The Wallabies and the All Blacks walk the plank in Saturday’s Test with the loser virtually surrendering any hope of winning this year’s Tri-Nations.
Prime ministers Kevin Rudd and John Key have made a friendly bet tied to the outcome of the Tri-Nations rugby Test between Australia and New Zealand.
Flyhalf Dan Carter will return to play for the All Blacks against the Wallabies on Saturday, after a nine month injury layoff.
The Wallabies have addressed their lineout and disciplinary problems for their crucial Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks this weekend.
Dan Carter has been recalled to the All Blacks squad for the remainder of the Tri-Nations tournament after recovering from an Achilles injury.
The troubled All Blacks suffered a further setback on Wednesday when hooker Keven Mealamu was ruled out for the rest of the year.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has changed his scrumhalf again with Jimmy Cowan recalled for a Tri-Nations Test against South Africa in Durban.
South Africa have made one enforced change for the second Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand, with flyhalf Morne Steyn replacing Ruan Pienaar.
South African minister Trevor Manuel on Friday presented the Springboks with their Test jerseys for their Tri-Nations clash with the All Blacks.
The next three weeks will be critical for the Springbok class of 2009 as they take on their archrivals on home turf.
Southern hemisphere rugby is set for a shake-up in the Tri-Nations series kicking off on Saturday
New Zealand produced a vastly improved performance to beat France 14-10 in their second Test at Wetspac Stadium on Saturday.
Intensity has been a key word in the All Blacks camp this week ahead of their must-win Test match against France at Westpac Stadium on Saturday.
France are wary of the injury-ravaged All Blacks as the teams prepare to clash on Saturday for the first time since the 2007 World Cup.
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/ 3 December 2008
All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw is relishing the prospect of playing alongside John Smit and Bryan Habana in his Barbarians debut on Wednesday.
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/ 1 December 2008
The All Blacks’ emphatic Northern hemisphere grand slam finally vindicated the controversial move to reappoint coach Graham Henry.
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/ 30 November 2008
On Saturday, the All Blacks completed their third Grand Slam of the home unions with their biggest win over England at Twickenham, by 32-6.
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/ 30 November 2008
England manager Martin Johnson bemoaned his team’s lack of composure for the third week running after they suffered a record 32-6 home mauling.
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/ 29 November 2008
Chasing a Grand Slam of victories on a European tour, New Zealand believes England will he hurting from last weekend’s record loss at home to SA.
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/ 28 November 2008
It would be easy see the Springboks’ demolition of England as the yardstick of their first year as world champions. Easy, but wrong.
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/ 26 November 2008
Graham Henry insists the decision to retain him as All Black coach following the team’s World Cup flop has been proved right.
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/ 9 November 2008
New Zealand are set to return to something closer to a first-choice line-up for next weekend’s clash with Ireland in Dublin.
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/ 1 November 2008
New Zealand came from behind to beat Australia 19-14 in their Bledisloe Cup match in Hong Kong on Saturday.
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/ 28 October 2008
All Black superstar flyhalf Dan Carter will start at centre for the one-off Test against Australia in Hong Kong on Saturday.
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/ 26 October 2008
The old and new orders of international rugby will be placed in contrast when the All Blacks leave New Zealand on Monday.
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/ 14 September 2008
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen has claimed an Australian television network filmed one of their closed training sessions.
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/ 13 September 2008
The New Zealand All Blacks claimed their ninth Tri-Nations title and their fourth in a row when they beat Australia 28-24 on Saturday.
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/ 11 September 2008
The Wallabies can replenish their trophy cabinet if they can beat New Zealand and claim their first Tri-Nations in seven years on Saturday.
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/ 3 September 2008
New Zealand thrashed Samoa 101-14 on Wednesday in a match that once again exposed the ever-widening gulf between rugby’s rich and poor nations.
October 20 2007 is beginning to seem a distant memory. The aura of invincibility that the Boks earned 10 months ago have been replaced by boos.
New Zealand on Saturday probably put paid to South Africa’s chances of winning the Tri-Nations when they beat them 19-0 at a packed Newlands Stadium.
SA fullback Percy Montgomery will become the ninth player in history to reach the magical 100-Test mark when he faces New Zealand on Saturday.