Wednesday, October 08, 2008

McCaw makes long-awaited Canterbury return

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/news/article/-/5064966/mccaw-makes-longawaited-canterbury-return

Yahoo!Xtra Sport, Neil Reid
October 8, 2008, 10:55 am


All Black captain Richie McCaw is set to don the Canterbury rep jersey for the first time in two years. The inspirational openside flanker has been named on the seven-man bench for Canterbury's Air New Zealand Cup quarter-final clash against Tasman at AMI Stadium on Friday night.
Due to World Cup commitments, McCaw did not play for Canterbury in last year's Air New Zealand Cup. Friday's clash will be his first match since the All Blacks secured the Tri Nations silverware and retained the Bledisloe Cup with their 28-24 triumph over the Wallabies in Brisbane on September 13.

McCaw will join Tri Nations team-mates Andy Ellis and Greg Somerville in the Canterbury team for the first match of the play-off phase in the Air New Zealand Cup. Ellis will start at halfback, while Somerville continues his farewell season with Canterbury before taking up a contract with English club Gloucester.

The season-ending injury to Mose Tuiali'i will see captain Kieran Read move from the blindside flank to No 8. McCaw had previously been considered as a replacement at No 8. Read's fellow season-ending contender Corey Flynn will again start in the No 2 jersey after recovering from a broken arm.

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