Share

All Blacks invite Oz 'spies'

Sydney - Before the first Bledisloe Cup match in Melbourne, the All Blacks banished a photographer for shooting - and distributing - an image of Graham Henry holding a copy of their moves to Australian media outlets.

GALLERY: All Blacks train

GALLERY: Springboks v Wallabies, Bloemfontein

These days, with the trans-Tasman trophy secure for a seventh straight year and the Tri-Nations crown regained from South Africa, the All Blacks management are evidently in a more relaxed frame of mind.

For proof, consider the involvement of four Waratahs squad members at their training run in Sydney on Monday, the first practice session ahead of Saturday's clash with the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium.

Waratahs Academy squad members Locky McCaffrey, Damon Anderson, Jacob Woodhouse and Maile Latekefu made up the numbers against the potential Test line-up after the Waratahs received a request for personnel from the All Blacks, according to the allblacks.com website.

"They sent through an invitation for four young blokes to help out and have a run," said McCaffrey, who revelled in the "special experience".

"It was fantastic. I thought we were only going to hold pads for 90 minutes but they let us join in all the drills, in the contact and the scrummaging," McCaffrey said.

He said Henry told them: "Don't sit back and watch, join in. Do as much as you want. Don't be a spectator."

There was no suggestion the quartet, who were also at training on Tuesday, should not take notes and perhaps pass on information to the newly arrived Wallabies.

Although if they did, it hardly seemed there was anything the Australians were already unaware of having already been beaten this year in Melbourne and Christchurch.

"The training focus for the whole 90 minutes was perfect," McCaffrey said.

"From the props to fullback, everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing.

"The knowledge was probably the best I have ever seen and it looks like a really good team environment."
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE