A big night looms for new Otago All Blacks
Tags:
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
an hour ago
- 1News
'We found a way' - Barrett injury blow as All Blacks mull French lessons
The All Blacks have travelled to Wellington to prepare for the second Test against France in the knowledge they will have to make significant improvements and probably without their skipper Scott Barrett, who has an Achilles injury. Barrett left the field just before the hour mark during last night's hard-fought 31-27 victory in Dunedin and was limping today as he boarded the plane for the trip to the capital ahead of next Saturday's clash. 1News' Michelle Prendiville and Pat McKendry examine the performances in the All Blacks' uncomfortable opening victory — watch now on TVNZ+ Barrett, 31, will be a big doubt for that match and will likely to be touch-and-go to feature in the third and final Test in Hamilton the following weekend. It will bring Patrick Tuipulotu into the second-row starting mix, and the Blues man will probably start alongside Fabian Holland, who distinguished himself on debut over the full 80 minutes. Ardie Savea will likely step up as captain. ADVERTISEMENT The performance of Holland, only 22, will be a highlight for the coaches, who were also pleased with the contributions of the other three newcomers loose forwards Christian Lio-Willie and Du'Plessis Kirifi and prop Ollie Norris. But any hope of a smooth progression of combinations throughout the series was dashed almost from the start. France wing Gabin Villière scores against the All Blacks in Dunedin. (Source: Getty) Right wing Sevu Reece, who left the field with a head injury following a collision with only 57 seconds on the clock, will also almost certainly miss the Test at the Cake Tin, with Caleb Clarke coming into the frame for a start. After a night when every All Black was reminded of the realities of Test rugby against a big, committed and wildly under-rated opposition, there will likely be mixed feelings in the camp. On the one hand the All Blacks appeared on the brink of breaking away from an occasionally tired looking France, with Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie in particular looking dangerous, but a combination of errors and three disallowed tries kept the visitors in it. The longer the French, who scored three tries and troubled the All Blacks with their own attack, stayed in the game, the more energised they became, but while the home side's defensive lapses will disappoint the coaches, their team's discipline and accuracy in the final quarter will please them. ADVERTISEMENT If France knocking the ball on when attempting a last attack gave the All Blacks a boost, it was nothing on their scrum penalty to close the game out. The All Blacks' poor discipline and a lack of impact in the final quarter of last year's four defeats was a major concern for Scott Robertson and company, so in some ways the team's method of victory came from an unlikely source. Ardie Savea breaks away for the All Blacks against France. (Source: Getty) 'There's an old saying – sometimes you've got to win in the mud,' forwards coach Jason Ryan said this morning. 'There was no mud out there we just found a way. There was grit and there was a lot of blood in the shed. 'Talking about discipline can make you a bit passive sometimes but we were really accurate when the game was tight and that's the most pleasing thing.' Beauden Barrett's penalty with six minutes remaining, and Jordan's second try after the fullback-turned-right wing opened the scoring for the home side in the first half, was the All Blacks' lot as they were outscored two tries to one after the break. While television match official Damon Murphy's regular contributions to rule out tries for Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Billy Proctor were unwelcome for the All Blacks, France's resilience was impressive. ADVERTISEMENT Asked whether the commentary about France during the week from some places was unhelpful for his team, Ryan replied succinctly: "Probably from all places, to be fair." It remains to be seen whether the lessons were learned, but they were certainly taught in an uncompromising way by an opposition determined to prove a few people wrong. "The boys all said in the shed that nothing prepares them," Ryan said of the uniqueness of Test rugby. "It's just a totally different contest. There's different pressures, the margins – you just can't get away with anything. "Now we know. We got the win, we found the way. It wasn't pretty and it's good for us. "We showed some composure at the right time."
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Warriors wahine stumble to champion Roosters in NRLW return
Warriors hooker Capri Paekau looks for support against Sydney Roosters. Photo: Mark Kolbe/ NZ Warriors have quickly learnt how much ground they must make up in their NRLW return, succumbing 30-6 to defending champions Sydney Roosters in their 2025 season-opener. After a four-year hiatus forced by the Covid pandemic, the Auckland club fielded a largely untried team - only seven players had previous experience in the Australian competition - against the reigning premiers in Sydney. The Warriors weathered the early storm from their rivals, but conceded first points, when winger Payton Takimoana spilled the first pass from a tap restart inside her own 20 and Roosters winger Jayme Fressard capitalised in the opposite corner. Moments later, sevens star Michaela Brake made a meal of her first high kick in rugby league and Taina Naividi powered over for the Roosters' second try. Rugby convert Patricia Maliepo, playing at five-eighth, opened the Warriors account, from a sustained period of pressure on the Roosters goal-line, converting her own try to keep her team in contention. The Roosters kicked into another gear and Naividi had her second try, after the Warriors charged down a kick, but the ball quickly found Roosters star Isabelle Kelly, who carved through the backpedalling defence. Takimoana fielded a kick on her goal-line and was driven back for a dropout, and from the restart, Naividi picked up a first-half hattrick to put the titleholders ahead 18-6 at the break. From the second-half kickoff, Warriors forward Matekino Gray was dispossessed of the ball and Roosters counterpart Rima Butler rumbled over from the ensuing scrum. As fatigue set in, the Warriors began falling off tackles or committing basic errors that had them constantly on the back foot. When captain Apii Nicholls spilled the ball in her own half, Fressard seemed to have her second try, but Brake did enough to drive her into touch, as the Roosters winger suffered a dislocated elbow in the process. Moments later, Nicholls threw a long pass beyond her winger into touch and the Roosters struck again through lock Olivia Kernick, as the scoreline began to mount. Naividi was denied a record-equalling fourth try by a forward pass and, at the other end of the field, former Black Fern Shakira Baker lost the ball over the tryline. The Warriors had other opportunities to add to their tally, but their hands let them down at close range. Brake could not find enough space to show her speed, but fellow sevens exponent Tysha Ikenasio was probably the Warriors' best, running for a team-high 168 metres, while Maliepo's unorthodox rugby skills translated well to league. Coach Ron Griffiths now has seven days to address the issues, before his team face Parramatta Eels - 18-16 winners over Cronulla Sharks in their opener - at Go Media Stadium.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Equestrian: New Zealand wins Nations Cup
Tim Price rides Vitali during the cross-country at the Nations Cup event at CHIO Aachen in Germany. 5 July 2025. Photo: Libby Law The New Zealand equestrian team have won the Nations Cup for just the second time, with Tim Price the individual winner at CHIO Aachen in Germany. Four New Zealanders finished in the top 10, with Price leading through all phases for his victory on Vitali, clinching the individual and team gold medals with a brilliant cross-country round. The successful pair had 30.5 penalty points, giving Price his first individual victory at Aachen, one of the world's toughest equestrian events. Monica Spencer on Artist finished sixth with 37.2 penalty points, Clarke Johnstone on Rocket Man (40.8) ninth, and individual rider Jonelle Price on Hiarado (41.3) 10th. The other team member, Samantha Lissington, finished 22nd on Lord Seekonig. Great Britain looked the likely winners of the event, but the New Zealanders dug deep to triumph by 8.7 penalty points, with the United States second and the British team third. Tim Price and Johnstone were in the New Zealand team that won the Nations Cup in 2018, with Blyth Tait and Sir Mark Todd. Price finished third on individual points that year and has also had two fourths at Aachen. Spencer and Artist, who had travelled from their US base for the event, had the quickest cross-country round, going clear with just 0.4 time penalties. Spencer, Johnstone and the Prices all had clear showjumping rounds, adding just time penalties. Tim Price felt the showjumping, which had sometimes been a challenging phase for 15-year-old Vitali, had this time opened the door to victory for him. "He has always been a very good cross country horse and was super today. I am absolutely thrilled for the team.'' Equestrian Sports NZ general manager of high performance Jock Paget said he was thrilled with all five Kiwi combinations. Aachen had been a key target for the year and an important event given it will host the 2026 world championships. "To pull it off in this way is amazing," Paget said. "Aachen is a hard place to do well. "There was a huge amount of pressure with a very tough [cross country] course and the time wasn't achievable today but they all went out there and rode really competitively. They took a lot of risks, rode skilfully and got the job done. To have four New Zealanders in the top 10 at Aachen is amazing and to win double gold too. "Aachen to us is like our European championships - we don't have one but we treat it like that. It was the biggest target for us this year. There are Nations Cups and then there is Aachen. This was the pin in the map for us this year." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
