New Zealand named a revamped side on Tuesday for their opening rugby Test of the season against Ireland, selecting only six of the team who lost last year’s World Cup quarterfinal to France. Winger Anthony Tuitavake is the only new cap in the starting line-up, with three more new faces on the reserves bench.
All Black coach Graham Henry fired a parting shot at retiring flanker Jerry Collins, saying the tough loose forward was in poor form and would not have made the first New Zealand squad of the season. Henry named a 25-man squad on Tuesday to begin preparations for mid-season Tests, excluding players from the Crusaders.
The Auckland Blues beat their New Zealand rivals the Otago Highlanders 40-15 at Dunedin on Saturday to keep alive their hopes of making the Super 14 semifinals. The Blues scored five tries to collect a valuable bonus point and move into the top four with only one round to go before the play-offs.
The Canterbury Crusaders strengthened their grip on the Super 14 with a nail-biting 26-22 win over the Auckland Blues on Friday, taking them a huge step closer to a home semifinal spot. During an often frantic clash, the Blues pounded the Crusaders’ line in the last 15 minutes, scoring one try and missing another two by the narrowest of margins.
The Sharks put their unbeaten record on the line in their opening Australasian tour match of the Super 14 rugby series against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday. The Durban-based team, along with table-topping Canterbury Crusaders, are the only two teams yet to taste defeat in the southern hemisphere provincial competition.