Quote: JEAN CAPDOUZE "I don't want to make the excuses for New Zealand, but although their forward pack was strong (especially Kasiano at the beginning), the Kiwis did not have nearly their best team, while Australia did. Several top Kiwi forwards were unavailable (which is why out-of-form Adam Blair played), and the selection was not the best possible in the outside backs. Also Benji Marshall did not have a great game in attack (he was targeted by the Australians).
It was the outside backs where little bits of brilliance we could have expected were missing. Had they been fit, Kevin Locke (full back), Jason Nightingale (wing) and either Shaun Kenny-Dowell, Jerome Ropati or Konrad Hurrell (centre) would have played.
As it turned out the full back Josh Hoffman, and both wingers who were selected, especially Sam Perrett, played very well against the normally brilliant Australian backs. I would prefer Perrett over Manu "The Beast" Vatuvei in my team any day. But Locke would have added greater speed and greater anticipation in attack out of full back, Nightingale would have done everything good that Beale did but probably more, and Kenny-Dowell, Ropati or Hurrell instead of inexperienced Dean Whare would have been very formidable and made a very big difference in the centres alongside Krisnan Inu.
Let us hope that all the missing forwards, and the missing outside backs, will be fit and selected to play in 2013 World Cup.'"
Konrad hurrell is not a kiwi, he is Tongan. Not that he would make nz yet anyway.
