Rugby: Māori All Blacks beat Japan XV
Photo:
Tsutomu Kishimoto / www.photosport.nz
The Māori All Blacks returned to action with another trip to Tokyo, where they faced a tough local selection before their upcoming match with Scotland in Whangarei.
See how it all unfolded below:
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RNZ News
26 minutes ago
- RNZ News
All Blacks countdown: The French Connection
Theo Attissogbe for the France XV. Photo:All Blacks v France Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 5 July Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Live blog updates on RNZ Analysis - Ever since it was announced that France would be the All Blacks' first opponents of the season, there's been plenty chat about whether they'll be a threat or a classic French Farce. One thing is for certain: no one in this part of the world really knows much about them. That's due to the fact that while coach Fabien Galthié's side is missing players from the Top 14 final, we can't watch the competition on TV here anyway. Galthié has acknowledged just how much of an uphill battle this will be, telling Midi Olympique that "This tour is the toughest we've ever played with this French team. So I sent this message to each of the selected players: 'We have a challenge that seems impossible. Do you want to be part of it?'." Rugby writer James Harrington is based in Castres, one of France's rugby hotbeds, agrees with Galthié's assessment but says that the squad that has arrived in New Zealand isn't a complete bunch of scrubs. "Only three players have 50 plus caps, and another two have more than 20," said Harrington, who highlighted the Antoine Dupont-less halfback group as ones to watch. Nolan Le Garrec celebrates his try during the Guinness Six Nations 2024 match between France and England. Photo:"Nolan Le Garrec (who scored the World Rugby Try of the Year in 2024) has just finished a big season with Racing 92, scoring 269 points with 14 tries. Baptiste Jauneau is stocky and feisty like Dupont and works so hard. Kicking's not his strongest suit, but it's developing." Up front there's a couple of interesting stories, with Paul Mallez the first ever player from ProD2 side Provence to be called up to the national squad and Georgian-born fellow prop from Perpignan Giorgi Beria capped last year on a similarly understrength tour of Argentina. "The French second tier is a notoriously tough scrum school, especially for front rows, while Beria was in the 2019 France U20 squad that won the WR U20 Championship." said Harrington. "I reckon NZ fans will like Lyon's Mickaël Guillard. Mostly plays second row after stepping up as cover for the injured Emmanuel Meafou but pops up across the loose forwards from time to time. He hauled in English winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (who scored against the All Blacks last year), who's no slouch." The backs provide the easiest to find highlights, particularly Pau wing Theo Attissogbe. The 20-year-old was part of France' 2023 U-20 side that convincingly beat New Zealand and went on to hammer Ireland in that year's championship final. Attissogbe also scored three tries in two games in this year's Six Nations, but another one to watch is a midfielder who was also eligible to represent England. Emilien Gailleton. Photo:"Emilien Gailleton is a seriously rapid 21-year-old, born in Croydon, just south of London to a French dad and English mum. He's currently with Pau - but will be an early target for recruiters from July 1, when he officially enters the last year of his current deal and they can legally talk to him. Toulouse, La Rochelle and Toulon are all reportedly very interested. He's scored eight tries in his last six outings for Pau." While there were high hopes that the weekend's dramatic Top 14 final concluding the French domestic season would result in the release of some big name players, unfortunately that's not the case. Toulouse's Pierre-Louis Barassi and Joshua Brennan, and Bordeleau-Begles' Pierre Bochaton, Nicolas Depoortere, and Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer are all joining the squad. But while they are all solid club players, it's a far cry from the likes of Romain Ntamack, Gregory Aldritt, Thomas Ramos and Damian Penaud. It's those players, along with Dupont, who have tormented the All Blacks into three straight losses over the last four seasons. Their absence, along with many others, are why it'll be a minor miracle if that streak continues this weekend.
NZ Herald
14 hours ago
- NZ Herald
All Blacks coach Robertson to test new talent in French series
A few new faces were given a bit of game time here and there, but it never seemed there was a concerted or committed attempt to find a third halfback and third first five-eighths, develop the options in midfield or cast the net wider than just Wallace Sititi in the hope of landing a big catch at loose forward. And nowhere was that reticence to be a little bolder, or experimental even, more sharply realised than the final test of the year, when the selectors opted to throw the kitchen sink at an Italian team that really were nowhere near the calibre Robertson was trying to suggest they were. In a commercially driven world where the All Blacks rarely get served up a gimme, this was a missed opportunity on a similar scale to those publishers who said to JK Rowling that they didn't think kids would go for her world of wizards, Quidditch and magical boarding schools Robertson spent much of the week leading into that test talking about his desire to build the depth of his squad and yet instead of taking the chance to learn a bit more about the likes of Josh Lord, Peter Lakai, Stephen Perofeta and Ruben Love, it was all the same, highly familiar names asked to go round for one more time and play a fourth test in succession. Its clear now, that having had months to review the 2024 season and reconsider what he may have done differently, Robertson is of the view he needs to accelerate his 4-4-4 project – his plan to take four years, to win a fourth World Cup with four options in each position. Or at least he needs to better align his selections with the strategy, and that for all that he has said the appropriately respectful things about the underpowered French team that has turned up in New Zealand, he knows the weakness of the visitors has handed him a not to be missed opportunity to get a few answers to a few questions. Billy Proctor could get a call up for the opening test against France. Photo / Photosport If he wants depth, he has to give players a chance to play and Project 4-4-4 can't be abstract and theoretical. It has to be a practically managed concept where throughout this year, Robertson reads when to weight his selections more heavily towards the experienced core, and when to dabble in a bit of fact-finding and experimentation. The French, as something of an unknown quantity, are likely to provide three tests in which Robertson will feel he has a hitherto ungranted degree of latitude to mix-and-match: to sprinkle some new faces into the team each week without making change on a scale that could be considered dramatic and potentially dangerous to landing the victories. In the first stage of this mission to properly ignite Project 4-4-4, it would be no surprise to see Billy Proctor start at centre in Dunedin, with Rieko Ioane on the left wing to answer the question of whether the former can deliver the sort of calm and accurate distribution and the latter the power running and sharp finishing the All Blacks' attack needs. There may also be a desire to get Timoci Tavatavanawai into action this Saturday – possibly starting him on the right wing – but more likely off the bench where he can be injected into the midfield. He's got power and an extraordinary gift for stealing turnovers, but there will be some interest in using the July tests to determine whether he has the top end pace to be effective at this higher level. In the forwards, it is apparent Robertson has been keen on the Fabian Holland for some time and that the interest has only intensified since the big lock impressed as training cover late last year and then delivered an impressive Super Rugby campaign this year. Potentially Holland could start alongside captain Scott Barrett as Tupou Vai'i clocked up a lot of Super Rugby minutes and will have a big role to play throughout the season, but regardless of which way around they take the field, the man born in the Netherlands is most likely going to make his debut in Dunedin. Injury to Tamaiti Williams has presumably elevated the uncapped Ollie Norris to a bench spot, and in the back row, both Christian Leo-Willie and Du Plessis Kirifi look set to feature because Sititi has been forced to have surgery and Luke Jacobson has been ruled out. Possible All Blacks team 1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Tupou Vai'i, 6. Samipeni Finau, 7. Kirifi Du Plessis, 8. Ardie Savea 9. Cameron Roigard; 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Billy Proctor, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Will Jordan. 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Fletcher Newell; 19. Fabian Holland, 20. Christian Leo-Willie, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Damian McKenzie, 23. Timoci Tavatavanawai. Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport. For live commentary of this weekend's All Blacks v France test, go to GOLD SPORT or iHeartRadio.
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- RNZ News
‘The Lord's team' - Ardie Savea weighs in on Moana Pasifika situation
All Blacks v France Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 5 July Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Live blog updates on RNZ Even though the All Black season is about to kick off this Saturday, the unfolding situation around the future of Moana Pasifika was addressed by this year's most high profile player today. Ardie Savea, who was named Super Rugby Pacific player of the year thanks to an outstanding season, said that "it would be a huge loss" if Moana was to be cut from the competition. "I think it will be a huge loss if Moana wasn't in any rugby competition. I think any competition needs them in," said Savea at the team's home of North Harbour Stadium, where the All Blacks are preparing for the first test against France. "Like I said, we're the Lord's team, we're the people's team. So hopefully, you know, whatever that looks like above my shoulders, it can work out." This week Moana Pasifika owners Pasifika Medical Association Group (PMA) have denied any public funding has gone into the side, while Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) has launched an independent review into allegations of inappropriate use of public funding allocated for Whānau Ora commissioning services. On top of this Sky TV are believed to be close to ending their jersey sponsorship deal and NZ Rugby's projected reduced broadcast deal will likely affect the amount of funding Moana receive. Savea is contracted until the end of the 2027 season, however, has a clause that allows him to spend next season playing overseas. The 96-test loose forward confirmed last month that he would be heading back for another lucrative short term deal at Japanese team Kubota Spears in 2026. Meanwhile, Savea is part of a now very intriguing loose forward picture for the All Blacks. He will certainly start Saturday's season opener, but just who joins him will be interesting. "It's hard because the loosie roles are quite interchangeable now on the field. You know, there's no specific role. t's not about you individually. It's how you collectively as a trio work together," said Savea. Former Hurricanes teammate Du'Plessis Kirifi and impressive Crusaders number eight Christian Lio-Willie are in line to make test debuts, while Samipeni Finau will likely start at blindside, "I played with Dupes for a while at the Canes and Christian, they've played awesome and they're in here for a reason. (But) All Blacks is a different level. So it's up to us to get around each other and best prepare for this level." The expectations are high for the All Blacks to start their campaign off with a big win over a very inexperienced and understrength French team, which was today further hampered with news of an injuries to fullback Cheikh Tiberghien and wing Gabin Villière. However, in typical All Black fashion, Savea said no opponent would be taken lightly. "It's what the jersey demands, and it doesn't matter who you play. You have to go out there and put your best foot forward. That's just the standard we uphold for ourselves."
