#Bledisloe Cup

By Alex McLeod of RugbyPass.com Ian Foster's 35-man All Blacks squad will assemble for the first time today in Whakatane as preparations for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup series get underway. Plenty of anticipation has arisen since last week's confirmation that the All Blacks and Wallabies will do battle with each other for the first time in over a…

OPINION: First the apology. Sorry. Having to read, or listen, to a windbag carp on about historical All Blacks' tours can be a distasteful episode in anyone's book. Spare me the sermon, pass me a pillow, dim the lights. Yawn. But hear me out. Firstly, let's be clear. The All Blacks, despite the defeats to France and Ireland in Paris and Dublin last…

Ireland have completed a stunning series win over the All Blacks in the decider in Wellington. It is the first time the All Blacks have lost a series at home in the professional era. The game was billed beforehand as the biggest here since the drawn decider of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour. A magnificent Irish team created history. Despite…

The sense of occasion at the new stadium didn't match the quality on the field as the error-riddled Wallabies were outmuscled by the Springboks, who cruised to a 24-8 victory. Tensions boiled over in the 71st minute when Wallabies and Springboks players were involved in a mass melee that saw try-scorer Makazole Mapimpi yellow-carded. The Springboks…

Sam Cane has retained the All Blacks captaincy as part of Friday's squad announcement for this year's Rugby Championship - coach Ian Foster's first public comments since the cancelled press conference last Sunday after the side's series loss to Ireland. Foster named a 36-man squad for this year's tournament in Auckland on Friday afternoon after…

A new rugby competition kicks off this weekend, the snazzily titled United Rugby Championship, and it will be followed next February by another new competition, Super Rugby Pacific. Those behind the new competitions, which amount to a significant redrawing of provincial/franchise rugby across two hemispheres, must feel like either laughing or…

It was no surprise to find Conrad Smith, on the morning of the recent Bledisloe Cup match in Melbourne, in the company of the man with whom he formed what is widely regarded as the best centre combination in the history of rugby, Ma'a Nonu. Along with ex-All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, Nonu had wowed a sell-out audience the night before at Bells…

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand are set to add another chapter to their fierce rivalry this Thursday with some Bledisloe Cup action. Rugby fans are used to seeing the All Blacks dominate this prestigious tournament as they have won 49 of a possible 62 series played. But some poor performances from New Zealand has seen the title race been blown wide open…

Last weekend's Black Ferns Rugby World Cup semifinal marked the first time Kiwi punters had bet more money on the women's team than on the All Blacks. Numbers held by the TAB show turnover forthe semifinal against France hit $400000, about $100000 more than the All Blacks test against Wales in Cardiff on Sunday morning. Jodi Williams, TAB chief…

It's a mouth-watering prospect, despite the very real chance that it may never see the light of day. The best of the Wallabies and All Blacks, playing in a combined ANZAC team, in a one-off match against the British & Irish Lions at the MCG? To borrow a line from recent KFC, "shut up and take my money!" It appears, however, that Rugby Australia…

Wallabies forward Lachie Swinton is on course to resume his career with the Waratahs after a year on the sidelines with a serious injury. The Tahs backrower last played in the opening round of Super Rugby against Fijian Drua before suffering nerve damage in his shoulder in a tackle. He required a nerve transfer operation to regain muscle function…

So the Rugby Championship has been run and won, and though it played out as tightly as anyone can remember through the first month or so, it finished as pundits of all persuasions probably expected. But before we put the two-up panel in the rack for a month - we'll be back in time for the spring tour fixtures - the best way to wrap up the Rugby…

The 2022 Rugby Championship was undoubtedly the finest edition the tournament has seen since its inauguration in 2012. There was unprecedented competition, with all four sides having a chance to push for the title for much of the championship. Ultimately it was the All Blacks who triumphed with yet another title. Planet Rugby breaks down five…

For those who have followed The Rugby Championship this year, the 2022 edition of the annual showdown between SANZAAR teams was unlike any that had been seen before. No lead was ever truly safe, no test was ever truly a gimme and the quality of rugby was at a premium, featuring some of the best players on the planet to grace a rugby pitch. Even…

The more things change, the more things stay the same. New Zealand men's rugby has been in control of the Bledisloe Cup for a long time, and when it pulled off a blowout win this weekend over its noisy neighbors across the Tasman Sea, Australia, to keep hold of their rivalry trophy for a 20th consecutive time, the almost-routine demolishing of the…

All you need to know ahead of the second Bledisloe test between the All Blacks and the Wallabies at Eden Park (kickoff at 7.05pm): It all comes down to this, well sort of. The All Blacks can move into pole position on the Rugby Championship table with victory in the second Bledisloe Cup test. In terms of the Rugby Championship, all four teams could…

New Zealand vs Australia: The All Blacks and Wallabies have the first move in the final play for the Rugby Championship. Australia appear to have been fired up by what went down last Thursday but can they pull one over on New Zealand. Injuries have forced changes to the All Blacks team that defeated Australia in Melbourne, with captain Sam Cane,…

With the Bledisloe Cup wrapped up for 2022, the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship and a 28-year unbeaten streak at Eden Park are on the line on Saturday night. Match details: All Blacks v Australia, Saturday 24 September, 7.05pm NZT, Eden Park, Auckland Played: 174 Won: All Blacks 121, Australia 45, Drawn 8 Last time: All Blacks 39, Australia 37 (15…

All Blacks skipper Sam Cane has been ruled out of this weekend's Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland due to injury. ' Cane is one of a number of forced changes to the All Blacks team that defeated Australia in Melbourne, with Scott Barrett, David Havili and Quinn Tupaea also unavailable for selection this week. Sam Whitelock will lead a side which has…

The All Blacks selectors, Head Coach Ian Foster, Assistant Head Coach John Plumtree and former All Black Grant Fox, have named their squad for the 2021 edition of the Rugby Championship. The 36-strong squad is as follows: (Age, Sky Super Rugby club, provincial union and Test caps in brackets.

As with many New Zealand-Australia clashes, the two rivals played a game for the ages Thursday when they collided in The Rugby Championship. The All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup and kept a stranglehold of first place in the Rugby Championship standings in a 37-35 thriller at Marvel Stadium, but the triumph did not come without some…

How do you rate the All Blacks' chances in the Bledisloe Cup? I'd like to say the chances are very high given the fact they've just won in South Africa. [Mils made this prediction before New Zealand's 18-25 loss to Argentina in the Rugby Championship test in Christchurch.] I think if you'd asked me this question a few weeks ago, I possibly would…