All Blacks' Twitter gaffe gets Henry's attention

By MARK GEENTY - NZPA
Last updated 10:56 19/11/2009

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He's no twit, but All Blacks rugby coach Graham Henry will have a quiet word with Neemia Tialata and Cory Jane after they revealed their non-selection to face England more than 24 hours early.

Henry confirmed the pair would be rested for Sunday's (NZ time) test at Twickenham, allowing Owen Franks his eighth test at tighthead prop and winger Zac Guildford his second in an otherwise full-strength side.

The only drama remained around bench hooker Corey Flynn who Henry said would be "struggling" to play due to a hamstring strain, meaning Chiefs hooker Aled de Malmanche will likely wear the No 16 jersey as Andrew Hore's backup after arriving in London last night (NZ to,e)

Tialata and Jane were undone on Stuff.co.nz yesterday when it was revealed that the pair had posted messages on their Twitter pages - over 24 hours before the team's official release - saying they would be resting this weekend, having started all three tests on the tour so far.

Said Henry: "I had to find out what bloody Twitter was. I thought it was a new guy playing five-eighth for England."

The coach said the pair hadn't earned a rebuke but he would remind them about publicly revealing their selections before time.

"I haven't lost any sleep over it, I haven't even thought about it really. I saw the headline, shrugged my shoulders and got on.

"We announce the team on Monday to the guys and they probably thought it was going to be announced to the media during that day.

"A quiet reminder tomorrow won't go astray but it's not a major. There won't be six of the cane in the corner."

It's not the first time social networking has caused Tialata drama this year after he criticised the Wellington Rugby Union on his Facebook page after he wasn't selected during a layoff from the All Blacks.

Henry said Tialata and Jane had earned a rest after three tough tests, which suggested they would return for the French test in Marseille on November 28.

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