All Blacks coach Scott Robertson joins Jason Pine live on Newstalk ZB to take listeners' calls
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is set to join Newstalk ZB's Weekend Sport with Jason Pine to talk about his first squad selection of the year and take listeners calls.
It comes after Robertson, about to start his second year in the role, named his first All Blacks squad of 2025 on Monday ahead of the home series against France, beginning next week.
Watch above or listen live from 1pm on Newstalk ZB below.
Six new faces picked for first squad of 2025
Following a spate of injuries and departures offshore, Robertson has put his faith in six newcomers to face Les Bleus, themselves weakened by an inability to select from their full complement for the tour opener, writes the Herald's Alex Powell.
After close to a decade of service at both Super Rugby and NPC level, Hurricanes standout and co-captain Du'Plessis Kirifi has earned his first-call up. The 28-year-old was arguably the form No 7 in this year's competition, and takes the place of Sam Cane – who left Aotearoa for Japan at the end of 2024.
His inclusion, though, comes at the expense of Ethan Blackadder, who was overlooked, and after Peter Lakai's injury, with Robertson naming just five specialist loose forwards.
The Highlanders have contributed two of the six new players, despite finishing Super Rugby Pacific as the lowest-placed of the New Zealand sides.
Versatile back Timoci Tavatavanawai has earned his maiden selection, and provides Robertson with cover in both the midfield and on the wing. The 27-year-old was a clear standout in the early rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, but was unable to steer his side into a playoffs place.
Tavatavanawai is one of six midfielders picked in the 35-man squad, but is also an option to cover the wing, with incumbent Mark Tele'a having signed to join Japanese side Toyota Verblitz from next season.
Having impressed for both the All Blacks XV and as a development player with the All Blacks, Fabian Holland's rapid rise into Robertson's plans has taken the next step.
An injury to Sam Darry, who himself debuted in 2024, means Holland wins his first selection, after only recently qualifying for New Zealand having relocated from the Netherlands.
In the front row, the Chiefs make up the rest of the uncapped brigade.
Following injury to Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 25-year-old prop Ollie Norris has been called up for the first time and will contest the No 1 jersey with incumbents Ethan de Groot and Tamaiti Williams.
Hooker Brodie McAlister, meanwhile, is arguably the squad's one and only bolter. The 28-year-old moved north from the Crusaders to the Chiefs at the start of the season, but largely played back-up to Samisoni Taukei'aho.
His inclusion comes with Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua sidelined by a hamstring injury, and ahead of Crusaders youngster George Bell, who was selected for the first time and debuted last year.
'Around three-quarters of the players named today were part of our squad for the 2024 northern tour, which is important because we want to continue to build on the rugby we were playing at the end of last year,' Robertson said on Monday.
'We have balanced that with an exciting group of new and returning players who have performed during Super Rugby Pacific.
'For the five uncapped players – Ollie, Brodie, Fabian, Du'Plessis and Timoci – this is a particularly special day.
'These players have all impressed us with their talent and work ethic and have earned their opportunity to be part of this All Blacks squad.
'We know that each of these players possesses the ability to make their mark in the black jersey and we look forward to working with them over the coming weeks.'
Elsewhere, Quinn Tupaea returns to the All Blacks for the first time since 2022.
The 26-year-old's World Cup dreams were crushed when a reckless tackle by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain left him with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, and forced Tupaea to spend the last two years building back to form.
But Tupaea's selection leaves no room for Crusaders captain David Havili, despite leading his side to the Super Rugby Pacific title last week.
Meanwhile an ankle injury to loose forward Wallace Sititi has ruled him out of the French series, with the uncapped Christian Lio-Willie called in as his replacement.
Sititi was initially named in the 35-man squad on Monday, but the All Blacks announced on Thursday he would require surgery.
Blues loose forward Dalton Papali'i replaces Lio-Willie as injury cover for Luke Jacobson, who races to prove his fitness to face France.
Chiefs prop George Dyer joined the squad as training cover yesterday.
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NZ Herald
9 hours ago
- NZ Herald
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson joins Jason Pine live on Newstalk ZB to take listeners' calls
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is set to join Newstalk ZB's Weekend Sport with Jason Pine to talk about his first squad selection of the year and take listeners calls. It comes after Robertson, about to start his second year in the role, named his first All Blacks squad of 2025 on Monday ahead of the home series against France, beginning next week. Watch above or listen live from 1pm on Newstalk ZB below. Six new faces picked for first squad of 2025 Following a spate of injuries and departures offshore, Robertson has put his faith in six newcomers to face Les Bleus, themselves weakened by an inability to select from their full complement for the tour opener, writes the Herald's Alex Powell. After close to a decade of service at both Super Rugby and NPC level, Hurricanes standout and co-captain Du'Plessis Kirifi has earned his first-call up. The 28-year-old was arguably the form No 7 in this year's competition, and takes the place of Sam Cane – who left Aotearoa for Japan at the end of 2024. His inclusion, though, comes at the expense of Ethan Blackadder, who was overlooked, and after Peter Lakai's injury, with Robertson naming just five specialist loose forwards. The Highlanders have contributed two of the six new players, despite finishing Super Rugby Pacific as the lowest-placed of the New Zealand sides. Versatile back Timoci Tavatavanawai has earned his maiden selection, and provides Robertson with cover in both the midfield and on the wing. The 27-year-old was a clear standout in the early rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, but was unable to steer his side into a playoffs place. Tavatavanawai is one of six midfielders picked in the 35-man squad, but is also an option to cover the wing, with incumbent Mark Tele'a having signed to join Japanese side Toyota Verblitz from next season. Having impressed for both the All Blacks XV and as a development player with the All Blacks, Fabian Holland's rapid rise into Robertson's plans has taken the next step. An injury to Sam Darry, who himself debuted in 2024, means Holland wins his first selection, after only recently qualifying for New Zealand having relocated from the Netherlands. In the front row, the Chiefs make up the rest of the uncapped brigade. Following injury to Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 25-year-old prop Ollie Norris has been called up for the first time and will contest the No 1 jersey with incumbents Ethan de Groot and Tamaiti Williams. Hooker Brodie McAlister, meanwhile, is arguably the squad's one and only bolter. The 28-year-old moved north from the Crusaders to the Chiefs at the start of the season, but largely played back-up to Samisoni Taukei'aho. His inclusion comes with Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua sidelined by a hamstring injury, and ahead of Crusaders youngster George Bell, who was selected for the first time and debuted last year. 'Around three-quarters of the players named today were part of our squad for the 2024 northern tour, which is important because we want to continue to build on the rugby we were playing at the end of last year,' Robertson said on Monday. 'We have balanced that with an exciting group of new and returning players who have performed during Super Rugby Pacific. 'For the five uncapped players – Ollie, Brodie, Fabian, Du'Plessis and Timoci – this is a particularly special day. 'These players have all impressed us with their talent and work ethic and have earned their opportunity to be part of this All Blacks squad. 'We know that each of these players possesses the ability to make their mark in the black jersey and we look forward to working with them over the coming weeks.' Elsewhere, Quinn Tupaea returns to the All Blacks for the first time since 2022. The 26-year-old's World Cup dreams were crushed when a reckless tackle by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain left him with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, and forced Tupaea to spend the last two years building back to form. But Tupaea's selection leaves no room for Crusaders captain David Havili, despite leading his side to the Super Rugby Pacific title last week. Meanwhile an ankle injury to loose forward Wallace Sititi has ruled him out of the French series, with the uncapped Christian Lio-Willie called in as his replacement. Sititi was initially named in the 35-man squad on Monday, but the All Blacks announced on Thursday he would require surgery. Blues loose forward Dalton Papali'i replaces Lio-Willie as injury cover for Luke Jacobson, who races to prove his fitness to face France. Chiefs prop George Dyer joined the squad as training cover yesterday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
New documentary explores one of the most turbulent periods in All Black history
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the most iconic and transcendent game of rugby ever played. Unfortunately for the All Blacks, it was one they lost. The 1995 Rugby World Cup final , won 15-12 by the Springboks after extra time, has gone down as the day that the new nation of South Africa was born. The truth is a little bit more complicated than that, but New Zealand's memories of it generally revolve around Jonah Lomu and Suzy the Waitress. Frank Bunce in action during the final of the Rugby World Cup between the All Blacks and South Africa in 1995. Photo: Photosport Sky Sport are filling a rare rugby-free Saturday evening with Back From The End Of The World , a documentary about the All Blacks' journey through a very turbulent period leading up to the World Cup. It's told very much from coach Laurie Mains' point of view, as well as players like Ian Jones, Eric Rush and Frank Bunce, and takes its name from the famous French try that handed the All Blacks their last defeat on Eden Park way back in 1994. Back From The End Of The World certainly does its best to hit all the right nostalgic buttons, with enough time passed between then and now to elicit some refreshing honesty from the infamously tight-lipped All Black environment. You have to remember that the World Cup was only one part of the dramatic situation rugby found itself in at the time, with the game hurtling towards professionalism and everyone trying to get their hands on the wheel. Here's a look back at what was happening: Jonah Lomu and Sean Fitzpatrick. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport If you think the last few years of All Black rugby was up and down, Mains' tenure as coach was a real rollercoaster. He started with a shock loss to the World XV, had the Bledisloe Cup bounce back and forth across the Tasman every season and lost to England for only the third time ever. On the other hand, they won series' against the Springboks and British Lions in consecutive years and won at Ellis Park. In order to get the All Blacks fit enough to play the style of game he wanted, Mains put the players through a hellish fitness regime across three training camps. Days would usually involve six hours of team training, followed by fitness sessions. "The only way I could get them fit to the level we want was if I was controlling it and not their provincial coaches," said Mains. "We said 'at the end of these camps, some of the players will fall by the wayside and it'll make our selections easier'." All the while, the constant narrative was whether Mains should be coach at all. John Hart had been publicly lobbying for sole charge of the job after being a co-coach in 1991, and it felt like everyone had an opinion of the matter. It didn't quite reach the same sort of drama as when Ian Foster was competing against Scott Robertson, but it wasn't far off. Jonah Lomu and Eric Rush. Photo: supplied "We desperately wanted Jonah and we were going to do everything we could in our power to get him up to the fitness levels required," said Mains. "I included Fitzy [captain Sean Fitzpatrick] in the discussions I had with [assistant coaches] Earle Kirton and Brian Lochore, who both said 'he's not ready to play in a World Cup for the All Blacks. Within a quarter of an hour, Eric Rush and Olo Brown both came to me and said we'll take Jonah running and make him work." Lomu's teammates' support and encouragement meant he was able to gain selection and become the most iconic player in the game's history. Right now we're trying to predict who will start in the 10 jersey next weekend between Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie, two players that have almost 200 caps worth of experience between them. Andrew Mehrtens had one by the time the World Cup started, a selection that would be utterly unthinkable now. "It was getting pretty desperate… We were so lucky one just fell into our lap" admitted Mains. Back From The End Of The World wisely skips over the main controversy of the World Cup, with Mains thankfully not quoted on a matter that saw him launch a private investigation at his own expense. The story of Suzy the Waitress has been done to death and it's quite clear from the players ever since that they believe it was a simple case of food poisoning rather than anything nefarious.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
‘You learn most' when plans fail
Richie McCaw was in Dunedin on Tuesday speaking at a Westpac Smart Series on leadership and resilience lessons. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Contrary to what sports fans may have seen on television, Richie McCaw says he likes to show people there were times where things did not go the players' way. And the "last thing" he wants to do is to tell other people how to run their businesses. "Often I wonder, especially in sport, you watch on TV all the results, you say 'oh, that's all been easy and straightforward'. "I quite like to actually show that there was some periods there where you had to go through some things that didn't go your way. "And that's when you learn most." The 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning former All Blacks captain was in Dunedin this week to share lessons in leadership and resilience with members of the city's business community, as part of a Westpac Smart Series event. Running a business was not easy, Mr McCaw said. "It's all very well to stand up here and say this and that, but it's not easy. "At times you go, 'jeez, am I getting anywhere here?'. "At least for sport you knew on Saturday whether you had a tick or a cross." For businesses, the results of the day's work might not be seen for another 6 or 12 months. But if you did not put the time and effort in, "it will be poor when you want it to be right", he said. "It's nice to be able to pass on ideas, but the last thing I ever want to stand up and say [is] 'this is the way you should do it, and I know best' — because I don't. "It's just some ideas that sport gave me that I've tried to use, and that might be useful." Some of the lessons he had learned over his sporting career, such as how to deal with pressure in a team, were relevant to all parts of life — including in business. Not all times were easy, and as much as you did not want to go through them, the way you reacted and what you took away could help build future success. When the going got tough, it was often easy to get lost in the things outside of your control and to blame other people, he said. It was important to stay focused on what was within your control. "If you look at a business situation, you might have high interest rates. "You can't actually change that yourself. "But what you can change is having a group of people all dialled-in to what you're trying to achieve and how you're going to go about things. "If you keep your focus there, so when the worm does turn, you're in a good position to make the most of it, whereas if you're sort of all scattered and worried about everything else, you sort of lose that opportunity. "In those moments, having leadership that actually keeps people focused on what you can actually have some influence over, I think that's quite important." In rugby, you could not control the opposition, the weather, injuries or the referees. "2011, in the World Cup, we went in with everyone fit then we lost three first fives in a row. "It would have been easy to say 'oh, this is all too hard, not our fault', but every team deals with adversity. "If we'd all just thrown our hands in the air and gone 'oh, it's not fair', well, no-one would care, really. "We couldn't control that, but we could control our reaction to the situation and go 'well we've just got to find the ways to make it as seamless as possible' — which we managed to do." While he was not as hands-on with Christchurch Helicopters as he had been a few years ago — opting for some contract flying for them as he now lived in Wanaka — Mr McCaw said he knew what businesses went through. "Things like fuel prices and all that, just those costs, what you thought a few months ago when you're quoting for jobs, all of a sudden you're like, 'how do we absorb that?'." Among the lessons he had picked up was instead of dwelling on how to get business to come to you, "nail" the jobs you did have to build credibility. Momentum would build from there and become the norm, he said. "When you don't have a long-term contract and you're ... going day-to-day, which is what a lot of businesses do, the key is then just to nail those chances you get." People loved the experience of going for a scenic flight in a helicopter, but the interactions with people and being a good host were also a part of that experience. Different pilots tried to each give their own "flavour", and it was sometimes easy to not perform at the level you wanted without a few reminders, Mr McCaw said. The "art of a good business" was fostering a group of people invested in executing a vision. "It's like that in sport. "Everyone has good players and good talent, but it's the ones that can do it together and do it consistently are the ones that have success. "You don't need to be pulling magic out of the hat every day, but you turn up at a level of consistency, and you have everyone doing that, that's when you start to see results."
