All Blacks axe skipper Oliver for Tri–Nations

JOHN MITCHELL has dropped captain Anton Oliver from the All Black side to contest the annual Tri-Nations Series with Australia and South Africa.

Oliver, the hooker, and captain for 10 tests in 2001, has joined loose forward and former captain Taine Randell in failing to win favour with coach Mitchell and his fellow selectors Kieran Crowley and Mark Shaw.

It would appear that Oliver has suffered as a result of lineout throwing problems that have plagued his career, and it had been noticeable in matches this year that his round-the-field play was not as dynamic as it had been before an achilles injury which ruled him out of the game last season.