'I thought Twitter was a new first-five'

Reuters

TWITTER WHO?: All Blacks coach Graham Henry laughed off suggestions Neemia Tialata and Cory Jane would be reprimanded for revealing their non-selections first via Twitter.

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To tweet, or not to tweet? It's a question All Blacks Neemia Tialata and Cory Jane may be asking after revealing their non-selection for Sunday's test against England 24 hours ahead of schedule.

The pair's twitter site posts were being laughed off by the All Blacks yesterday, but coach Graham Henry did concede he would have a quiet word to the Wellington pair.

"I had to find out what bloody Twitter was," Henry smiled when quizzed about the posts, which were revealed by stuff.co.nz.

"I thought it was a new guy playing five-eighth for England."

Though Tialata and Jane revealed their week off 24 hours before the side's official team naming, the squad had already been told on Monday.

"They probably thought that the team would be announced before [today]," Henry said. "There will be a quiet reminder but it's not major. There won't be six of the cane in the corner.

"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."

That stance is inconsistent with the past attitude when media outlets have broken embargoes around naming of teams. As recently as the week in Milan, media were scolded when the side to play Italy was speculated upon with great accuracy before it had been officially named. However, this was only because it was obvious to travelling media attending that morning's training session. It appeared Tialata and Jane did not think it was a big deal after both posted humorous responses to the media interest in quizzing Henry about his attitude towards the tweeting.

"Gotta thank the media for the free promotion," Tialata told his 900-plus followers, before responding to one post with: "Yeah specially the person who wrote it. He's prob sitting in front of his computer back in Nz looking at datting sites."

Tialata's mirth continued with: "Off to the gym, hope they write about this, and, I hope the media can publish this: I need someone to pay my phone bill please!!! Sponsors???"

Jane simply wrote: "Big story, well done media."

The tweeting kerfuffle emerged shortly before the All Blacks and England teams were officially named. The sides hinted at different intentions for a match which is forecast to be played in wet conditions at Twickenham.

The All Blacks opted for the pace of Adam Thomson at blindside in what Henry said was a neck-and-neck call over Jerome Kaino.

Mobile prop Owen Franks also adds to the pack's ability to get around the park, but England signalled a very different plan in making three changes to the side that started in their 16-9 win over Argentina.

The veteran Wasps pair, lock Simon Shaw and flanker Joe Worsley, return, while Biarritz's chunky journeyman second-five Ayoola Erinle gets his first test start.

Erinle, who is 1.92m tall and 110kg, replaces Shane Geraghty, who drops to the bench, in a selection that swaps a creator for a crasher.

Though assistant coach Wayne Smith had seen Erinle, 29, play before, the All Blacks conceded they had homework to do on a player they knew little about.

Shaw and Worsley replace Louis Deacon and Tom Croft respectively, in a clear bid to bulk up the English pack.

Ugo Monye reverts from fullback to wing, while Mark Cueto shifts to the No15 jersey.

If the All Blacks' intent is to get plenty of ball to second-test wing Zac Guildford, England's appears to be to take the visitors on up front.

One player who looks unlikely to feature is All Blacks reserve hooker Corey Flynn.

Henry said Flynn, who has been bracketed with Aled de Malmanche, was unlikely to recover from a hamstring strain in time for the test.

- © Fairfax NZ News