FRANCE: RUGBY UNION - New Zealand loose forward Jerry Collins named as captain for his side's next Rugby World Cup match against Portugal

Record ID: 1534516

  • Title: FRANCE: RUGBY UNION - New Zealand loose forward Jerry Collins named as captain for his side's next Rugby World Cup match against Portugal
  • Date: 13th September 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND LOCK CHRIS JACK SAYING: "For me obviously it's quite a long tournament and we want to play all the way through and be at the top of the game so match fitness is massive." WIDE OF JACK
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2007 09:55
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA93EMZ6TMJG4SGDYPOQF1OZSYO
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: New Zealand coach Graham Henry makes 11 changes to the All Blacks side to face Portugal in the Rugby World Cup and appoints loose forward Jerry Collins as captain for the game.

    New Zealand loose forward Jerry Collins has been named as captain for his side's next Rugby World Cup match, against Portugal on Saturday (September 15).
    Speaking at a media event in Marseilles on Wednesday (September 12), Collins joked that when All Blacks coach Graham Henry rang him with the news, he thought he was going to be told he was being dropped from the side.
    Henry has made 11 changes to the team which demolished Italy in their opening match, meaning Collins, who has more than 40 caps, will be in charge on the pitch.
    "What can you say? I thought he (Henry) was going to say I wasn't playing. I suppose I'll just take it in my stride, who knows, we might have another captain during these pool games," said Collins.
    Discipline has already been an issue at the tournament with stiff punishments handed out for foul play, but Collins was more concerned with keeping the player's minds on the job.
    "The biggest disciplinary worry we have is sticking to the gameplan. All week we've been discussing a couple of things we want to achieve this week and sometimes when the team starts kicking away like on Saturday after 20 minutes you kind of lose focus on what you're trying to achieve," he said.
    Centre Conrad Smith has returned to the New Zealand starting line-up after recovering from injury. Smith had been scheduled to make his first start for the All Blacks since last November in the opening match against Italy, but was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury.
    Since breaking his leg in early 2006, Smith has suffered from hamstring problems but the experience helped him avoid more serious problems this time.
    "From experience I knew that something wasn't quite right but it wasn't major and after a couple of days I had the strength to get over it, which is what you expect," he said.
    Portugal are one of the tournament's minnows and although he would not underestimate the opposition, Henry has given hooker Keven Mealamu a new job, removing him from the front row of the scrum to provide cover for the back row.
    A hooker's job at the lineout if to throw the ball but Mealamu will now be helping to lift his team mates to catch the ball and retain possession.
    "There's definitely a different mindset needed to the game,"
    he said of his new role.
    Fitness is high on the agenda for lock Chris Jack, one of the players rested for the Portugal game as Henry plays a front row of Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore and Neemia Tialata.
    "Obviously it's quite a long tournament and we want to play all the way through and be at the top of the game, so match fitness is massive," said Jack.
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