Former Australian rugby league international Brad Thorn has made a leap into the All Blacks starting 15 for Saturday's Tri-Nations rugby union test against South Africa in Dunedin.
Thorn was born at Mosgiel, a few miles from Saturday's match venue at Carisbrook, but moved to Australia as an infant, was raised there and played seven successful seasons for the Brisbane Broncos National Rugby League franchise. He appeared in three NRL grand finals and played in nine league tests for Australia beside current Wallabies league recruits Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri.
Thorn qualifies to play for New Zealand by birth and was first named for the All Blacks at the end of his debut season in rugby union two years ago.
He shocked New Zealanders when he turned down that selection and returned to Australia where he spent a year considering his future. Thorn returned to union with the Canterbury Crusaders this season and quickly recaptured All Black selection as a robust utility forward, adept at lock or blindside flanker.
He made his All Blacks debut against England in Wellington in June and has since made four test appearances as a replacement, not yet as a starting player.
"He's made a very good contribution coming off the bench and we consider that the time is right and appropriate for him to start this test match," All Blacks coach John Mitchell said yesterday.
Thorn's selection in place of Chris Jack and beside Ail William's in New Zealand's second row is one of five changes Mitchell has made to the team which beat Australia 50-21 in Sydney two weeks ago.
For the third time this season the coach has named a completely changed front row, choosing props Ekes Meows and Carl Heft and hooker Mark Hamlet in place of Greg Somerville, Dave Hewlett and Kevin Mealamu.
Mitchell has also rested outstanding openside flanker Ritchie McCaw, handing the No.7 jersey to Marty Holah. Jack takes a place on the New Zealand reserves bench with Byron Kelleher, who has ousted Australian-born Steve Devine as the No.2 scrumhalf, and fullback Leon MacDonald, who returns from injury in place of Caleb Ralph.
If MacDonald takes the field against South Africa he'll be making his first international appearance in almost a year.
His last international season was ruined by a series of concussions and he was further injured in the Super 12 final in May.
MacDonald was selected to play against England and Wales this season but withdrew from both matches because of side effects from head injuries.
Kelleher's promotion to the 22-man squad was unexpected but Mitchell said he was being recognized for a strong performance in training.
"We have a policy of putting faith in this team and growing this team," Mitchell said.
Ralph and Blair have been released to play for Canterbury against Fiji in Christchurch on Wednesday night. Blair will take the goalkicking duties in that match at the request of the All Black management and at the expense of former All Blacks flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens.
Mehrtens, New Zealand's leading pointscorer in internationals, has conceded his test place this season to Carlos Spencer and is now seen as unlikely to appear for the All Blacks at his third World Cup.
The All Blacks are unbeaten in tests against South Africa in Dunedin, winning on five occasions since 1921, most recently 28-0 in 1999. They have played 31 tests at Carisbrook since 1908, winning 27, losing three and drawing one.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was