Category: New Zealand Rugby

Teams meet in Paris on Saturday having delivered brutality and artistry in some of the sport’s greatest games

It is France-New Zealand time again. These words should conjure a frisson in any rugby connoisseur – and, by and large, they do. There are other more intense rivalries – the All Blacks against South Africa or Australia, for example, or England against, well, anyone – but for the promise of all that is holy in union, the brutality and the artistry, nothing quite stirs the imagination like Saturday night’s encounter in Paris.

All the more so given it is a quarter of a century since the greatest France-New Zealand episode of them all – some say the greatest match, full stop. On Halloween 1999, a suitably portentous date, these two met at Twickenham in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup. What unfolded, it hardly requires a student of the game to recall, was the sort of nightmare only the French seem capable of inflicting on the All Blacks, who saw their 24-10 lead early in the second half shapeshift into a scarcely believable 43-31 defeat.

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• All Blacks have a growing status in the US
• Match in Los Angeles or Japan also being considered

The British & Irish Lions are exploring the possibility of playing a money-spinning fixture in Las Vegas as part of their 2029 tour of New Zealand. ­Matches in Los Angeles or Japan are also among the options but rolling the dice and taking the Lions to Vegas is the most eye-catching proposal up for discussion.

In 2018 the Guardian reported that the Lions were keen on a ­fixture across the Atlantic and with the US awarded the 2031 World Cup, momentum is building to make it happen. The All Blacks have a growing profile in the US and want to continue developing commercial opportunities there. It is understood preliminary discussions between the Lions and the New Zealand union have taken place.

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The visit of New Zealand to Twickenham is always special regardless of changes to stadium names or rules

For those who, for some strange reason, only watch international rugby much has changed since England last took the field in mid-July. Technically speaking, for starters, the home team no longer play at a ground called Twickenham and will instead run out at somewhere called Allianz Stadium. The era of the “Ally Pally” has arrived, which may or may not impress the old-school clientele in the posher parts of the West Car Park.

If there is a sense of the Rugby Football Union selling off the family silver and jettisoning a significant slice of the English game’s global identity it is reinforced by the fact the All Blacks are due to visit a second Allianz Stadium in three weeks’ time when they play Italy in Turin. The only consolation for staunch traditionalists is that fresh monikers can take decades to catch on; some people still refer to the “Manchester Guardian” a mere 65 years on.

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• Prop says ‘sorry to any New Zealand fans I upset’
• Marler says he wants England to respond on pitch

Joe Marler has issued an apology for his “shithouse” criticism of the haka that has whipped up a storm before England face New Zealand on Saturday. After the England captain, Jamie George, admitted that Marler had poked the bear with his criticism of the All Blacks’ traditional war dance, the loosehead prop took to social media again to row back on his earlier comments.

In the latest instalment of a saga that has dominated the buildup to the first autumn international, Marler’s apology comes after George had said that he disagreed with his teammate that the haka should be scrapped. George did, however, say that England were considering a response to the haka at Twickenham while the All Blacks head coach, Scott Robertson, said that Marler “could have articulated himself a little bit better”.

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New Zealand are unlikely to lack motivation with squad feeling disrespected and England can expect a backlash

There are all sorts of ways a team might get ready for a big match against the All Blacks. Fair to say that the tactic of actively going out of your way to pissing them off, which is the one England seem to have gone for this week, comes in a way down the list. Joe Marler’s original tweet that the haka is “ridiculous” and “needs binning” has gone down like cold sick with New Zealanders.

“I’m wondering if he wishes he could have articulated himself a little bit better,” said their head coach, Scott Robertson, on Thursday. “The haka is not just about the All Blacks, it is about New Zealand as a country, it means a lot to us.”

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New Zealand forward on handling the emotion of losing a sibling at a young age and Jonah Lomu’s career impact

For years the names barely changed. Between them Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick played 262 Tests for New Zealand, breaking the record for the most capped second-row pairing in international rugby. By the end they made Stonehenge feel like a temporary art installation and their departures removed the twin pillars upon which the best modern All Black sides were built.

So no pressure on those following in their giant footsteps. Scott Barrett at least hails from one of rugby’s most famous family dynasties but perhaps the most intriguing member of New Zealand’s recent starting packs is the less celebrated Tupou Vaa’i. Tucked away behind the vowels is a man with a deeply moving backstory and an inner drive to match anyone on the field at Twickenham this weekend.

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