Auckland Diary

Tour miscellany compiled by GERRY THORNLEY

PONTING THE FINGERS OF SHAME

YOU’D need to have a thick skin on tours and to their embarrassment, some Irish players have been caught taking pedicures. Cian Healy and Fergus McFadden were caught on camera together having hand pedicures, as was Jamie Heaslip to his feet.

Their punishment was to have their toenails painted, with Brett Wilkinson appointed as squad pedicurist for the evening.

Also caught on camera, and posted on Twitter, was Mike McCarthy. His failed attempt at a bungee jump has obliged the Connacht lock to walk the streets of Auckland with a bright yellow tee-shirt adorned with the slogan: “I nearly did it.”

Underneath is, simply, a cartoon image of a chicken!

Outflanked: Thomson to replace Vito for All Blacks

IN ALL BLACKS team news Steve Hansen has said that Highlanders loose forward Adam Thomson would replace Victor Vito at blindside flanker for Saturday’s Test, with Sam Cane (long-term heir apparent to Richie McCaw) promoted to the replacements’ bench.

Vito has a grade two medial strain in his left knee and will be out for five weeks.

Another Chiefs loose forward, Liam Messam, is on standby and will join the All Blacks squad as unofficial cover in Hamilton ahead of the third Test next week.

World Cup winning hooker Keven Mealamu took a full part in training and Hansen said he was fit to play on Saturday.

“But we are going to give him a week of full training,” said Hansen, “and get his body used to that and then maybe let him loose the following week.”

Homecoming: First Test for Hansen in Christchurch

SATURDAY’S TEST will be a poignant occasion for coach Steve Hansen, as it will be his first test as All Blacks’ coach in his home city.

“It’s been an emotional time for Christchurch and a lot of people have been forgotten. Hopefully we are going to put on a performance that they can be proud of and we can put a smile on their faces for a while. Playing in front of our home crowd is always something that is right up there and I’ll look forward to doing that as I’ve a lot of family and friends in the city.” Christchurch was hit by a 4.2 aftershock on Monday night, and Hansen ribbed some of the squad’s non-Cantabrians by claiming some from outside the city were seen diving out of bedrooms. “But it can’t have been too bad as I didn’t even wake up.”