Tag Archives: lima sopoaga

Wasps confirm Lima Sopoaga signing.

The big transfer news this week was that of the announcement that Lima Sopoaga will be heading to the northern hemisphere at the end of next season to take up a contract with Wasps.  Dai Young’s side has undoubtedly got a seriously talented player on their hands with the 26-year-old looking perfectly comfortable in an All Blacks jersey since he …

The New Zealand international is on his way to Premiership side Wasps, reports ​on Wednesday morning have claimed.

All Blacks replacement prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi put in a massive hit on Bernard Foley during Australia's thrilling 23-18 win.

Here are four possibilities for the All Blacks to consider for the remainder of 2017.

The Rugby Championship has passed the midway point and results have generally gone par for the course with the All Blacks far out in front, Australia and South Africa evenly matched and the Pumas petering out after a bright start.  So, who makes our Rugby Championship combined team so far? ________ 15. Israel Folau Folau might be causing controversy on …

The All Blacks machine changed up a few gears and ran over the Springboks in North Harbour with a record 57-0 hiding.  So now that the smoke has cleared and we can talk again, what is there to say about this incredible result? 1. Have the All Blacks found their back three for the 2019 World Cup? Damian McKenzie, Rieko …

A spirited 50 minutes from the Pumas was deflated by a brilliant solo try from Vaea Fifita. This try sparked the All Blacks into gear to win 39-22. Here are the positive points that each team will take out of this Test match: Argentina 1. Agustín Creevy  The Pumas captain led by example with another inspirational performance. Creevy was physical with …

The spluttering All Black machine exploded into gear at about the 50-minute mark against Argentina thanks to its newest freak of nature, Vaea Fifita.   From that point on, the All Blacks swept aside the brave Argentinians who had actually led by seven points just after half-time. So, what questions are in our minds after the 39-22 victory? ________ 5. Will …

Steve Hansen has named an exciting All Black squad to face Argentina on Saturday which sees the return of one of the stars of the 2015 World Cup. Hansen has characterised the game as one of ‘taking opportunities.’ Here are five talking points which might give an insight into what the master coach will be looking for against the Pumas. …

In a proverbial game of two halves, the All Blacks burned the Wallabies in the first period in Sydney. However, they then proceeded to take their foot off the gas and hand off the steering wheel as the men in gold ran in four unanswered tries in the second half. So what did we learn about the two sides in …

The All Black backs showed moments of brilliance against the Lions without ever fully igniting into the form of the previous two seasons. With Ben Smith’s decision to go on sabbatical, and Aaron Cruden’s departure for Europe, All Blacks boss Steve Hansen has a chance to experiment with combinations and positions with an eye on the 2019 World Cup. So, …

Physical mismatches on the rugby pitch are inevitable given the range of attributes needed for the positions played. For Queensland Reds prop Taniela Tupou the mismatch is more often than not, comically skewed in his favour. The 21-year-old has been showing Super Rugby fans what he is about this season following his meteoric rise to stardom as a rampaging schoolboy in …

The Lions’ hopes of victory in Dunedin were thwarted by the cool head of Southern legend Marty Banks, who kicked a clutch penalty to eke out a nail-biting 23-22 win. In a dynamic, free-flowing game, which players stood out above the rest to move into Test consideration? _______ Lions 15. Jared Payne 6 Excellent cover tackle to stop Naholo early …

The Lions clash with the Highlanders in the indoor Forsyth Barr stadium will be a fast-paced, high octane affair. With the Highlanders threatening to run the Lions off their feet, which head-to-head match ups will be key to the contest? Jonathan Joseph vs Malakai Fekitoa Jonathan Joseph had better have his side-step finely tuned. Malakai Fekitoa is, according to reports, …

Following Saturday’s 12-3 win over the Crusaders, the British and Irish Lions will now a face a Highlanders side containing three All Blacks on Tuesday.  The Highlanders are currently in fourth place in the New Zealand Conference, and have won 10 of their 14 Super Rugby games so far this season. As Sam Warburton returns to captain the Lions side, …

After the Crusaders got suffocated by the Lions whose strategic play was a mix of roar and snore, could the same thing happen to the All Blacks? We select a test side of 23 players who will be tasked with cracking the Lions defensive code in the Tes series. Here is our All Blacks Test squad – and the threat …

As the Lions finally put boot to grass tomorrow against the New Zealand Barbarians, anticipation is rising about the All Black squad to be named on June 8 and which players will be kitted out in black.  Here we have five key questions for the selectors to contemplate. ________ 1. Is Form Temporary And Class (And Experience) Permanent? This shapes …