27 Oct 2008

Gear shocked to be selected to All Blacks

7:05 am on 27 October 2008

The Wellington winger Hosea Gear says the disappointment of losing the Air New Zealand Cup final to Canterbury didn't last too long after he was told he'd made the All Blacks.

Gear, along with team-mate Corey Jane are two of the new players in the All Blacks squad for the tour that includes this weekend's Bledisloe Cup test against Australia in Hong Kong and the Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

Gear, who was the top try scorer in the Air New Zealand Cup, says the mood soon changed in the Lions changing sheds.

He says while he's delighted to have been picked, it's also come as quite a shock.

The other All Black newcomers are props Ben Franks and Jamie Mackintosh and loosies Scott Waldrom, Kieran Read and Liam Messam.

Players returning to the All Blacks include locks Jason Eaton and Ross Filipo and hooker Corey Flynn.