New Zealand Concede Cup in Epic Contest
“It was always going to be thunderous. These two fiercely proud nations have been playing rugby union against each other for 102 years but some games are bigger than others. You could see it…
Tag Archives: All Blacks
Tilt at a Record Fourth World Cup Crown
“To think New Zealand had entered this tournament with questions about their ability to assert themselves up front; this was a frightening display of forward strength, leaving Argentina’s Rugby World Cup dreams buried beneath…
New Zealand Hold off Ireland in Titanic Battle
“The agony goes on. Ireland must wonder what they have to do to break this quarter-final curse, how long to spend as No 1 in the world, how many grand slams to win, how…
New Zealand Trying to Shake Off Losses
In recent weeks, a mood of cautious optimism swept through rugby fans and sports analysts in New Zealand. After a year of dismal performances, the All Blacks seem at times to have regained the…
Wallabies Thrashed by Clinical All Blacks
“For a hot half-hour the Wallabies were golden. After two dismal defeats, they had rolled the dice in the biggest game of the year,” The Guardian’s Angus Fontaine reports from Melbourne. “This Bledisloe clash…
ABs Set for Drastic Overhaul under Scott Robertson
“Sea change in the form of Scott Robertson’s eccentric new era will soon envelope the All Blacks. Just as the pre-World Cup timing of his national head coaching anointment shatters long-standing New Zealand rugby…
Scott Robertson to Succeed Ian Foster
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson will succeed Ian Foster as head coach of the All Blacks after this year’s World Cup, the BBC reports. Robertson has been appointed on a four-year deal which will run to…
Former All Black Campbell Johnstone Speaks Out
In January, former All Black Campbell Johnstone, 43, made headlines around the world by speaking publicly about his sexuality for the first time. It was a watershed moment for the game and a deeply…
ABs Redress Christchurch Defeat with Win over Pumas
“New Zealand avenged their humbling of the previous weekend by eclipsing Argentina in emphatic fashion in Hamilton, a comprehensive 53-3 victory keeping their hopes of claiming this compelling edition of The Rugby Championship alive,”…
World Media Reacts as Wallabies Crushed by ABs
The All Blacks clinched the Rugby Championship title after once more dishing up a dose of misery to the Wallabies at fortress Eden Park, Stuff sports reporters write. The media website provides reactions to…
Silver Lake to Invest in New Zealand Rugby
Silver Lake has agreed to invest NZ$200 million in the organisation behind New Zealand’s legendary All Blacks rugby team, as the US private equity firms continue to buy into sport amid the coronavirus pandemic,…
How the All Blacks Handle Public Expectation
Every sports team has an expectation to succeed, but few do like the All Blacks, CNN reports. The burden of public opinion – as well as the high standards set by the players themselves –…
ABs Top Rankings with Win over Pumas
New Zealand snatched South Africa’s world No 1 ranking and placed one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy after subjecting Argentina to a second successive heavy defeat in Brisbane, Reuters reported in an article…
Family First for All Black Great Dan Carter
Former All Black fly-half Dan Carter “recalls his torturous relationship with the World Cup and reflects on a family-filled retirement” in an interview with Guardian rugby union writer, Michael Aylwin. Do Carter’s three boys have…
Lock Andy Haden Key Player in AB History
All Blacks lock Andy Haden, who “was an exceptionally talented, intelligent and resilient lock, among the best in the world in his era,” has died in Auckland, aged 69. The Japan Times has published an…
Sam Cane is Ready for New Zealand’s Top Rugby Job
Like former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, who learned his craft on the pastoral planes of the Mackenzie Country, the freshly appointed Sam Cane’s rural background in Reporoa, Waikato has become a fundamental part…
Looking Back at Our Rugby Heritage
“New Zealand’s pride for its team reflects generations of history and tradition, going back to 1903,” Jamie Tarabay writes in a story for The New York Times, entitled: ‘What Makes the All Blacks So…
ABs Deliver Bledisloe Pain With Wallaby Whitewash
“New Zealand secured the 2019 Bledisloe Cup with a resounding 36-0 victory against Australia at Eden Park to dent any hopes of a Wallabies resurgence ahead of next month’s Rugby World Cup,” Australian Associated…
All Black Brian Lochore One of Our Greatest Players
Former New Zealand captain and World Cup-winning coach Sir Brian Lochore has died aged 78, the BBC reports. An All Blacks player between 1964 and 1971, he made 68 appearances and captained his country on…
New Zealand’s Best Coaches All Have One Unheralded Skill In Common
Exceptional technical skills, an in-depth understanding of the sport and astute strategic knowledge are table-stakes for New Zealand rugby coaches at all levels of the game. What sets the truly accomplished coaches apart from…
Kieran Read to Play for Japan After World Cup
“All Blacks captain Kieran Read has signed up to play with Japanese club Toyota Verblitz after this year’s World Cup, bringing an end to 13 seasons as a professional…
Upbringing Helped Turn Barrett Trio Into All Blacks
Running around frost-covered coastal Taranaki fields in their bare feet was indicative of the sort of grounded upbringing that former captain Richie McCaw believes helped the three Barrett brothers – twice World Player of…
New Zealand Twice Victorious in Sevens Final
For the second time this season, New Zealand got the better of the American Eagles in a World Rugby Sevens Series gold medal encounter. The 21-5 victory for the All Blacks sees them tie…
Steve Hansen to Step Down After 2019 World Cup
“Steve Hansen’s all-conquering reign as the New Zealand coach will end after the 2019 World Cup. The 59-year-old, who has been in charge of the All Blacks since 2012 and has had 16 years…
Why Tyrel Lomax Chose the ABs over the Wallabies
Tyrel Lomax, 22, grew up with a dream to play for the ACT Brumbies and Wallabies. But the closer he got, the more he realised he couldn’t ignore the black feeling in his stomach….
Secrets Behind the World’s Most Successful Team
The All Blacks jersey carries with it an aura of invincibility. Their starting 15 could be injured and the next 15 would still stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world. How…
Steve Hansen Suggests 16-Week Off-Seasons
“Steve Hansen has called for a mandatory 16-week off-season, days after an 11-month campaign was announced in England. The New Zealand head coach said England were still counting the cost of having 15 players…
All Blacks Complete Sweep of Australia in Japan
World champions New Zealand crushed old foes Australia 37-20 at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, where the 2019 Rugby World Cup final will be held, to complete a 3-0 Bledisloe Cup series whitewash win,…
All Blacks Win Over Pumas in Nelson
Coach Steve Hansen gave his rearranged All Blacks a pass mark after their 46-24 victory over a much-improved Argentinian side in Nelson, but conceded they weren’t as good as they…
ABs Lift Bledisloe Cup for 16th Consecutive Year
New Zealand has won the Bledisloe Cup for a 16th consecutive year with a 40-12 victory over Australia at Eden Park in Auckland. Beauden Barrett scored four tries and kicked five conversions, while Joe Moody…
All Blacks Dismantle Stunned Wallabies
New Zealand delivered a clinic of counter-attacking in Sydney, scoring five second-half tries to blow away their hosts in this season’s Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup opening encounter, rugby reporter Charlie…
Raised on Rugby
“In sports, few teams have dominated their competition the way the New Zealand All Blacks of rugby union have,” writes David Maurice Smith in an article for The New York…
Finding Keith Murdoch Four Decades On
His closest friends in a remote town in the Australian outback had no idea who he was. Now that former All Black Keith Murdoch is dead at 74, the story of the man who…
Why New Zealand “Still Rules the High Seas of Rugby”
“The flag which flutters highest on the masthead of world rugby is still all black in colour. It does not have a skull-and-crossbones on it, but when it hoves into view everyone knows its…
New All Blacks Documentary “Looks Absolutely Breathtaking”
“All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks is a new six-episode series and it promises to be a belter,” writes Paul Moore in an article for Joe.ie. Narrated by the “incredibly…
Keith Murdoch a Giant Who Never Made It Home
Keith Murdoch, who has died in Australia, aged 74, played just three Tests for the All Blacks, but his name was etched in New Zealand rugby folklore after he became a recluse in the…
Chasing Great – An Ode to New Zealand’s All Blacks
“Justin Pemberton and Michelle Walshe’s documentary Chasing Great follows All Blacks team captain Richie McCaw through his final season,” writes Chris Packham in a review for the Village Voice. “Even if…
All Blacks Inflict More Pain on Wales
“There was little solace to be found around the streets of Cardiff as the city’s population set about anaesthetising painful memories of yet another valiant loss to the All Blacks,” Irish Independent sports reporter…
New Zealand Cap Fifth Rugby Championship Victory
New Zealand has capped their fifth Rugby Championship victory in six years with a 36-10 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires. The earlier 27-27 draw between South Africa and Australia in Bloemfontein had already ensured…
Charles Piutau: “I Felt Invincible As An All Black”
Former All Black Charles Piutau speaks to The Guardian’s Donald McRae about abandoning his Test career with the All Blacks to play for Ulster and, from next season, Bristol. When…
New Zealand Secure Record Win Over South Africa
World champions New Zealand ran in eight tries as they thumped South Africa 57-0 in Auckland, their biggest winning margin against the Springboks, BBC Sport reports. Victory extended their lead in the four-team Rugby Championship…
Vaea Fifita Rescues All Blacks with Solo Try
“New Zealand needed a second-half surge, inspired by Vaea Fifita’s stunning solo try, to shake off Argentina and record a bonus-point win in New Plymouth,” sports reporter Charlie Morgan writes for the Telegraph. “With just…
Winning Like The All Blacks
New Zealand “is small in size and population, but vast in talent and its position on the global scale,” writes Rajeev Gupta in an article published on
Colin Meads, Revered New Zealand Rugby Star
“Colin Meads, one of New Zealand’s greatest and most revered rugby players, died on Sunday in Te Kuiti, New Zealand, his hometown. He was 81,” writes Huw Richards in an obituary published in the…
All Blacks Ruthless in Epic Bledisloe Victory
The finishing thrust that All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had been seeking all season finally returned during the weekend as Beauden Barrett scored a last-gasp try to give them a 35-29 victory over Australia in…
New Zealand Thrash Australia in Sydney
New Zealand “hammered” Australia 54-34 in their 2017 Investec Rugby Championship opener. According to the BBC, the All Blacks “were exceptional in the first half in Sydney and, with the help of three tries…
All Blacks Great Colin Meads Leaves Mighty Memories
Colin Meads, the famously tough All Blacks captain hailed as New Zealand’s greatest rugby player of the 20th century, has died. He was 81. Cambridge-born Meads played 55 tests among 133 games for New…
New Zealand Mourns Death of Sir John Graham
Sir John Graham, widely known as DJ, has died at the age of 82. Graham was a former All Blacks captain, a respected educator and staunch opponent of apartheid. Graham represented New Zealand 53 times,…
Fans From Both Sides Celebrate All Blacks Lions Draw
A draw. A dead heat. 15-15. And the series too, after the epic twists and turns of the last three weeks, is therefore a tie: one win for New Zealand, one win for the…
Richie McCaw Enjoying Life Away from the Fast Lane
The air has become the place where two-time World Cup-winning All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has become most comfortable since he hung up his boots for the final time on Halloween night, 2015. He’s a…
New Zealand Run Away with First Test Against Lions
“The British & Irish Lions must now win both remaining Tests to deny New Zealand a series victory after a sobering loss to the All Blacks in Auckland. The Lions defended heroically at times…
All Blacks Thrash Samoa 78-0
“The All Blacks were at their sublime best in a 78-0 drubbing of Samoa that will have the Lions hoping the losers had an off night. Otherwise the tourists face a daunting task here…
Kieran Read Makes His Mark as All Blacks Captain
“Kieran Read spent a long time learning from Richie McCaw but he always knew he would have to do things his own way if he was to make his mark as All Blacks skipper…
Coaching Stalwart Wayne Smith to Step Down
The All Blacks will lose the services of long-serving and successful assistant coach Wayne Smith after the 2017 Rugby Championship, which begins in August. Smith announced he will take a break from October to consider…
All Blacks Beat France 24-19
“World player of the year Beauden Barrett helped stretch New Zealand’s winning streak over France to 10 games with a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable 24-19 victory on Sunday (AEDT),” as reported in an article…
All Blacks Exact Immediate Revenge in Dublin Thriller
“Two weeks after their 18-game winning run was ended by a 40-29 defeat to Ireland in Chicago, New Zealand reasserted their hegemony with a victory that was a lot less convincing than the score…
