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Wednesday

02:05

The Rugby Championship

Twelve All Blacks released from Rugby Championship squad

By Ben Smith

39 days ago

David Havili (L) talks to Will Jordan during a New Zealand All Blacks training session at NZCIS on July 02, 2024 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Twelve players in the All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship have been released to play provincial rugby this weekend, a week before the first Argentina Test.

Most of the players will play before the weekend, with five of the six teams receiving All Blacks playing Bunnings NPC on Friday.

Tasman Mako have been boosted with four key players, David Havili, Will Jordan, Ethan Blackadder and Noah Hotham, who will travel to Christchurch to play Southland.

In the game between two Chiefs-aligned provinces, Taranaki will receive Josh Lord while Bay of Plenty will have former All Black captain Sam Cane and Pasilio Tosi.

Newly capped centre Billy Proctor will line up for Wellington against Manawatu, while Caleb Clarke will play for Auckland against Counties after announcing a new one-year deal with NZR and the Blues.

On Saturday afternoon Ofa Tu’ungafasi will play for Northland against North Harbour, who have All Black rookie Wallace Sititi.

The All Blacks squad will re-assemble on Sunday August 4 at NZCIS in Wellington ahead of the first Test at Sky Stadium on August 10.

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Comments on RugbyPass

JW 13 minutes ago

Springboks reclaim Freedom Cup in titanic All Blacks clash

A player must not intentionally prevent an opponent from having the opportunity to play the ball, other than by competing for possession.

You can clearly see he only has eyes on Kolbe and is setting to tackle him when he catches the ball. There is no intent to prevent Kolbe chasing the kick. Incorrect penalty by that law definition.

There was a clear example of you are suggesting Lomax tried to do at the end of SAvIre 2 (attack and defence roles reversed so no way to mistake what the intent was unlike yesterday).

248 Go to comments

KevinM 14 minutes ago

Wallabies player ratings vs Argentina | The Rugby Championship

The players need to be held accountable you can’t always blame the coach, having said that I think Joe needs to be confident in his own decisions and not listen to the armchair critics and the media

AR, the fans and the team are going to have to dig deep to recover from a loss like they had Saturday

8 Go to comments

GG 20 minutes ago

The good news for the All Blacks

The Boks are in the process of experimenting, changing players due to injuries and building depth, as well as new coaches. They still made plenty mistakes and weren't accurate but managed to win. They will get better for sure as they understand the direction Tony Brown is taking them. Would be good to have their locks back so they don’t need Psdt to cover lock. Malcolm Marx is slowly coming back after a long time out. Missed Faf and KurtLee on Saturday. The ABs also have a few guys missing and Razors plans are starting to work. By next years RC they should all be back to strength and going to be good. Boks trying things kept ABs in game which made for an interesting series. Well done Ben, you managed to describe the game which none of us saw.

28 Go to comments

DS 29 minutes ago

Fissler Confidential: England coach contenders and D-Mac Top 14-bound

He won't win his critics over no matter what he does so he should do what suits him best! Some people, probably including Robertson, think that Mo' will solve the current AB problems despite previous evidence to the contrary. Straw + clutch.

Will miss him in Super if he goes - he's entertainment plus.

6 Go to comments

JW 30 minutes ago

Springboks reclaim Freedom Cup in titanic All Blacks clash

There is no integrity in journalism anymore, hell no, everyone click baits everyone (from a publisher perspective, you just have to read the URL and then how the storys title looks different).

I can't say that everyone does it is enough to make me able to perform a publishers job though no, I would walk out saying "i'm not going to trick readers like that". Still, the concern shouldn't be that RP use clickbait tactics, just that theres an author that can't write on your/this site. He used to do the same to NZ, happy hes moved on tbh!

248 Go to comments

Frans 34 minutes ago

The good news for the All Blacks

Let us be honest - neither team played to their potential, both made uncharacteristic mistakes. The Springboks are missing key personnel. but so are the AB's. The intensity and the pressure of the Boks and All Blacks playing probably got to the players. The Boks were the better team - 4 games in a row now - but the All Blacks were within one score in 3 of the 4 games. I doubt we would have won both the last two if the games were played in NZ. So we as Springbok supporters should stay humble, and accept we won the games against a good AB side which is going to get better. Rassie is in the fortunate position that he is able to experiment with new players in a settled team, and build his depth - i do not think we have yet seem the best Springbok side play.

28 Go to comments

JW 53 minutes ago

Springboks reclaim Freedom Cup in titanic All Blacks clash

No thought of helping the International game? :)

248 Go to comments

MattJH 54 minutes ago

The good news for the All Blacks

I’m feeling pretty positive after those two games. Sux ass we lost but really, the issues are all very fixable.

These All Blacks have got the athletes, it’s game management and decision making that are killing us.

28 Go to comments

Ninjin 55 minutes ago

The good news for the All Blacks

Not in a long time have I heard All Black supporters whine like this. You have been winning for so long that some have forgotten how to lose. I don't think that Ben Smith actually believes what he wrights and that his only aim is to troll which is not doing anything but winding up the mob. We beat you. Get up, show some gritt and bring it. 2017 all of you thought the Springboks were a joke🤡 but look at the lay of the land now. It is better to say yes we lost but we will not lose again than to say we should have won but did not because of this and that. Weak people like Ben makes excuses. FFS you are the All Blacks so act like it.

28 Go to comments

JW 56 minutes ago

Springboks reclaim Freedom Cup in titanic All Blacks clash

Generally Bok v AB scrums have been stalemates of recent time. I think they prioritise scrummaging props to get that balance though.

248 Go to comments

JW 58 minutes ago

Springboks reclaim Freedom Cup in titanic All Blacks clash

Yeah scrum was much better than I expected. Didn't even look like it was EDGs replacement that was the one going back either. I looked at one in the first half g2 scrums today to see how it played out, ball got stuck on a locks low knee but Barrett was caught trying to make a channel for it and it got smashed as a result. I wonder if the others were the new half and Sititi not finding the right channel and not strong in their hips or something too. Might just be a few tech difficulties for us to solve to get back to par I mean. LOs might have been a few key times when things were linning up for SA? Why did the go to front all the time, Vaa'i had a few chances for getting one.

Another good confidence booster coming on and doing a few key right things. What did you see wrong in our ten? All the pictures he gives me are great, only noticeable difference I could see was Sacha much better able to deal with contact and so doesn't have to worry about finding someone to pass to like Dmac does. Dmacs strength is putting players in gaps though, and we didn't see that in g2 which is a huge credit to SA coaching imo.

Funny, you guys are just worry about about how a few returning from injury are coming back and aren't immediately match winners. Polar opposite perspectives on the same circumstances from each team.

248 Go to comments

ga 1 hour ago

The good news for the All Blacks

He got carded as it was cynical. Not too sure what the issue is with that?

28 Go to comments

ga 1 hour ago

The good news for the All Blacks

I don't understand your obsession with the Boks playing against the ABs when the ABs are a man down. The Boks didn't force Scott Barrett to give Malcolm Marx a Cheapshot cleanout at Twickenham in the "cash-grab friendly" (ABs vs Fiji in San Diego???). The Boks didn't force Sam Cane to tackle high in the World Cup Final and for the reffing team to go through the "protocols" to send him off. As much as online SA fans give the whole of SA a bad wrap, you don't do your Kiwi countrymen any favours.

28 Go to comments

Bull Shark 1 hour ago

The good news for the All Blacks

This is true 😔