Carter determined to beat England

New Zealand captain Dan Carter says he is determined to lead his country to victory over England and complete a Grand Slam over the home nations.

The All Blacks have already convincingly seen off Wales, Scotland and Ireland and with England struggling Carter believes his side have every right to feel confident.

“This is the final hurdle of what would be a very successful year if we can do it on Saturday. It would be huge. It is a real goal we have been working towards.”

All Blacks upset by Welsh Haka disrespect

New Zealand’s Ma’a Nonu has spoken of his disappointment over how Wales responded to the haka prior to the match between the two sides.

Wales opted to stand their ground in an act of defiance but Nonu believes it showed disrespect to both his team and his country.

He commented, “People back home will have been hurt by what they decided to do. Standing in the way like they did is asking for a fight. My blood pressure was pretty high but then I regained my composure. I was a bit upset about it.”

NZ call on Kahui for Wales match

The All Blacks have only had to make one change to the side that beat Ireland last week as they gear up for the challenge of Wales.

Richard Kahui comes in for the injured Conrad Smith at centre in an otherwise unchanged team including three props.

Coach Graham Henry believes that his side face a tough match against the Six Nations winners. “They (Wales) play an expansive style of attacking rugby and have talent across the park, so it’s shaping up to be another classic encounter.”

NZ coach Henry claims dominant victory

New Zealand coach Graham Henry believes his side were more than worthy winners in their 3-22 victory over Ireland.

Despite only being 3 points ahead just before the interval, the All Blacks pushed on to claim a comfortable win and Henry says they were always in control.

“We’re pleased with the result. The guys played well and we dominated the game most of the time. We played with tempo but were frustrated that we created chances that we didn’t finish. A couple of tries went begging.”

New Zealand continue good form

New Zealand won a tight game with South Africa to continue their good form and extend their lead at the top of the Tri-Nations table.

Although the game finished 19-0 in the All Blacks’ favour, it was only 5-0 heading into the final quarter.

Conrad Smith got the first try early on but it was much later when Dan Carter finally sealed the win, before Keven Mealamu added a third late on.

Carter completed two conversions after missing a host of kicking chances in the first half.

Ospreys ready to swoop for NZ scrum-half

Ospreys have stepped up their preparations for the new season by entering into formal negotiations to bring New Zealand A scrum-half Jamie Nutbrown to the club.

However, if Ospreys are to sign the 27-year-old he would need to be released a year early from his New Zealand Rugby Union contract.

Ospreys elite performance director, Andrew Hore is hopeful a deal can be struck and believes Nutbrown would be an excellent addition to the squad.

He commented, “Jamie is a highly rated scrum-half who has been on the verge of a call up to the All Blacks.”

New Zealand storm back to beat Aussies

The All Blacks recovered from two straight defeats to crush Australia 39-10 and secure a bonus point in the process.

Tony Woodcock and Ma’a Nonu scored the all important tries to relieve the pressure on New Zealand coach Graham Henry.

The All Blacks made a number of tactical changes to their side and Henry was delighted to see them pay off. He commented, “We changed the game plan around and the guys executed that exceptionally well.”

All Blacks turn to Kahui

New Zealand have drafted Richard Kahui into their side for the upcoming match against Australia as they attempt to take back the balance of power in the Tri-Nations.

Kahui will be asked to play out of position on the wing but coach Graham Henry says whoever he picks will have to be up for the job at hand.

He commented, “We’ve made some tactical changes in our selections, but we also need to change how we play.”

MacDonald out for New Zealand

Leon MacDonald has been ruled out of the third Tri-Nations test against Australia, a match the All Blacks must win to avoid defeat in the tournament.

The 30-year-old full back is still suffering from the effects of a concussion and the All Blacks don’t want to take any risks ahead of their crunch game with the Aussies.

Mils Muliaina is expected to come into the side to replace MacDonald.

New Zealand face injury problems

With the England team to face New Zealand expected to be much changed from recent selections, the All Blacks also have to contend with injury problems it has been revealed.

Mils Muliaina, the inspirational full back is struggling to be fit for the test after injuring his hamstring in training and will be assessed on Friday.

However, assistant coach Wayne Smith commented, “We took Mils out of training, I don’t perceive there will be too many problems.”

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New Zealand star set to make debut

Anthony Tuitavake will make his New Zealand debut against Ireland on Saturday with much expected of the Auckland Blues Winger.

Despite the fact that only six surviving members of the last World Cup campaign are set to start, Tuitavake is expected to be the only fresh face.

Coach Graham Henry commented, “We’ve gone for established combinations where possible. We’ve also had to factor in a few injuries and are mindful that several players were involved in the Super 14 final on the weekend. The challenge is to work in our new players and new game plan.”

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