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All Blacks make 14 changes to their starting team versus Ireland

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Matt Impey/ www.Photosport.nz)

Ian Foster has named an All Blacks team to face Ireland this Saturday that shows 14 changes from the XV that comfortably beat Italy in last Saturday’s second game of the Autumn Nations Series in Rome. Winger Sevu Reece is the only player retained from the starting line-up in Italy to get the nod to start again in Dublin.

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The All Blacks forward pack which ran out against Wales at the end of October in the Autumn Nations has instead been recalled, with the front row consisting of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor and Nepo Laulala. The second row is the experienced Samuel Whitelock, who will captain the side, and Brodie Retallick, while in the loose forwards, Ethan Blackadder is at blindside flanker, Dalton Papalii is at openside, while Ardie Savea is at No8.

In the backs, TJ Perenara is at half-back with Beauden Barrett at No10, Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane is at centre, Reece is on the left wing, Will Jordan on the right and Jordie Barrett is at full-back.

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Finn Russell on fighting water boys, facing the Springboks and expensive watches

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Finn Russell on fighting water boys, facing the Springboks and expensive watches

Foster said: “We have had a great week here in Dublin. We travelled well from Italy and are back into our more traditional routine of hitting a town and then moving on to the next one. The weather has been great here and we have enjoyed training in those conditions and getting ready for what will be a massive occasion on Saturday.

“We obviously have objectives we want to get out of each training session and we feel we have done that well.  The guys are focused and we achieved what we wanted to achieve.”

Speaking on the changes in the starting backline, Foster said: “That is the way we finished the Welsh game, with Anton moving in, Rieko moving to centre and Sevu on the wing. It’s a little bit of a reward for that combination. We have been able to use this series of games and the time together to try different things and thought a little change there would be good for us.  We’re also pretty excited at the impact that Finlay, David and Richie will have off the bench.”

Foster added: “We’ve watched Ireland’s development this year with interest, particularly through the latter part of the Six Nations and last week’s big win over Japan. They are certainly playing with confidence and ambition and represent a formidable challenge.

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“We have no doubt what Saturday is going to bring at a full Aviva Stadium.  It’s a big occasion, rugby is back to Dublin in terms of full grandstands, so we know what it’s going to mean here, and we want that kind of stage. It’s big and it’s exciting and is what motivates this team.”

ALL BLACKS (vs Ireland, Saturday)
1. Joe Moody (55)
2. Codie Taylor (65)
3. Nepo Laulala (38)
4. Brodie Retallick (90)
5. Samuel Whitelock (130) – captain
6. Ethan Blackadder (8)
7. Dalton Papalii (11)
8. Ardie Savea (57)
9. TJ Perenara (77)
10. Beauden Barrett (100)
11. Sevu Reece (16)
12. Anton Lienert-Brown (55)
13. Rieko Ioane (45)
14. Will Jordan (11)
15. Jordie Barrett (34)
Replacements:
16. Dane Coles (78)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (24)
18. Tyrel Lomax (13)
19. Tupou Vaa’i (10)
20. Akira Ioane (11)
21. Finlay Christie (5)
22. Richie Mo’unga (30)
23. David Havili (13)

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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