No place for Fruean in All Blacks 30

[beige]

Highlanders lock Jarrad Hoeata is the only uncapped player in the 30-man All Blacks squad named on Sunday for the Tri-Nations and the Test against Fiji .

27-year-old Hoeata started every match for the Highlanders this year in his outstanding second Super Rugby season. He played for the New Zealand Sevens team in 2006 and also featured strongly for New Zealand Maori in last year's Centenary Series.

Colin Slade has been preferred to Aaron Cruden as Dan Carter's back-up at fly-half, while there is no place for France-bound 68-Test veteran Joe Rokocoko

Super Rugby standouts for the Crusaders Robbie Fruean and Matt Todd will have to impress selectors in the ITM Cup if they will have any chance of playing at the World Cup. Tom Donnelly, Rene Ranger, Benson Stanley, Luke McAlister, Neemia Tialata, Alby Mathewson, Stephen Donald and Victor Vito have also missed out.

Four players named in the Tri-Nations squad are recovering from injuries - Tony Woodcock (foot), Isaia Toeava (hip), Hosea Gear (hamstring) and Israel Dagg (thigh muscle) - so the All Blacks selectors have also announced that four players will assemble with the squad as injury cover: Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett, Hurricanes winger Cory Jane, Chiefs winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and Highlanders winger Ben Smith.

As expected, the squad will be led by Richie McCaw and is made up of 16 forwards and 14 backs and packs huge experience with 1028 Test caps between them.

Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...030337,00.html

[Garfiep]

lets make Robbie Fruean feel the love in WA!

[Tazzmania]

That would be a huge buy, he has the makings of a superstar

[benny]

and also Rene Ranger - who's more stupid Robbie "i'm still a kiwi" deans or Graham Smuth (in a kiwi accent)

Ewen Mckenzie to coach the wallabies straight after the semi final date when the wallabies will be out.

[TOCC]

Robbie Fruen is over rated, he has been made to look better then he is by the players around him
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[shasta]

Robbie Fruen is over rated, he has been made to look better then he is by the players around him

Big call TOCC. I remember thinking he had AB written all over him early on in last seasons NPC - without most of the Crusaders backs around him. Including SBW and Carter. Fruen did start to tag SBW once he got on the paddock and scored plenty of tries from the offloads. But that's just playing smart. Henry & Co are spoiled for choice and Conrad Smith or whoever will do just as well and probably be better defensively.

[TOCC]

He is defitely SuperRugby quality and wouldnt look out of place In the All Blacks, but I think that's where it ends. I'd take a few other players before him in the starting side.

His bit of a one trick pony, he needs to develop his defensive and passing game before he will become a regular international.
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[zimeric]

Fruean was devastating in the semi and had glimpses in the final.. pity everyone inside him had a case of the dropsies so he didnt see much ball. Id have him in the wallabies ANY day!

[BeeJay]

The Kiwis could put 3 competitive teams on the park (injury permitting), bless their little bleating hearts...

Spoilt for choice...

[Rex Messup]

Graham Henry is our best friend.

Hopefully he'll pick Maybelline Nonu and Conrad Myth

[BDAVEY]

just watch Fruean play for the ITC Canterbury last week awesome offloader....we need him at the EWF big time he will be an AB sometime for sure

[jono]

Fruen just needs patience he'll be an ab. He should come to Perth while he is being patient though!