International
PREVIEW: All Blacks v Australia Second Test (Eden Park)
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 September 2022)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST DETAILS
CH, CH, CHANGES
Injuries have forced changes to the team that defeated Australia in Melbourne, with captain Sam Cane, Scott Barrett, David Havili and Quinn Tupaea unavailable for selection. Sam Whitelock will lead a side which has welcomed No.8 Ardie Savea back from parental leave. He will slot into a loose forward trio featuring Dalton Papali’i at openside flanker and Akira Ioane on the blindside. With Havili and Tupaea out of the midfield selection frame, the All Blacks have retained a key combination that finished the Test in Melbourne. Jordie Barrett will play second-five eighths while brother Beauden will stay at fullback. The front row sees experienced hooker Codie Taylor selected in the run-on side while Samisoni Taukei’aho will provide cover, alongside props Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Nepo Laulala. Lock Tupou Vaa’i, midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and outside back Sevu Reece are the other new faces added to the reserves.
TITLE PERMUTATIONS
With one round remaining in the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship, all four teams are still in the running to clinch the title. The All Blacks are currently at the top of the ladder due to a better points differential than South Africa who are also on 14 points. The All Blacks will be searching for a bonus point win over the Wallabies to give them the best shot of winning the title. If the All Blacks and South Africa end the competition tied on points, it will come down to who has the best points differential between the sides. For Australia to win the title, they would need to beat the All Blacks with a bonus point and then hope that Argentina tip over South Africa in Durban and deny them a bonus point. The longest shot to win the title is Argentina who would first need Australia to defeat the All Blacks with neither team picking up a bonus point. From there they would have to secure a bonus point win and hope their points differential is better than the All Blacks and South Africa who they would be equal with on 14 points.
FINALS MENTALITY
There’s no bigger occasion in New Zealand rugby than a packed house at Eden Park for a Test match against the old foe. Although the Bledisloe Cup is already locked away in the trophy cabinet for another year, the All Blacks are treating the game like a final with the Rugby Championship title at stake. Forwards coach Jason Ryan said the side had prepared all week as though they were going into a sudden-death final. “It’s a New Zealand-Australia Test match at Eden Park. There’s a lot on the line, and we’re treating it as a final. We’ve prepared accordingly to expect that,” Ryan said.
WALLABIES BELIEF
Australia may not have won in Auckland against the All Blacks since 1986, but they believe they can storm the New Zealand fortress to claim a win and give themselves a mathematical chance of claiming the Championship. Former Bay of Plenty mid-fielder Lalakai Foketi said the Wallabies had to dig deep when down 31-13 in Melbourne and would take that momentum into the Eden Park clash. “Out there, there was no feeling of disbelief or thought the All Blacks were going to run away with it,” Foketi said. “It was just the belief and the leaders, especially Nard [Foley] coming in, staying controlled, and giving us our next role. I felt like we were still in good stead to keep doing what we were doing and keep in the game.”
SHARP SHOOTERS
Discipline will be key for the All Blacks at Eden Park given the Wallabies hot form from the kicking tee in 2022. The Wallabies goal-kicking success rate of 92% this year is 11 percentage points higher than any other Tier One nation and 14 percentage points higher than the All Blacks. Bernard Foley will assume kicking duties for Australia with accomplished kickers Nic White and Reece Hodge on the bench.
TEAMS (Test caps in brackets):
All Blacks
1: Ethan de Groot (9) 2: Codie Taylor (71) 3: Tyrel Lomax (19) 4: Brodie Retallick (97) 5: Samuel Whitelock (139) – Captain 6: Akira Ioane (18) 7: Dalton Papali’i (17) 8: Ardie Savea (66) 9: Aaron Smith (110) 10: Richie Mo’unga (40) 11: Caleb Clarke (10) 12: Jordie Barrett (44) 13: Rieko Ioane (55) 14: Will Jordan (20) 15: Beauden Barrett (108)
RESERVES: 16: Samisoni Taukei’aho (16) 17: Ofa Tu’ungfasi (47) 18: Nepo Laulala (41) 19: Tupou Vaa’i (14) 20: Hoskins Sotutu (11) 21: Finlay Christie (11) 22: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (1) 23: Sevu Reece (20)
Australia
1: James Slipper (c) (122) 2: David Porecki (6) 3: Allan Alaalatoa (59) 4: Jed Holloway (5) 5: Cadeyrn Neville (2) 6: Rob Valetini (26) 7: Pete Samu (27) 8: Harry Wilson (11) 9: Jake Gordon (15) 10: Bernard Foley (72) 11: Marika Koroibete (50) 12: Lalakai Foketi (3) 13: Len Ikitau (19) 14: Tom Wright (17) 15: Andrew Kellaway (17)
RESERVES: 16: Folau Fainga’a (32) 17: Angus Bell (19) 18: Pone Fa’amausili (2) 19: Nick Frost (4) 20: Fraser McReight (7) 21: Nic White (55) 22: Reece Hodge (59) 23: Jordan Petaia (21)
Content & Images from – New Zealand Rugby
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
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