There is just the one change from the starting forward pack from the Bledisloe Cup-winning Test in Auckland last month, with lock Scott Barrett coming in for Samuel Whitelock in the second row.

Patrick Tuipulotu has a tight groin that sees Tupou Vaa’i come onto the bench for his first Test of 2021. Ethan Blackadder also comes onto the bench as a loose forward cover. Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks for the first time at number eight.

In the backs, Brad Weber gets his second start at halfback in his 11^th Test, with TJ Perenara to provide impact off the bench.

Beauden Barrett is at first five-eighth while Anton Lienert-Brown returns from injury at center, outside David Havili. Rieko Ioane moves to the left-wing, Will Jordan is on the right-wing and Jordie Barrett is at fullback. Damian McKenzie and George Bridge are the other back reserves.

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster said: “We are ready, and the team is really determined to finish off this block of Tests against Australia with a top performance.

“We’ve had a really unique situation going into this Test, with quarantine back in New Zealand and a ‘soft’ quarantine here in Perth, but the work that has gone in preparing the players has been outstanding, so when the whistle goes on Sunday, we’ll be ready.”

A proud pasifika man captaining the All Blacks! Lesssssgo Would’ve loved to follow you into battle my uso! @tanaumaga , Jerry Collins, Kevin Mealamu some special names to be alongside You make our community proud @ardiesavea pic.twitter.com/Nd5Xb4afa4

— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) September 3, 2021

The All Blacks and Australia will be playing their 173rd Test against each other. New Zealand has won 119 of those matches, Australia 45 with eight draws. The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003.

The All Blacks have scored 46 tries in five matches so far this year and are sharing the spoils: so far 18 players have scored tries this year.

Foster said the team was excited to be playing in front of a sell-out crowd in Perth this weekend.

“Perth has a great rugby culture, and we know that there are a lot of Kiwis living here who will be at the game, so can’t wait to hear their support on Sunday.

“Covid has again forced so many changes this year and we especially think of cities like Dunedin and Wellington that have lost Test matches they had hoped and planned for, so it’s great to be able to celebrate having this Test match here in Perth,” he said.

The matchday 23 is (Test caps in brackets):

1. George Bower (5)
2. Codie Taylor (60)
3. Nepo Laulala (33)
4. Brodie Retallick (85)
5. Scott Barrett (43)
6. Akira Ioane (6)
7. Dalton Papalii (7)
8. Ardie Savea – captain (52)
9. Brad Weber (10)
10. Beauden Barrett (93)
11. Rieko Ioane (39)
12. David Havili (7)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (51)
14. Will Jordan (6)
15. Jordie Barrett (27)
16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (3)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (20)
18. Angus Ta’avao (18)
19. Tupou Vaa’i (4)
20. Ethan Blackadder (2)
21. TJ Perenara (70)
22. Damian McKenzie (32)
23. George Bridge (12)

Gone in 8⃣ seconds! @AllBlacks

The Bledisloe Cup | LIVE Sunday 3:30pm on @9Gem and @StanSportAU.#9WWOS #BledisloeCup #TRC2021 pic.twitter.com/aybNzHPPNj

— Rugby on Nine (@RugbyOnNine) August 31, 2021

All Blacks matches – Fortinet Rugby Championship – Round 1-6

All Blacks (57) v Australia (22), Saturday 14th August Eden Park, Auckland

Australia vs All Blacks – Optus Stadium, Perth – Sunday 5th September

All Blacks vs Argentina – CBUS Stadium, Gold Coast – Sunday 12th September

Argentina vs All Blacks – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane – Saturday 18th September

All Blacks vs South Africa – Queensland Stadium,Townsville – Saturday 25th September

South Africa vs All Blacks – CBUS Stadium, Gold Coast – Saturday 2nd October

The post All Blacks name team for Australia test appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The All Blacks and Australia will be playing their 171st Test against each other with Aaron Smith knowing the Wallabies well; he has played them 25 times. New Zealand has won 117 of those matches, Australia 45 with eight draws.

The last Test between the two sides was a narrow 24-22 win to Australia at Suncorp Stadium, last year.

The world ranked number two’s Head Coach Ian Foster said:

“There is huge excitement in our group at what lies ahead this weekend. There is such a huge history with the Bledisloe Cup, the rivalry between the All Blacks and Australia goes back a long, long way, and it’s always a massive contest.

“The Cup isn’t ours; we have to go out and win it again. We can’t wait for the weekend.”

This is more than just a jersey. It’s what we all stand for

The All Blacks and Black Ferns Primeblue replica jerseys made with Parley Ocean Plastic.

Available from September 1st pic.twitter.com/6lFR0rBk1Y

— Black Ferns (@BlackFerns) August 3, 2021

The starting front row is unchanged from the last Test outing against Fiji, with loosehead prop George Bower, hooker Codie Taylor and tighthead Nepo Laulala running out.

Brodie Retallick is back at starting lock alongside captain Samuel Whitelock, with Scott Barrett on the bench.

To round out the forward line, in the loose forwards, Ardie Savea is at eight, with Dalton Papalii at seven and Akira Ioane in the six jersey.

In the backs, Richie Mo’unga is again at ten, outside Aaron Smith. David Havili and centre Anton Lienert-Brown are the midfield combination for this game.

Rieko Ioane moves to the left wing, Sevu Reece is on the right and Damian McKenzie is at fullback.

Props Joe Moody and Ofa Tuungafasi weren’t considered for selection as they return from injuries, while the selectors have also taken a considered approach with outside back Will Jordan’s return from a slight hamstring strain.

It will be a special night for halfback Aaron Smith, who will play his 100^th Test, after making his Test debut against Ireland back in 2012.

On Aaron Smith’s special milestone, Foster said:

“He’s a special man, he’s achieved so much in the black jersey and has been an iconic player for us over the last decade. We know it’ll be a special night for him, his wife Teagan and his family.”

The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 and will look to hold onto it for another year.

MASSIVE MILESTONE | @Te_Nug will play his 100th test on Saturday and become the 10th @AllBlacks Centurian #NUG100 pic.twitter.com/GbjNyiu8Ge

— Speight’s Highlanders (@Highlanders) August 5, 2021

The matchday 23 is (Test caps in brackets).

1. George Bower (3)
2. Codie Taylor (58)
3. Nepo Laulala (31)
4. Brodie Retallick (83)
5. Samuel Whitelock (125) – captain
6. Akira Ioane (4)
7. Dalton Papalii (5)
8. Ardie Savea (50)
9. Aaron Smith (99)
10. Richie Mo’unga (24)
11. Rieko Ioane (37)
12. David Havili (5)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (50)
14. Sevu Reece (10)
15. Damian McKenzie (30)
16. Dane Coles (76)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (18)
18. Angus Ta’avao (16)
19. Scott Barrett (42)
20. Luke Jacobson (5)
21. Brad Weber (9)
22. Beauden Barrett (91)
23. Jordie Barrett (25)

The post All Blacks team named for opening Test against Australia appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Obviously, the outhalf position is the most talked about in the game. This is no exception in the Irish team. With Johnny Sexton now 35 and counting, perhaps this year’s Autumn Internationals is a good chance to hold auditions for the outhalf to take Ireland forward. Ireland are a big price to win the six nations as you can see when you navigate to this website 

Since his debut in 2009, Sexton has accumulated 814 points in 91 caps. For over a decade, he has been the undisputed outhalf among the Irish squad. Since he was selected ahead of Ronan O’Gara against South Africa in 2009 he has never looked back. Of course, even when he went abroad to play for Racing 92 he was selected for international duty.

In 2018 he won the World Rugby Player of the Year Award, confirming his status among the best.

Despite his age, there have been very few retirement rumours surrounding the St. Mary’s College graduate. To illustrate this, he became captain after Rory Best’s retirement.

Yet, Irish Coach Andy Farrell will be looking to the future. With four more years to go until the next World Cup, he will be open to a changing of the guard. While it is possible that Sexton will still be playing in four years, there is a lot of time for Farrell to find and develop his successor.

Besides, there have been suggestions lately that the time has come for a new outhalf to take up the mantle. For example, in Leinster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final loss to Saracens last weekend, Sexton was very average in a first half where Leinster were blown away. In fact, Saracens deployed their regular fullback Alex Goode at outhalf for the game. By full time, he had 19 points that included Saracens only try. In comparison, Sexton was forgettable.

Furthermore, Sexton’s form off the tee has been called into question at times. The 6 Nations loss to England in March comes to mind.

As always though, Sexton won’t go down quietly. Especially with a Lions Tour to come in 2021. The competition is there and waiting in the wings. But, it seems like Sexton is the dictator of his own fate.

Round One will take place from 13 November to 15 November with fans enjoying rugby from Friday night until Sunday afternoon pic.twitter.com/sFIP7rxSfF

— Autumn Nations Cup (@autumnnations) September 10, 2020

The Competitors

Ross Byrne of Leinster is the obvious choice to immediately succeed Sexton. Farrell preferred the 25-year-old as his back-up 10 in the 6 Nations. Likewise, Leinster have great faith in him. To illustrate this, Byrne came in from the start against Ulster in the Pro14 final. He more than stood up and reminded everyone just why he is a contender for the green 10.

Speaking on ‘Off the Ball’ last week, Ronan O’Gara praised Byrne. In particular, he mentioned his strong running game, something he and Sexton have in common. O’Gara continued to say “he is really strong tactically and marshalls his team around the pitch”.

Considering his age profile and experience to date, Byrne perhaps offers the most to Ireland in the long term. A run of games at outhalf during the Autumn Internationals could solidify his status as the outhalf to take Ireland forward.

Similarly, Connacht’s Jack Carty is no footnote in this conversation. Already capped ten times, Carty is clearly able to do it on the big stage. However, Farrell chose to leave him out for the 6 Nations this year. There is little doubt that he has the tools to break back into the side, but whether he gets a chance to use them will be at Farrell’s discretion. At 28, he could be the right blend of experience and promise.

In Ulster, Billy Burns has made the outhalf position his own. Burns qualifies for Ireland thanks to his paternal grandfather. Previously, he won the 2014 World U-20 Championship with England. Another candidate on the young side, the 26-year-old will only develop with international experience. Farrell is clearly a fan of him. Burns was the third choice outhalf for the 6 Nations to date and could yet play a part.

Also in Ulster, Ireland’s forgotten man Ian Madigan is back on Irish shores. Once on the fringes of the Irish team, Madigan earned himself 30 caps. Nevertheless, when he left for Bordeaux in 2016, he all but exempted himself from selection. Since his return, Madigan has impressed. Yet, he remains an understudy to Burns. At 31, Madigan is unlikely to pick up where he left off for Ireland.

Finally, Joey Carbery is another who can compete for Sexton’s jersey. Carebery exploded onto the scene in 2016. For instance, his Ireland debut came from the bench in the historic 40-29 victory over New Zealand in Chicago. Then, he was an active part of the 2018 Grand Slam winning team and played in the summer tour win against Australia, and the Autumn International wins against Argentina and New Zealand again. However, Carbery has since been hampered by injuries. On the other hand, time is on his side. Still just 24, he has time to get his body right. It looks like he will have to wait before he can put his hand up for selection again.

#IrishRugby

Not to be. Commiserations @leinsterrugby, but well done on a superb season that delivered so many moments for us all to enjoy #ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/xIoshLpkS4

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 19, 2020

https://3.249.64.60/rugby/8-nations-rugby-championship-fixtures-and-pools/

https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/1307361469554716672

https://twitter.com/autumnnations/status/1304044961646759944

The post Who is the Outhalf to take Ireland forward? appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Murray’s form has been a far cry from his norm in the last eighteen months. As a result, whispers began about whether it was time for a new 9 to step forward. Nonetheless, Murray remained in place for the World Cup and the 6 Nations to date.

Surprisingly, it has been Ulster’s John Cooney who deputised for Murray in the 6 Nations. This is a testament to the scintillating form shown by the 30-year-old prior to the competition. Luke McGrath remains the third choice scrum-half in the squad.

It will be interesting to see how the pecking order has been affected when the 6 Nations resumes in October. Cooney has not been able to continue this form since the restart. In fact, Ulster chose Kiwi Alby Matthewson ahead of him for the Pro14 final against Leinster.

Cooney has not done anything to harm his chances in a green jersey when called upon. But, Farrell will have been watching closely since the restart and Cooney will have to shake away any doubt before long.

In Leinster Luke McGrath has his own competition. Another New Zealander puts the pressure on in the form of Jamison Gibson-Park. Now 28, he qualifies for Ireland and could be an option for Farrell in the Autumn Nations Tournament. Gibson-Park is enjoying his own spell of form and has seen plenty of minutes lately. Yet, it is no secret that Farrell is a fan of the cool head McGrath brings to the game.

The man many fans are crying to see back on the international stage is Connacht’s Kieran Marmion. After being left out of the World Cup Squad last year in place of McGrath, Marmion has had a rough time of it. His form did not justify his omission by any means.

Marmion was the second-choice 9 for Ireland for a long time. When called upon he did his duty and more. For example, he started the 2018 victory against New Zealand in Dublin. Since his debut in 2014, Marmion has racked up 27 caps. At 28 he has a lot left in the tank.

However, watching Ireland jet off to the world cup without him clearly had an effect. Firstly, the rise of Caolin Blade removed his certainty of being Connacht’s first-choice 9. Secondly, a potential move away to Saracens was scuppered by their salary scandal. Then, injury prevented him from proving Farrell wrong before the lockdown.

In the middle of all this, Marmion signed a new 3-year-deal with Connacht. This is a sign of intent. Marmion is here to compete and add to his 27 caps. To illustrate this, the hunger he displayed against Ulster in the first game back was a reminder of his credentials. Thankfully, the lockdown seems to have allowed Marmion to find his drive. If given a chance to impress this November and December, he could put a claim on the jersey.

But, we can’t rule out Conor Murray under any circumstances. There is a reason he has been the undisputed 9 for most of the last decade. His ability to snipe around the breakdown hasn’t been lost to age. Similarly, his understanding of the game and his ability to read a situation is stronger than ever. Currently, the only thing lacking is putting it all together. Farrell clearly trusts Murray. Therefore, the Limerick man will have chances ahead of him to secure the jersey for a while yet.

If form really is temporary, and class is permanent, Murray shouldn’t have anything to worry about in the games to come. But, should he offer as much as a sniff of the green 9, there are a host top-class players in Ireland’s scrum-half battle who will relish the fight.

Current Top Seven Scrum-Halves

(1) Conor Murray

(2) Kiernan Marmion

(3) Jamison Gibson-Park

(4) John Cooney

(5) Caolin Blade

(6) Luke McGrath

(7) Craig Casey

#GuinnessSeries2020

RTÉ and Channel 4 will have free to air coverage of Ireland's matches this November and December as part of the new @autumnnations Cup.

Amazon Prime will have coverage of the tournament in the UK.https://t.co/6AVlHSovzo

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) September 11, 2020

https://twitter.com/IrishRugby/status/1304352004731547648

https://3.249.64.60/rugby/8-nations-rugby-championship-fixtures-and-pools/

The post Ireland’s Scrum-half battle: Cooney falters as Marmion seeks second chance appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.