All Blacks Named To Face Argentina In RWC Semi-Final

All Black coach Ian Foster has named his side to face Argentina at Stade de France in Paris for their Rugby World Cup semi-final on Saturday morning 8.00am NZT.

Foster has made two changes to the starting side from the win against Ireland, with lock Sam Whitelock replaceing Brodie Retallick who drops to the reserves, and wing Mark Tele’a returns from a one week team suspension in place of Leicester Fainga’anuku who drops out of the match 23. In the reserves, hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho replaces Dane Coles.

All Blacks: 

Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. 

Reserves: 

Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Brodie Retallick, Dalton Papalii, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.

All Blacks Named To Face Ireland In RWC Quarter Final

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named his side to face Ireland in their knock out Rugby World Cup quarter-final at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday morning, 8am.

Foster has bought in Leicester Fainga’anuku on the wing in place of Mark Talea, after he broke a team set curfew in staying out well past the decided time. There was also good news with prop Tyrel Lomax in the starting side after recovering from a knee strain that forced him from the field early in the Paraguay match last Friday. Foster also has Ethan de Groot back from a two game suspension, and has included young props Taimaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell in the reserves.

Other matches see Wales v Argentina at Stade de Marseille 4am Sunday, England v Fiji at Stade de Marseille 4am Monday, and France v South Africa at Stade de France 8am Monday NZT.

New Zealand All Blacks: 

Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. 

Reserves: 

Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Sam Whitelock, Dalton Papalii, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.

Ireland: 

Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Johnny Sexton, Jamison Gibson-Park, Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Peter O’Mahony, Iain Henderson, Tadgh Beirne, Tadgh Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter. 

Reserves: 

Ronan Kelleher, David Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Jimmy O’Brien.

All Blacks Win Against Italy

In a match that was billed as a potential stumbling block to the Rugby World Cup quarter final seedings, the All Blacks have hammered Italy 96-17 in Lyon on Saturday. The All Blacks scored five tries in the first 25 minutes, and seven by half time leading 49-3. The second half saw Italy more competitive, with a try resulting in the All Blacks making multiple replacements. The All Blacks scored six second half tries, and saw lock Sam Whitelock break the All Blacks starts with 149 appearances.

New Zealand: 96

Tries: Will Jordan 2, Aaron Smith 3, Mark Tele'a, Ardie Savea 2, Brodie Retallick, Dalton Papali'i, Dane Coles 2, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown, Conversions: Richie Mo'unga 9, McKenzie 4

Italy: 17

 Tries: Ange Capuozzo, Monty Ioane, Conversions: Tommaso Allan, Paolo Garbisi, Penalty: Allen

All Blacks Named To Face Italy

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named his side to face Italy in their final pool match at the Rugby World Cup, with lock Sam Whitelock in the reserves for his potential 149th test appearance for the All Blacks.

Their are several players returning from injury in the starting side and in the reserves. Same Cane's back injury and Tyrel Lomax's knee cut have allowed their inclusion on the reserves bench while both Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell will both start their first games of the tournament. 

New Zealand All Blacks: 

Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea (capt), Dalton Papalii, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Codie Taylor, Ofa Tuungafasi. 

Reserves: 

Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Tyrel Lomax, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Cam Roigard, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.

All Blacks Beat Namibia

The All Blacks have beaten Namibia 71-3 in wet conditions, with halfback and man of the match Cam Roigard getting two tries.

The All Blacks scored eleven tries, with the opening one from Roigard after only a minute and a half into the match, with first five Damian McKenzie also getting a double and 26 points in the match. The All Blacks again conceded multiple penalties with he count 12-7 against them, and also lost prop Ethan de Groot to the sin-bin in the 71st minute for a shoulder to head clash in a tackle, which was upgraded to a red card from the television match official. 

The All Blacks now have a week off, and will next face Italy on the 30th September.

New Zealand: 71 

Tries: Cam Roigard 2, Damian McKenzie 2, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ethan de Groot, Dalton Papali'i, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane tries; McKenzie 8 con) 

Namibia: 3

Penalty: Tiaan Swanepoel pen). HT: 38-3

The All Blacks have lost their opening match at the Rugby World Cup to host France 29-13. The All Blacks had opened the scoring with a try inside the opening minutes to wing Mark Talea, but trailed 9-8 at halftime. The second half saw the All Blacks concede multiple penalties with a final count 12-4 , and had Will Jordan sin-binned for a challenge in the air. Captain Sam Cane was scratched before the game due to a back injury, and this saw Tupou Vaa’i came in at blindside flanker, Dalton Papalii switch to the openside, and Brodie Retallick come into the reserves.

Tasman flanker Ethan Blackadder has been called into the squad as injury cover, and has replaced winger Emoni Narawa who is returning home with a back injury

New Zealand: 13 

Tries: Mark Telea 2, Penalty: Richie Mo'unga pen). HT: 9-8

France: 29 

Tries: Damian Penaud, Melvyn Jaminet tries; Thomas Ramos con, 5 pen)

All Blacks Lose To South Africa

The All Blacks have not had the best dress rehearsal for the Rugby World Cup with a 35-7 loss to South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday. They conceded five tries to one, and had lock Scott Barrett sent off in the first half after getting two yellow cards. Playing with 14 men for the remainder of the match, coach Ian Foster was forced to bring on replacement lock Tupou Vaai' in place of blindside Luke Jacobson to compete in the lineouts. The All Blacks also lost prop Tyrel Lomax to a leg cut early in the match that needed 30 stitches, putting him in doubt for the RWC opening match against France. Any possible suspension of Barrett would put pressure on the All Blacks with Brodie Retallick still out several weeks with his knee injury from the Dunedin test.

New Zealand All Blacks: 7

Try: Cam Roigard, Conversion: Richie Mo'unga

South Africa: 35

Tries: Siya Kolisi, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Kwagga Smith, Conversions: Manie Libbok 5

All Blacks Squad Named For Rugby World Cup

In Napier on Monday, All Black selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have revealed their 33-man squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

The squad has an 18 forwards and 15 backs split, totaling three hookers, six props, four locks, five loose forwards, three halfbacks, three first five-eighths, four midfielders and five outside backs. Foster has also named Samipeni Finau, Brad Weber and George Bell as an injury cover set of players to travel to France, but train away from the squad.

The All Blacks next match is a warm up test against South Africa at Twickenham on 26th August, ahead of their opening match against France at the Rugby World Cup on 8th September.

Forwards:

Hookers:

Dane Coles, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Codie Taylor

Props:

Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Nepo Laulala, Fletcher Newell, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams

Locks:

Scott Barrett 
Brodie Retallick 
Tupou Vaa’i 
Samuel Whitelock 

Loose Forwards:

Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea 

Backs:

Halfbacks:

Finlay Christie 
Cam Roigard 
Aaron Smith 


First Five-Eighths:

Beauden Barrett 
Damian McKenzie
Richie Mo'unga

Midfielders:

Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown 


Outside Backs:

Caleb Clarke, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Will Jordan, Emoni Narawa, Mark Telea