New Zealand 27 Italy 6
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Italy put in a spirited performance but did not have the firepower to threaten the All Blacks who won 27-6. The All Blacks were far from convincing and were saved by the performance of Isaac Ross who inspired the team in the second half to get the All Blacks over the line.
The All Blacks experiment with Luke McAllister appears to have failed with the All Blacks attacking moves falling down on a number of occasions. The Tri-Nations opener is likely to reveal a new combination and the All Blacks will need to work hard in the next few weeks.
New Zealand 29 defeat Wales 9
New Zealand defeated Wales 29-9 but the score indicates a much different game to the one that took place as Wales stuck it to the All Blacks.
Wales led a spirited first half and took the lead 9-6 at halftime.
But it was the brilliance and boot of Dan Carter and two tries in the second half that saw the All Blacks home in a tough encounter that the All Blacks will be happy to escape from in the end.
New Zealand 32 roll Scotland 6
Can the All Blacks machine be stopped, after a slow start to the Tri Nations in 2008 the All Blacks juggernaut fought back to claim the Tri-Nations, then the Bledisloe and now Scotland 32-6 at Murrayfield.
The All Blacks scored four tries to nil in a convincing win that put Scotland to the sword in a game that saw the All Blacks referred by their nemesis from the World Cup loss to France last year.
The All Blacks were never headed with tries to Anthony Tuitavake, Piri Weepu, Richard Kahui and Anthony Boric in a convincing display.
The Scottish team may have felt still slightly in the match at half-time at 18-6 but two tries on the second half snuffed out any distant hopes the Scots may have had.
All Blacks training group announced
The All Blacks have announced a 25-man training squad ahead of the end of season tour of the northern hemisphere. THe All Blacks will name their team next Sunday after the Air NZ Cup final and a number of players will be jockeying for positions.
The All Blacks training squad is;
John Afoa (Auckland), Anthony Boric (North Harbour), Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Stephen Donald (Waikato), Jason Eaton (Taranaki), Ben Franks (Tasman), Andrew Hore (Taranaki), Richard Kahui (Waikato), Jerome Kaino (Auckland), Tanerau Latimer (Bay of Plenty), Sione Lauaki (Waikato), Jamie Mackintosh (Southland), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Liam Messam (Waikato), Mils Muliaina (Waikato), Josevata Rokocoko (Auckland), Sitiveni Sivivatu (Waikato), Adam Thomson (Otago), Brad Thorn (Tasman), Isaia Toeava (Auckland), Anthony Tuitavake (North Harbour), Scott Waldrom (Taranaki), Ali Williams (Auckland), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour), Rudi Wulf (North Harbour).
Queensland Reds secure Braid
The Queensland Reds have signed the outstanding flanker Daniel Braid. Braid who lined up against the Wallabies this year for New Zealand has been the backup for Richie McCaw in recent times and was the New Zealand Super 14 player of the year in 2007.
The signing of Braid as the first foreigner who is not eligible for Wallabies selection by the Reds is the first signing by under the new foreign based player policy recently introduced. Braid will replace David Croft who retired at the end of the 2008 Super 14 season.
2009 Rugby Tri-Nations Fixtures
The 2009 Rugby Tri-Nations fixtures have been announced.
The tournament kicks off in Auckland when Australia take on New Zealand on 18th July. The New Zealand then travel to South Africa where they play the Boks two weeks in a row.
Australia then take on the Springboks in only one test in South Africa before playing three tests at home. The Tri-Nations end in September with New Zealand taking on the Springboks then the Wallabies.
The 2009 Rugby Tri-Nations schedule is;
July 18, 5.35pm New Zealand v Australia, Auckland
July 25, 11pm South Africa v New Zealand, Bloemfontein
Aug 1, 11pm South Africa v New Zealand, Durban
Aug 8, 11pm South Africa v Australia, Cape Town
Aug 22, 8.05pm Australia v New Zealand, Sydney
Aug 29, 8.05pm Australia v South Africa, Perth
Sept 5, 8.05pm Australia v South Africa, Brisbane
Sept 12, 5.35pm New Zealand v South Africa, Hamilton
Sept 19, 5.35pm New Zealand v Australia, Wellington
Note: All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time
Munster to be without Irish stars for All Blacks
The All Blacks will take on a Munster side without their Irish international stars after the Irish Rugby Union announced that Munster will not field their Irish stars due to the competing matches involving the Ireland team.
Ireland are due to play Argentina several days after the Munster clash and with a host of players likely to come from Munster it would put undue pressure on the Ireland team in the lead-up to a key clash.
The All Blacks will be slightly pleased with the decision as Munster remain the only Irish team to ever beat the All Blacks and while the All Blacks would go in overwhelming favourites Munster are not the Heineken Champions for nothing.
Munster are more than capable of pulling a rabbit out of the hat, but that job is made much with the non-inclusion of their Irish stars. The All Blacks will take on a Munster side with former All Black Doug Howlett who has been in sensational form. No doubt Howlett will be keen to remind the All Blacks just how good he is in the heat of battle.
Air New Zealand Cup struggles
The Air New Zealand Cup continues to struggle in New Zealand as the NZRU has confirmed they will stick with a 14-team competiton in 2009 providing a reprieve for Tasman and Northland.
The NZRU have indicated that all union will be subject to tough annual financial checks and that any union that fails to meet the criteria imposed will be axed. The NZRU appear to be drawing a tough line on teams now as they are adament they will not prop up teams anymore with financial handouts.
The new focus from the NZRU regarding the Air New Zealand Cup comes as an alarming drop-off in viewing numbers of the Air New Zealand Cup. Viewing figures are down 50% from 2006 levels and down 25% from 2007 which was a soft year with the Rugby World Cup on at the same time.
The continuing fall in viewers adds additional pressure to the NZRU and puts the future of the Air New Zealand Cup in doubt as they struggle to attract lucrative sponsorship deals to keep the competition afloat.
Les Bleus to bring stars to NZ in 2009
It was reported yesterday in the NZ Herard that France will bring their star players to New Zealand in 2009 for their two-test tour on 13 & 20 June 2009.
France went on to guarantee their domestic competition, the Top 14, will conclude earlier in 2010 after the final was scheduled for 6 June 2009. This late date for the final heavily compromised the start to the international calender for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Marc Lievermont the French coach had previously indicated that players in the final would not be selected.
But the New Zealand Rugby Union have confirmed they have received written confirmation from the French Rugby Union that the best side available will travel, this includes players from the final.
This is excellent news as the All Blacks will be able to hopefully attract more fans to the game and higher revenue as a result.
Wallabies get jump on All Blacks
The Wallabies entered training camp today as the first of four camps where Robbie Deans will assemble his team in the lead-up to the All Blacks clash and subsequent Spring tour in November and December.
Deans ran his 34 man squad through their paces as they prepare for an end of season defining tour that will shape the likely future of Australian Rugby under Dean’s leadership.
The All Blacks on tbe other hand while still playing out the final weeks of the Air New Zealand Cup will not go into camp until one week before the Bledisloe Cup clash in Hong Kong.
The Air New Zealand Cup final will not be played until 25 October and the All Blacks team will be named the next day before they depart for Hong Kong on Monday. The All Blacks will only have that week to prepare before they commence their tour with the Bledisloe Cup match against the Wallabies.
The Wallabies however will go into the tour perhaps better prepared than anytime in recent memory with all key players except Lote Tuqiri on deck and keen to show what they all offer the Wallabies for the future.
The tour will showcase the full squad and will likely allow future stars like Ben Alexander, David Pocock, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor to establish their claims for long term considerations for the Wallabies.