country at feeding the wingers! Also a big man needed at 12. The above 2 are big boys.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Jerry is only 25. I believe that him, Mauger and McCaw are all pretty much exactly the same age.

I seem to remember Jerry being slated as a potential future AB captain back when he was at NZ Colts/U21 level.
As for Carter, I'm not really a fan of playmakers as captains, I think they have enough to think about organising play without the added responsibility of dealing with the ref. And with McCaw there's also the issue that as a #7 his job is basically to play on the edge off the rules constantly, and that's not necessarily where you want your captain to be.

 

[ozbash]

i,m surprised nobody else rates mapusua (sp), the otago center.

 

[Scott]

Pretty sure he has played for Samoa or Tonga, which mkes him ineligable for NZ.

He is a solid Super 12/14 player, nowhere an All Black though.

 

[douglasallen91]

12 mauger
13. smith

bench nonu for me
captain for me is mealamu or oliver whoever is going to be the starter.
vice -captain = mccaw or muiliana

 

[Southern Warrio]

Pretty sure he has played for Samoa or Tonga, which mkes him ineligable for NZ.

He is a solid Super 12/14 player, nowhere an All Black though.

No he hasn't, There was an article in the ODT earlier this year saying that if he doesn't make the All Blacks by the 2007 world cup he will play for Samoa.

Plus he is more of a second five, Brew plays centre for Otago and the Highlanders.

 

[aussies1st]

McCaw surely will be captain. He was vice captain and on the end of season tour he was being groomed for the captaincy.

As for the centre combo I would like a Nonu and Smith combo.

 

[bayrep]

What about Ali Williams for captain ? the guy has just as much mana in the team as the other guys.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

What about Ali Williams for captain ? the guy has just as much mana in the team as the other guys.

A bit too much of a loose cannon for my liking. Although if we're on the subject of locks, what about Chris Jack?

 

[Scott]

Jack isn't a leader. He sometimes can go missing in big games. Williams has potential as a leader, but is not All Black captain material.

 

[bayrep]

I thought Ali had grown another leg over the last year the media couldnt seem to get enough of the guy. He was coming across as a guy that has matured into a good senior AB.