ALL BLACKS BANNED FOR WALES
Sitiveni Sivivatu and Tony Woodcock cited for foul play against Aussies
TWO All Black stars have been BANNED from Saturday's showdown with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
Flying winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and rugged prop Tony Woodcock were cited for foul play during New Zealand's 32-19 win over Australia in Tokyo on Saturday.
Sivivatu scored his 26th Test try in the first half, but picked up a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Adam Ashley-Cooper, which has resulted in a one-match ban.
Powerhouse prop Woodcock, the senior pro in the All Black front five, was cited for using his From Back Page
elbow on second-half replacement George Smith and his one-match ban will also leave him kicking his heels in Cardiff this weekend.
While the loss of Sivivatu's strike power will be a blow to Graham Henry's side, it will be the lack of Woodcock's experience in the front row that will really hurt.
Newly appointed forwards coach, Henry, will have to shuffle his pack as he looks to extend New Zealand's winning run over their old rivals to 57 years.
But Henry's options are limited - Owen Franks has six caps, while Wyatt Crockett has one.
Meanwhile, Wales are lining up a back-to-back Test series against England ahead of the 2011 World Cup.
Welsh Rugby Union chiefs are locked in talks over the double-header, worth up to £3million, at the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham.
Gatland wants to face the best teams in the world on a regular basis, and he will get his wish before he returns to his native New Zealand for the next global tournament.
Gatland confirmed: "We are in the process of finalising to play England home and away before the World Cup."
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