All Blacks switch four for Scotland clash | Rugby | Fox Sports

All Blacks ring the changes for clash with Scotland as Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina eye milestones

• From correspondents in Edinburgh, Scotland
• From AFP
• November 11, 2010 8:27PM

Milestone ... Richie McCaw will celebrate his record-equalling 92nd cap this weekend. Source: David Rogers / Getty Images

New Zealand have made four changes to the side that beat England last weekend for this weekend's Test against Scotland at Murrayfield.

All Blacks team

Mils Muliaina, Isaia Toeava, Conrad Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Hosea Gear, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (capt), Liam Messam, Samuel Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Owen Franks, Keven Mealamu/Hikawera Elliot, Tony Woodcock. Replacements: Andrew Hore, John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Daniel Braid, Andy Ellis, Stephen Donald, Ma'a Nonu.

Jimmy Cowan returns at halfback while Conrad Smith will line up at centre alongside Sonny Bill Williams with Ma'a Nonu moving to the bench.
Isaia Toeva comes onto the right wing in place of Joe Rokocoko.
The only change in the forwards sees Liam Messam get a go at blindside flanker, although All Blacks coach Graham Henry could be forced into a fifth change if hooker Keven Mealamu loses an appeal against his ban for headbutting England's Lewis Moody.
Uncapped Hika Elliot has been named as Mealamu's replacement if he misses out.
"This is another challenging Test for the All Blacks and our selection reflects that," Henry said.
"We have huge respect for the Scots and the way they are playing the game.
"They have had some major victories in recent times, including two away wins in Argentina and a win over Ireland this year plus the win over Australia last year, so it should be another absorbing contest between the two teams."
The match represents a significant milestone in All Blacks history.
Skipper Richie McCaw and full-back Mils Muliaina will both win their 92nd caps, equalling Sean Fitzpatrick's All Blacks record, and are likely to break the former All Blacks hooker's mark later in the tour.
"I couldn't think of two better people than Richie and Mils to beat my record," Fitzpatrick said.
"They are outstanding All Blacks, good leaders of men and for me it's an honour to pass the baton on to those two."
All Blacks coach Henry also paid tribute to McCaw and Muliaina's record-equalling double act.
"It is a fantastic achievement for both men and it's great that they are able to reach the milestone together this weekend in Scotland," he said.
"They are icons of the game, have huge respect within the All Blacks, in New Zealand and around the world, and will have many more Tests together in the All Blacks jersey."

All Blacks squeak past England

RICHARD KNOWLER AT TWICKENHAM - Fairfax Media

Last updated 05:40 07/11/2010

Maybe Mike Ford will keep his clam shut the next time he sees the All Blacks riding over the horizon.

Having beaten England 26-16 in London this morning, the New Zealanders gave Ford a couple of reasons to reconsider why test rugby does have the right to be entertaining.

In the build-up to this match England defensive coach Ford let his mouth start gabbling before his brain had any chance to register what he was on about, as he stated the international stage was all about defensive resolve rather than piling on a mountain of points on the scoreboard.

Ironically, England did their share of attacking as they looked to spread the ball wide from the get-go and then dominated the final quarter; they threw wave after wave of offensive movements at the All Blacks, whose scrambling defence was forced to call on all their experience and trust in each other to deny their opponents a win.

All three tries were scored by New Zealanders, with left wing Hosea Gear and No 8 Kieran Read crossing over for the All Blacks in the first half and Kiwi ex-pat replacement hooker Dylan Hartley barging over for England in the second spell.

A rough diamond, no doubt, Hartley - who has form with the judiciary for such nasty acts as eye-gouging and has spent his time with sports shrinks trying to discover ways to dampen his fiery temper - could not resist unleashing a cheap shot at Richie McCaw in the second half when he aimed at his head with his shoulder.

That incident caused an angered Brad Thorn to knock the rake off his feet with a shoulder shove and then things got testy; handbags were swung and teeth were bared.

Maybe the judiciary will have more to say about Hartley's actions, but the television match official, Guilio de Santis, was not so bothered by him scoring his five-pointer with what appeared suspiciously to be a double-movement.

If All Blacks fans thought their side's conditioning would allow them to run amok in the final quarter they were to be disappointed.

Instead it was the Poms that did all the talk with the ball in hand and when Jerome Kaino was shown a yellow card inside the final 10 minutes they just kept on coming and several times replacement wing Isaia Toeava was forced to pull off some desperate tackles.

Toeava's effort on a flying Shontayne Hape - another Kiwi no less - could have been a potential match-saver.

Leading 26-16, the desperate All Blacks were fiercely defending their line when former Kiwis rugby league international Hape appeared to have found space down the touch to score.

However, Toeava managed to charge into him and the TMO was forced to admit Hape had knocked the ball on over the line.

As they look back on this result, the All Blacks, over a few quiet, reflective beers post-match, may have admitted they got too slack after leading 17-3 at halftime.

Indeed, it appeared as if the win would come easily when they habitually found wide open spaces in the English defensive line and it was a classic offload by debutant Sonny Bill Williams, followed by a lobbed pass from Mils Muliaina that saw Gear score.

Execution is key for All Blacks - McCaw

TOBY ROBSON IN LONDON - Fairfax Media

Last updated 13:30 07/11/2010

Action from the match between the All Blacks and England at Twickenham.

All Blacks v England

1 of 16

PETER MEECHAM/Fairfax Media Zoom

All Black do the haka before the test against England at Twickenham.

Related Links

  Match highlights: All Blacks v England 

Richie McCaw says execution, not attitude will be the key to a better performance against Scotland next week.
The All Blacks made uncharacteristic handling errors throughout their 26-16 win over England at Twickenham today, just as they had during their loss to the Wallabies in Hong Kong.

And though thrilled to beat a good England side, McCaw admitted there was a degree of frustration in the visitor's dressing room.

"I think the frustration of the guys sitting in the changing rooms was that at vital times we gave the ball back to the opposition too easily and probably tried to do too much at times.

"They're the things that are frustrating. Sometimes it's because you have been getting reward for those passes when you can see space, but sometimes it might not be quite on.

"It might be a bit of a fifty-fifty and those are the things that, if we are going to improve, we have to get right."

The All Blacks looked set to rack up a cricket score after starting strongly against England and leading 14-0 after 20 minutes, before errors crept into their game.

"The attitude we want to play with is spot on. When the space is there you want to use it. There are times in the game where that's the right thing to do, and times where perhaps a slightly more conservative option might be better.

"Perhaps you could score a try, but holding the ball for one more phase will guarantee a try... you don't want to stifle the guys... but the risk and reward I guess is what we have to get under control.

"Sometimes you are your own worst enemy."

But McCaw also praised his side's character and said the defensive effort was top drawer.

"It comes down to a couple of opportunities in a game and we won because we took a couple of those in the first half and it got tight because we didn't take a couple in the second half.

 "I guess England would be a bit disappointed. Had they scored that try it could have been a bit different in the end, but that's the nature of the beast, you have to nail your chances."

Assistant coach Steve Hansen believed the side were not far off their game despite the error rate.

"We haven't been together for a while and we're rusty and what I'm talking about is our timing.

"You only have to be half a yard out with your run and something that looks like it could be magnificent is actually pushing crap. That's about where we are with our game at the moment. We are half a stride off scoring five or six tries rather than two or three."