All Blacks Named For Second Argentina Test

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named his side to face Argentina in their second match for the Rugby Championship in Hamilton on Saturday night. After last weeks 25-18 loss to Argentina, Foster has named an unchanged starting side, but has Brodie Retallick back from a facial fracture and Beauden Barrett from a neck injury on the reserves bench as well as Dane Coles and Dalton Papali'i.

New Zealand All Blacks v Argentina:

1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Sam Whitelock, 5. Scott Barrett, 6. Shannon Frizell, 7. Sam Cane (c), 8. Ardie Savea, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Richie Mo’unga, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. David Havili, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Jordie Barrett

Reserves: 

16. Dane Coles, 17. George Bower, 18. Fletcher Newell, 19. Brodie Retallick, 20. Dalton Papali’i, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Beauden Barrett, 23. Quinn Tupaea

All Blacks Defeated By Argentina In NZ For First Time

The All Blacks have suffered a 25-18 defeat to Argentina in Christchurch, the first time they have beaten the home side in New Zealand. 

The All Blacks scored two tries to one in the match and led 15-12 at halftime, but coughed up as 8-5 penalty disadvantage for the match. Argentina had kicked penalty goals to stay in touch with the All Blacks in the first half, but took the lead early in the second half after lock Scott Barrett was unable to hold a catch from a restart, with flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez running away to score. The All Blacks had an opportunity late in the match to tie the game with a lineout close to the Puma's line, but replacement hooker Codie Taylor failed to throw the ball in straight to the line-out.

New Zealand All Blacks: 18 

Tries: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Caleb Clarke, Conversion: Richie Mo'unga, Penalties: Mo'unga 2

Argentina: 25 

Try: Juan Martin Gonzalez, Conversion: Emiliano Boffelli, Penalties: Boffelli 6

Black Ferns Win Second Match Against Australia

The New Zealand Black Ferns have beaten the Australian Wallaroo's in Adelaide 22-14. It was a different match to the last start 52-5 win in Christchurch, with the Australians scoring the first try, and their defense forcing multiple errors from the Black Ferns. Playing into the wind in the first half, the Black Ferns kept in in close with the forwards, but struggled with the combative nature from the Australians, and it was on defense that the they went down to 14 players when Chelsea Semple left the field after a head clash in a tackle saw her sin-binned. The Black Ferns recovered to lead 10-7 at half time, but half much to work on before the Rugby World Cup.

The Black Ferns have confirmed they will play a pre-tournament test against Japan at Eden Park on September, in what will be a double header with the All Black v Australia match.

New Zealand Black Ferns: 22 

Tries: Luka Connor, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Kendra Reynolds, Conversions: Ruahei Demant 2, Penalty: Demant

Australia: 14 

Tries: Bienne Terita 2, Conversions: Arabella McKenzie 2

All Blacks Squad Named To Face Argentina

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named the All Blacks squad to face Argentina at Christchurch's Orangetheory Stadium on Saturday at 7.45pm. The starting side is unchanged from the one that beat South Africa, with only first five Beauden Barrett out with a neck injury from training, replaced by Stephen Perofeta. The match will see halfback Aaron Smith start his 100th test for the All Blacks.

New Zealand All Blacks:

Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (c), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Tyrel Lomax, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ethan de Groot.

Reserves: Codie Taylor, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa'i, Akira Ioane, Finlay Christie, Stephen Perofeta, Quinn Tupaea.

Black Ferns Win Over Australia

The New Zealand Black Ferns have beaten the Australian Wallaroos 52-5 in the opening game of the Laurie O'Reilly Cup series at Christchurch's Orangetheory Stadium on Saturday night.

The Black Ferns led 26-0 after 31 minutes, and at halftime after early handling errors were righted with forward oriented play before getting the ball wide. The second half was a continuation, although errors again crept into their game. The return match is next Saturday at Adelaide Oval, with the countdown to the Rugby World Cup only seven weeks away.

New Zealand Black Ferns: 52 

Tries: Ruahei Demant 2, Ayesha Leti-I’iga 2, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Amy du Plessis, Kendra Cocksedge, Luka Conno, Conversions: Cocksedge 3, Renee Holmes 3 

Australia: 5 

Try: Piper Duck

All Blacks Win Over South Africa

The All Blacks have silenced their critic's in the short term, with a 35-23 win at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Sunday morning, snapping a three game losing streak. Under pressure coach Ian Foster is still uncertain as coach going forward, with a New Zealand Rugby meeting this week expected to discuss the recent losses. On Sunday morning chief executive Mark Robinson was interviewed and would not commit to saying that Foster would remain coach for the remainder of the Rugby Championship against Argentina and Australia.

New Zealand All Blacks: 35

Tries: Sam Cane, Samisoni Taukei'aho, David Havili, Scott Barrett, Conversions: Richie Mo'unga 3, Penalties: Mo'unga 3

South Africa: 23

Tries: Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Conversions: Handré Pollard 2, Penalties: Pollard 3

NZ All Blacks Suffer Another Loss

The All Blacks are looking to this weeks test against South Africa at Ellis Park as a must win after losing the latest test 26-12. All the talk has been around whether coach Ian Foster will still have a job after another loss, but the players must bear a lot of responsibility for the loss with basic handling errors on both attack and defense. The latest match also saw the South Africans tactics come into question, with numerous bombs peppering the All Blacks and several instances where the South Africans did not even attempt to catch the ball, but took All Blacks players out in mid-air. South African winger Kurt-Lee Arendse was red carded in the second half and later suspended for three matches after he hit Beauden Barrett in the air when he jumped for the ball, and was flipped resulting in him landing on his neck.

South Africa: 26

Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Willie Le Roux, Conversions: Handré Pollard 2, Penalties: Pollard 3, Drop Goal: Pollard.

New Zealand: 12

Try: Shannon Frizell, Conversion: Richie Mo'unga  Penalty: Jordie Barrett