A World Cup miscellany
Playing it down: All Blacks deny McCaw fitness a worry
NEW ZEALAND have played down fears over the fitness of captain Richie McCaw for Sunday’s semi-final against Australia after Crusaders flanker Matt Todd appeared at training yesterday.
McCaw is carrying a foot injury which forced him to miss two of the All Blacks’ pool matches and limited his participation in training.
Todd had trained with the All Blacks ahead of their pool game against France, and he joined a number of the Blues Super Rugby squad in an opposed session today.
International Rugby Board regulations state players not in the official 30-man World Cup squads cannot train with the team, only against them.
All Blacks manager Darren Shand confirmed, according to the New Zealand Rugby Union website, that Todd was not present in training as an imminent replacement for McCaw.
McCaw’s expected battle at the breakdown with Australia’s David Pocock is expected to play a crucial role in the outcome of Sunday’s game.
All Blacks need not fret: Ten is no longer the most important number
NEW ZEALAND may be wrong to fret about having to rely on their third and fourth-choice outhalves in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, with performances showing that players in other positions are having more influence.
Scrumhalves and backrow forwards swept the honours in this year's quarter-finals. The All Blacks, seeking their first World Cup title in 24 years, enter the Sunday's semi-final against Australia having lost outhalf Dan Carter, the leading points scorer in elite Tests, and his back-up to groin injuries. The play-making onus in the quarter-finals fell to scrumhalf Piri Weepu, who responded with 21 points and the man-of-the-match award against Argentina.
Of the three other semi-finalists, France are playing a scrumhalf at outhalf, Wales have relied on rookie number 10 Rhys Priestland ahead of British and Irish Lions representatives Stephen Jones and James Hook, and Australia's first-choice playmaker Quade Cooper is having a "confidence crisis", according to former New Zealand captain Taine Randell.
Wales also benefited from a man-of-the-match performance from scrumhalf Mike Phillips in their quarter-final win over Ireland. France coach Marc Lievremont selected Morgan Parra, who plays his club rugby at scrumhalf, in the outhalf position for their victory over England in the last eight. Number eight Imanol Harinordoquy (left) was voted the game's best player.
Australia earned their semi-final berth by ousting champions South Africa on the back of a man-of-the-match display from openside flanker David Pocock.
Excited and Delilah: Millennium Stadium set to rock on Saturday with 45,000 fans
WHILE THE Welsh squad hunkers down in New Zealand ahead of Saturday's World Cup semi-final with France, a frenzy is taking hold more than 11,000 miles away back home.
Perhaps the world's most passionate rugby nation has become transfixed by the heroics of its team. Bright and early on Saturday morning some 45,000 will head to Cardiffs Millennium Stadium to watch the match on big screens.
News of the developing hysteria has reached the Welsh players in their camp. "I don't think there is anyone there who'd be able to get away from the fact that there's a rugby match going on on Saturday, smiled Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins.
After 25,000 free tickets to watch the semi-final on big screens in Cardiff were snapped up within hours of being made available, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said it would release a further 20,000.
The gates open at 6.30am, with the beer to begin flowing 90-minutes later.
FRANCE SCRUMHALF Dimitri Yachvili, who orchestrated Saturday's victory over England, has declared himself fit to face the Welsh.
The master strategist said yesterday he may not kick against Wales, however, and could hand the task to Morgan Parra.
Yachvili had not trained since last weekend's dramatic victory, but told reporters he had started running again and would be ready to face the Welsh at Eden Park.
"Yes, I am confident everything is fine," he smiled, when asked if he would take his place in the starting 15 on Saturday night. "There's a risk that I won't do the kicking, though. I am still healing but things are coming along well.")
