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'He's ready': All Blacks rookie in line for World Cup debut
In what is a must-win match for the team, the All Blacks will name a Rugby World Cup debutant to feature in the front row against Italy.
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Tamaiti Williams debuted for the All Blacks during the Rugby Championship this year and currently boasts just three Tests of experience in an All Blacks jersey, with two appearances off the bench and one underwhelming start.
With the absence of the suspended Ethan de Groot, Williams and veteran Ofa Tu’ungafasi are the two loosehead props available for front row duties in round four.
Clocking in at 140kg, the former No 8 brings a considerable upside to the squad with monumental physicality and silky distribution skills in tight.
“He’s been training incredibly well,” forwards coach Jason Ryan said in Lyon. “He’s ready.
“He’s been putting the work in off the grass as well as on it. He’s been learning a lot from the experienced props.
“With (Ethan de Groot) obviously being out it’s no secret he’s going to get a crack, isn’t it? It’s just what the mix will be. I’m looking forward to him putting into place what he’s been working hard at at training.”
While under the mentorship of the older team members, Williams has made his presence felt in the heated training sessions during the bye week.
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Players and coaches reported a bit of “push and shove” in an intense training session as the forward pack looks to respond to problematic performances against the brutal packs of South Africa and France.
“There’s good niggle and over-the-top niggle and I think we’ve had a bit of both at times,” hooker Codie Taylor said.
“Old mate next to me (Williams) got stuck into it a little bit himself. I suppose that’s a good sign, you’ve got a young, first-year All Black that’s willing to put his hand up and get stuck in. He’s not afraid of it, that’s a good sign in itself I think.”
Sitting second in Pool A after losing their first-ever pool game against the tournament hosts in Paris, the All Blacks face elimination if they are to fall to the Italian side.
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Having won every pool match up at a Rugby World Cup up until 2023, New Zealand have never failed to make the knockout stages and only once failed to make it beyond the quarter-final.
Tasked with ensuring the team only adds to their famous record, the pressure on young Williams’ shoulders is immense.
That doesn’t appear to phase him though, as the Super Rugby champion enjoys living out his dream.
“We had a good week last week in Bordeaux, connected really well, trained really hard so I’m just happy to be in a Test week,” Williams said.
“It’s been fun, eating some of the food and exploring around but it’s time to got to work now and we’re here for a reason.
“Like I said, it’s a dream to play for the All Blacks but to play at a World Cup is another dream.”
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMOes more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
105 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
105 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
105 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
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