All Blacks v France: Reviewing the performances of Scott Robertson and his men
With 10 more tests this year few would bet against Jordan reeling in Jeff Willson (44 tires in 60 tests), Beauden Barrett (45 in 136), Julian Savea (46 in 54), Joe Rokocoko (46 in 68) and Christian Cullen 46 in 58, before setting his sights on Doug Howlett (49 in 62).
Biggest mover: Fabian Holland
Three successive 80-minute shifts is a huge effort for anyone, let alone a test rookie. Holland started on debut at his adopted Dunedin home to realise his dream of becoming the first Netherlands-born All Black. And with Scott Barrett ruled out of tests two and three against France, he retained starting status alongside Patrick Tuipulotu.
Some test rookies need time to find their feet, to grasp the increased pace and physicality. Holland, though, never looked overawed.
Comparisons to Brodie Retallick are premature – Holland has a long way to match Retallick's physicality with ball in hand – but with 27 lineout wins, 44 of 46 tackles and 112 rucks hit across the three tests, there is no questioning his long-term value to the All Blacks.
Holland is 22 and merely getting started. Injuries permitting, he could well forge into a test centurion. His towering presence offsets major second-row depth concerns, too, with Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Sam Darry, the latter debuting last season before injury struck him down, waiting in the wings behind Barrett, Tuipulotu and Tupou Vaa'i.
All Blacks lock Fabian Holland has impressed in three test. Photo / SmartFrame
Bench balance and finishing
One clear directive from the All Blacks this year, after the four tests they lost in 2024 came after leading at half time, was to improve their finishing.
Elements of this area have, indeed, improved. The scrum is one notable weapon thanks to the depth of their front row stocks.
In the first test in Dunedin and the third in Hamilton, the All Blacks replacement front row earned crucial, match-turning penalties. With what's to come such depth and confidence in this platform cannot be understated.
The balance of the All Blacks bench is not there yet, though. In the first and second tests, with their best side selected, the All Blacks scored 10 points in the final quarter.
And while they finished strong in Hamilton, Jordie Barrett injected the most impact, with a try-saving tackle and the definitive line break for Brodie McAlister's late strike. Barrett would usually be starting, though.
The tactic of selecting two loose forwards on the bench hasn't paid off – and the lineout malfunctioned to lose three throws when the pressure ramped up in the third test.
When the likes of Tamaiti Williams, Wallace Sititi, Scott Barrett, Asafo Aumua and Caleb Clarke return from injury, the All Blacks bench will significantly strengthen by putting the squeeze on the starting side.
Playing style
The intent to play fast – with quick taps and lineouts – and impose fatigue was widely evident from the All Blacks.
This year, everyone is one the same page. Even under scoreboard pressure they did not deviate from the script. Through offloads, pace and attacking intent, the All Blacks are, essentially, playing to their inherent strengths.
Wayne Smith's chaos theory, based on movement and keeping the ball alive with multiple attacking threats, appears to have influenced the stylistic shift.
To achieve that, the All Blacks must achieve lightning quick ball. Their breakdown was compromised in the first and third tests to shine a light on their carry-and-clean urgency and technique. French No 8 Mickaël Guillard caused problems there and as the Pumas and Springboks loom, the All Blacks must address this area. Their penchant for conceding points from restarts and striking the right kick-pass balance will be other focal points.
They will, though, be pleased with the leadership and composure to overcome late disruption and fight through difficult situations to emerge on top. That wasn't always the case last year.
Selection
Project 4/4/4 – four deep in each position over four years to win a fourth World Cup – is progressing with six more rookies – Ollie Norris, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Brodie McAlister, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Holland, Christian Lio-Willie – introduced.
After missing multiple opportunities to expose fringe talent last year Robertson seized his first chance to rotate in the third test by making 10 starting changes.
While the raft of adjustments stunted performance, the benefits of blooding prospects should show in time.
The drop off from incumbents to the next tier is most telling at hooker and halfback. Aumua's return from his hamstring issue will improve the hooking stocks but Codie Taylor is only truly appreciated in his absence.
Cam Roigard is levels above his competition, too. No one in New Zealand compares to Roigard's booming boot and sniping runs.
Roigard, having only played 12 tests, is in the infancy of his All Blacks career but he is already among the world's elite halfbacks, such is his growing influence.
Elsewhere, selection questions remain at centre, where Billy Proctor needs further investment, blindside flanker with the All Blacks likely to persist with Tupou Vaa'i's switch despite Samipeni Finau's impressive performance in Hamilton and the up-for-grab wings.
First five-eighths depth evokes concern, but it is perhaps unfair to judge Damian McKenzie on one performance in a vastly reshaped team.
Damian McKenzie makes a break against France. Photo / Photosport
Biggest concern
Of all the positional question marks, wing is among the most contestable.
New Zealand has a long history of producing superb finishers but uncertainty prevails over who will emerge to demand starting status.
Two late reshuffles – Caleb Clarke's injury in Wellington and Rieko Ioane's withdrawal in Hamilton – didn't help progress plans but after selecting two specialist wings in July, the All Blacks are arguably no closer to determining their best finishing options.
Clarke's ankle injury that may sideline him for another five-to-six weeks was a notable setback as the second test stage was set for him to recapture the form that locked down the No 11 jersey for the first time in his career last year.
Clarke could yet tick many boxes for the All Blacks. He's a power wing, in the mould Robertson tends to favour, and the best edge option in the air – one area France exposed the All Blacks. But after a quiet season where he's yet to score a try, Clarke needs game time to cement his claims.
Jordan, the All Blacks' first-choice fullback, was their best winger against France. By some distance, too. He scored two tries in Dunedin after shifting to the edge in the first minute – and was then among the All Blacks most prominent figures two weeks later after a late promotion from the bench.
Sevu Reece wasn't helped by his first-minute exit in Dunedin after a head knock but he has everything to prove at test level after an underwhelming All Blacks season last year where his pace and erratic tendencies sparked concern.
Reece is also 28 – the age when All Blacks wingers traditionally decline. By the 2027 World Cup, it's difficult to envision him being the form finisher the All Blacks need.
The jury remains out on Rieko Ioane's back-to-the-future switch from centre to the wing, too, which shouldn't surprise given this test series was the first time in four years he started on the edge at any level.
There's a strong argument the All Blacks missed a trick by not selecting form Chiefs wings Emoni Narawa and Leory Carter in their July squad – and instead including six midfielders.
Narawa started the second test in Wellington but only after Clarke's late exit to continue a lack of faith in his abilities at test level.
Other emerging options include Caleb Tangitau, a revelation for the Highlanders before injury prematurely ended his campaign, and Crusaders wing/fullbacks Chay Fihaki.
Leicester Fainga'anuku has returned from France to play for Tasman in the NPC and is a certainty to be called up for the All Blacks northern tour squad. Where Fainga'anuku features remains to be seen but he spent the bulk of his two years with Toulon at centre.
Context
Would the All Blacks have won this series against France's first-choice team? There's no definitive answer, but it does pose context to take stock of the vastly understrength opposition to start the year.
The All Blacks can only play who is in front of them. NZ Rugby had no say in the longstanding agreement between the French Top 14 clubs and Les Bleus that prevents the national team from selecting players involved in their domestic final for the July internationals, which duly undermines the elite arena.
The second test blowout aside, where rookies were thrown to the wolves, France's performances belied their second-string nature to speak to the Top 14's depth of talent.
France cannot be accused of turning up merely for wines on Waiheke, picnics in Hamilton Gardens or soaking up Dunedin's St Clair beach. Their defensive effort in the final week of their arduous season, where they made 292 tackles, 172 more than the All Blacks, underscores their tenacity for the fight.
Scott Robertson's men will faces tougher challenges against Argentina and South Africa. Photo / Photosport
Assessing the All Blacks against the backdrop of France leaving their best talent at home, though, is a somewhat fraught exercise.
In some ways it's the ideal start that allowed traditional rust to be shaken off and Robertson the selection freedom to use his full squad while banking wins.
Now the real business arrives in the form of the Rugby Championship, starting with two away tests in Argentina before the world champion Springboks arrive for a tilt at breaking Eden Park's 50 match unbeaten run and a return clash in Wellington the following week.
Those four tests between August 17 and September 13 will reveal exactly where the All Blacks sit.
Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast.
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NZ Herald
13 hours ago
- NZ Herald
The life and near death of the Ranfurly Shield
'We were definitely a major underdog and we weren't given a show at all. I think that's the beauty of the Ranfurly Shield. If you get everything right on the day, you can achieve what you need to achieve,' says Sloane. Shield fever! A huge crowd of 40,000 piled into Ōkara Park to watch Northland (then North Auckland) play Auckland on August 26, 1972 for the Ranfurly Shield. Auckland won 16-15. Northland reclaimed the Shield in 1978. If Northland are successful, it'll be the 14th time the trophy has changed hands in the past decade. Whilst the gloss has largely been removed from New Zealand's premier domestic competition (and by gloss, read All Blacks), the 121-year-old Ranfurly Shield still provides a pulse for the NPC. Players and fans (especially of a certain demographic) still hold it in the highest regard – a symbol of provincial pride. 'There's no bigger trophy in New Zealand sport than the Ranfurly Shield, really,' says Sloane. However, there was a time when the Log o' Wood was badly broken – well before Hawke's Bay players dropped it on to a concrete floor in 2023. Before New Zealand Rugby held an inquiry as to the nature of the white powder that dusted it during the same ill-fated Magpies celebrations. Last time it was figuratively broken was way back when corner flags were obliterated by try-scoring wingers and the cricket pitch at Eden Park wasn't dropped in – it was visible all year round. When big games were played in the afternoon ... on TV One. David Kirk passes under the pressure of Bruce Deans during the 1985 Ranfurly Shield match between Auckland and Canterbury. Photo / Photosport 'The shield wasn't dead at all' By the 18th of September 1993, 'Shield Fever' had been sweated out. In some corners of the country, it had become hypothermic – a chill so bad it was on the verge of being terminal. Or at least that's how it felt for those without the Shield and little chance of their team winning it. Auckland had held the Shield for 2926 days – or eight whole years. In that time, their grip on the Shield was so monotonous that they began to take the shield on tour. On the face of it, it looked like the Auckland rugby public was so disinterested in the lightweight challenges that the holders had to take it on the road to find a crowd. That might've been true to some degree, but what they found was provinces hungry for quality rugby and a shot at New Zealand rugby's most coveted prize. 'If you went to those games in those towns, you know, the shield wasn't dead at all,' says All Blacks and Auckland point-scoring machine, Grant Fox. Fox holds the record for the most points in Ranfurly Shield history with 935. More points than many unions have scored. Grant Fox, the record points-scorer in Ranfurly Shield rugby. Photo /Photosport In 1988, Auckland travelled to Te Kūiti to play King Country – giving away the home advantage that holders had generally enjoyed since the Shield's very first defence in 1904. 'When you've held on to the Shield at home, the rest of the country are saying they want to see the Shield. We all bought into it,' says veteran All Blacks and Auckland flanker Alan Whetton. 'We thought if we're good enough, we'll hold on to it and if not, so be it. Alan Whetton backed up by his brother Gary during Auckland v New South Wales in the AGC South Pacific Championship at Eden Park, April 11, 1988. Photo / NZME 'But to see the crowds come out and support it, what it did to those provinces just ignited the shield again. To give these provinces a chance to challenge for the Shield where they may never get an opportunity.' Te Kūiti is 200km from Auckland – but for the visitors, Rugby Park was a world away from Eden Park. 'I think a pig ran on to the field! There wasn't any room to warm up, that's how small the sheds were. The crowd was stacked on the sidelines and boy, they gave it to us,' says Whetton. On one occasion, they took the Shield and their cheerleaders to Paeroa to play the Swamp Foxes of Thames Valley in front of 7000 locals. 'I remember the vast crowd – and that the last time we played them, we kept them out from [scoring] 100 points and hoped it wasn't going to be the same,' says former Thames Valley winger Wayne Warlow. It wasn't the same – but it was still a one-sided contest that finished 58-7 to the visitors. Whilst the score would test a few memories now, nobody who was there could forget the spectacular team try scored by the hosts. Launched from near the home side's 22m line, the ball went through 10 sets of hands in one sweeping movement that travelled from the right side to Warlow on the left wing and finished back in the right corner by winger Kevin Handley. 'It just seemed to be a bit surreal, I suppose. Things, for the first time in the game, just opened up and you could actually move. We got it into space and just took off,' recalls Warlow. Warlow moved to Waikato in 1991. This would not be his last Shield challenge. Wayne Warlow in action during the NPC match between Waikato and King Country, 1995. Photo / Photosport Party in the provinces 'I can tell you, the shindigs afterwards and the after-matches were just as important as the actual event and they go down in history, I assure you,' says Whetton. The Thames Valley after-match almost didn't begin. Having expected a sizeable turnout for the post-game celebrations the following day – the venue was well stocked with refreshments. But the night before the big game, the booze to keep thousands refreshed was allegedly uplifted by an organised crime syndicate. The small-town tours kept coming – and so did the heavy scorelines. Gary Whetton lifts both the Ranfurly Shield and the NPC championship trophy after the 1988 NPC final at Eden Park. Photo / Photosport In 1993, Auckland had taken it to Levin, Westport and lastly Ōamaru – where they dished out a 139-5 hiding to North Otago. They then returned home and belted a talented Wellington side 51-14. The Shield's heartbeat was growing ever more faint as the greatest provincial team in New Zealand rugby history showed no signs of weakness. 'Someone had to turn up on Eden Park and play well to beat us because, you know, we weren't a bad footy team,' says Fox. The errors that ended an era That 'someone' was John Mitchell and his band of nearly men from Waikato. They were 'nearly men' because many of them were either denied an All Blacks career – or had limited opportunities, due to the men they were about to oppose. Captain of that unofficial club was Duane Monkley, widely regarded as the greatest All Black that never was. 'When you run on to the paddock and you can believe in your forwards, that they're gonna match an All Black pack - all we have to do as backs is just finish any chances off. And make sure we're just up in their faces,' says Warlow. Before they ran out on to Eden Park, Warren Gatland had asked his teammates to visualise the Shield in their shed. 'He goes, 'Look, I'm telling you it's gonna be on the table when we walk in the changing shed. If you can't see it now, you don't belong here', sort of thing. Craig Stevenson (from left), Warren Gatland and Graham Purvis with the Ranfurly Shield after winning it from Auckland in 1993. Photo / Photosport 'And it was just like, 's***, imagine if it was here though?'. And then we all got on board, I suppose,' says Warlow. The Mooloo men planned to make life as uncomfortable as possible for the Shield holders. 'Let's get early points and see if it rattles them. And it did. I remember a big drop kick down field and J.K. [Sir John Kirwan] got it and he just throws this loopy pass to Foxy because Duane [Monkley] was right on him, and then bloody Rhys Ellison smashes Foxy, he throws it back again. 'He gets smashed by bloody someone else and we end up scoring. It was like, that's not Auckland. Jesus,' says Warlow. The shield in the sheds was getting easier to picture. 'We did that for the whole game, probably antagonised them a bit. Loey [Richard Loe] was doing his bit to get under their skin. All legal, of course,' says Warlow with tongue in cheek. John Mitchell holds up the Ranfurly Shield after defeating Auckland on September 18, 1993 at Eden Park. Photo / Photosport Fox's memory of the clash isn't quite so vivid. He remembers more of what happened after the final whistle, after their unthinkable reign was over. He recalls the disappointment of his teammates – and particularly that of new coach Sir Graham Henry. 'When we won the Shield in '85, Alex Wylie brought the Canterbury team into our dressing room to have a beer, right? 'I know there's an official thing you do on the park afterwards when the captain hands it over to the other captain, but what resonated with me was the Canterbury team's gesture in '85. 'All those years later, we remembered that, and so we went through to the Waikato guys and had a beer with them,' says Fox. Sir John Kirwan of Auckland congratulates Graham Purvis on winning the Ranfurly Shield. Photo / Photosport Warlow remembers the 1993 post-match beers, too. 'When they came into the shed, Foxy and J.K. and all of them, it was almost like they were relieved. It was like, just a message to us to say, 'guys, just respect it'. 'Foxy, in particular, was just like, 'It's been a hard thing to hang on to for eight years',' recalls Warlow. Cauliflowered heirs The trip from Eden Park to Hamilton by bus is not a long one – but it still provided enough time for the new holders to get into trouble. Warlow recalls the bus pulling over for a toilet stop as they headed south. 'We may have got in trouble for having a cauliflower fight up at Pukekohe there while we were having a pee. I think we got a bill for about, I don't know, 40 cauli or so. The union were quite happy to pay it!' says Warlow. For much of the country, Auckland's reign may have admitted the shield into palliative care – but it had first fallen ill in 1982 when Canterbury, masterminded by the late Sir Alex 'Grizz' Wylie, lifted the log against Wellington at Athletic Park. Alex "Grizz" Wyllie lifted the Ranfurly Shield in 1969 and 1972 as a player - then again in 1982 as a coach. Photo / Photosport They held the shield for 25 successful challenges – equalling the record held by Auckland (1960-1963). They'd have broken the record by defeating their northern rivals at Lancaster Park in 1985 in what was later dubbed the 'match of the century'. Instead, the 28-23 defeat marked the beginning of its stay at Eden Park - a residency that lasted even longer than the famous stay of Elvis Presley's at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Canterbury comes a cropper Between those two Shield eras, there was just one successful challenge in 87 Ranfurly Shield matches. Two careful owners in 11 years. The closest Auckland got to losing it in that eight-year retention was their second defence against a spirited Counties side (12-9) in 1985 and a much more memorable clash with Canterbury in 1990. That match was shrouded in controversy as John Buchan – celebrating his 100th game for Canterbury – was sent off in what legendary commentator Keith Quinn described as 'the second minute' of play. Quinn detailed the sequence of events in his commentary – naming Gary Whetton as the protagonist for stomping on the chest of Canterbury lock Chris England as he entered a ruck. He then suggested 'the boot went in from Buchan' - presumably in retaliation, before referee Keith Lawrence gave him his marching orders. Buchan was able to be replaced by Phil Cropper – and this is where controversy enters the dimly lit corridors of skullduggery. Buchan stops to talk to Cropper before he runs on to Eden Park. The challengers were fully aware of the opportunity this situation presented. At that time, teams didn't have to have a reserve hooker on their bench. Rob Penney in action for Canterbury against Fiji in 1991. Photo / Photosport 'Bizarrely, there was a bit of a conversation at some time, and I can't recall exactly when prior, around that anomaly,' says former Canterbury loosie, Rob Penney. The problem with that anomaly is that it wasn't one on this occasion – because everyone knew Cropper was up to it. 'There's a little lucky break here for Canterbury, because Cropper is a former hooker. Even though we know him now as a flank forward,' says Quinn in commentary. 'Yeah, we all did,' says Whetton. 'He has a well-documented history as a hooker,' he adds. At the next scrum, Penney and Robbie Deans explain to referee Lawrence that they can't scrum without a hooker. From that moment, scrums are replaced by free kicks. 'One of the fastest games probably ever played,' suggests Penney. And a stroke of luck for the challengers. 'Everyone was struggling with the power that they had. Scrum time was always a disaster or very challenging when you played them up there, when you played them anywhere,' says Penney. His opposing No 6 agrees. 'It certainly helped them because we were very dominant in the scrum in those days. But that just adds another bit of drama and a chapter to the Ranfurly Shield era, doesn't it? Creates that history to talk about and, you know – great!' says Whetton. The match became a kicking contest between Fox and Canterbury's sharpshooter Greg Coffey. Fox scored 29 of his team's 33 points as the challengers went home empty-handed. Canterbury coach Rob Penney with the Ranfurly Shield after his side defeated Wellington in 2009. Photo / Photosport 'I don't know if we would have got out of there if we'd won it anyway. I think that they would have locked it away and probably sued us or something,' suggests Penney. 'There was a lot of emotion post that game. The changing rooms in Auckland at that time were just below ground level. They opened out just above footpath level and a few of them got kicked in, so glass splattered across the changing room floor,' recalls Penney. Incidentally, Cropper's next game for Canterbury saw him start against Otago the following season. At hooker. Ranfurly back on tour As Zinzan Brooke handed the shield to John Mitchell on that spring afternoon in 1993, the embodiment of provincial rugby supremacy sat up and breathed again. The 17-6 victory was cheered across the country – possibly even by some apathetic Aucklanders. The Eden Park residency was over, Ranfurly had left the building and it was back on tour. Andy Slater and Kevin Barrett at the Auckland v Taranaki, Ranfurly Shield match at Eden Park, 1996. Photo / Photosport Thirty-nine teams have held the Shield in the 32 years since, with an average Shield reign of just five successful defences. And it has got around. Warlow wonders if the Shield needs another lengthy reign. 'When it moves around like it does, you know, when someone's got a stranglehold, I suppose it always feels more compelling that you've taken it off them,' he says. The Barrett family's Ranfurly Shield history continues with Jordie Barrett (left) and Beauden Barrett taking it back to Taranaki, after beating Canterbury in 2020. Photo / Photosport In the past decade, the Shield has been held by Taranaki, Tasman, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Otago, Canterbury and Waikato. Many of them on multiple occasions. All but two of New Zealand's major provinces have had Shield success since 2004, and ironically, Auckland haven't held it since 2008. Wellington captain Piri Weepu is handed the shield by Auckland captain Ben Atiga in 2008. Auckland haven't held the Shield since. Photo / Photosport Northland and Manawatū have been waiting the longest to reclaim the log of wood. It was Northland who relieved Manawatū of the Shield in 1978 – under supposedly controversial circumstances. Reports from that time suggest the referee played six extra minutes before North Auckland (now Northland) kicked a penalty to lead 12-10. 'Rubbish,' says Sloane. 'When we got the penalty, there was still a little time to go on the clock. 'When we got the penalty, it stemmed from a stoppage of play and there was a lineout. And me being the hooker, while the stoppage was on, I said to the team, 'we've got every chance here, it's just the next mistake - it'll go one way or the other'. Peter Sloane in 1978 after North Auckland took the Ranfurly Shield off Manawatū. Photo / Photosport 'The referee blows time on again and I go over to the lineout and throw the ball in and promptly throw the thing crooked. I was so embarrassed in front of the team. 'So it went 15 in and a scrum. We did a few changes with bigger guys on the right-hand side of the scrum, and I just said push to the right,' says Sloane. 'The halfback kindly fed it in a bit quick and we got a tight head and he got caught offside,' recalls Sloane. Stuart 'Chippie' Semenoff kicked the penalty – his fourth of the match, to put the challengers ahead. 'What a lot of people don't say is that there was a restart and obviously you want to retrieve the kickoff and then kick it out. Well, we didn't. They got the ball back and [Jim] Carroll had a long attempt at a field goal that only just missed,' says Sloane. 'And if that kick would have gone over, no one would be talking about how long it went.' Sloane is hopeful that the current Northland side will get to experience the highs of winning the Shield as well. The shield still has pulling power. Counties captain Fritz Lee (from left), Baden Kerr and Sherwin Stowers with the Shield as fans turned out to line Great South Road in Papakura to see the team parade in 2013. Photo / Photosport 'Perhaps it doesn't mean quite as much as it did in the ′50s, ′60s and ′70s, but certainly something you want to get your hands on. And it can inspire a lot of people,' says Sloane. The greats of the ′80s and ′90s believe the Old Log has new admirers. 'If you ask the players nowadays what the Shield means, I reckon it means just as much to them as it ever has throughout its history. I honestly do,' says Fox. Ash Dixon celebrates victory with the Ranfurly Shield, Otago v Hawkes Bay, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin on October 4, 2020. Photo / Photosport 'It's a special trophy and I think that responsibility is on all of us that have been blessed to be involved in any way to keep those stories alive,' says Penney. 'Long may the Shield continue. It's a remarkable piece of wood,' says Whetton The Shield is alive and well in 2025. Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
Otago Daily Times
20 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Argentine rugby's Queenstown link
Pumas assistant coach Kenny Lynn returns to Argentina next month where they'll play back-to-back Tests against the All Blacks. PHOTO: JAMES ALLAN PHOTOGRAPHY You appreciate how global international rugby's become when one of Argentina's assistant coaches lives in Queenstown. Former Southland Stag and Highlander utility back Kenny Lynn, 42, and his family shifted to Arrow Junction six months ago, after initially moving to Dunedin from France last year. He'd originally moved to France to play for Lyon in 2014 when it was still in the second division. Battling injury in his second year, he joined Lyon's coaching team and eventually became head coach of what's now an established Top 14 side. Last year he joined the Dunedin-based Highlanders as their attack coach, but, only one year into a three-year contract, accepted Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi's out-of-the-blue offer to join his coaching team. "When he first put it to me I obviously thought, 'well, we can't', because we'd just moved from France to New Zealand, we didn't want to move the kids all the way over to Argentina. "But when he said, 'no, it's fine, you can do it from NZ, we'll just fly you over for every Test series', then we just had to work out the calendar and if it was possible with the family and [wife] Becs and her work." Coming in last year as a backs and attack coach, mainly, the Pumas had a good '24, beating the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies in one Rugby Championship season for the first time — and so far they're the only team to have beaten this year's British and Irish Lions, in a warm-up game in Dublin. Along with the Pumas' other coaches, Lynn's contracted to the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and says his job entails just being with the team about four months a year, working remotely the rest of the time. Though learning Spanish, he says their coaches' meetings are all conducted in French — "my Spanish is still a work-on and one of the coaches' English is a real work-on, but all four of us can speak French". As for their Queenstown move, "we were looking at maybe staying in Dunedin and getting a place over here to come in the summers, but we thought, 'why not just give it a go?"' The advantage is Becs' parents live in Queenstown — her dad's legendary former Southland breakfast radio host John 'Boggy' McDowell — and aside from the international airport also being handy, "we'd always wanted to be around here". So far they're loving it — his 8-year-old twin boys play Arrowtown junior rugby, while he's also popped along to two of the Arrowtown Premiers trainings. "In the summer I might be able to help out a little bit more, but we'll see."
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
All Blacks v France in Hamilton: Fans excited to have All Blacks back in town
'It means a lot to have them [come here], I know we only had one All Black come out of this school – Marty Holah – in the mid-90s. So it's a great opportunity for us,' Mills said. 'We were paired up with Christian [Lio-Willie] and he was giving tips about communication, scanning, hands up – just the basics, but that's what you gotta nail to get to that level,' Ticklepenny said. St John's First XV coach Tony Su'a said it had been a huge day for the 'boys'. 'At first, you see that 'oh wow, there is an All Black there' and [then] they're like one of the guys. [The All Blacks] were very encouraging.' Su'a said he was hoping that the students continued to play rugby even after they left high school. 'Things like this just really encourage the love of rugby.' Some students at St John's College Hamilton were treated to a skills and drills session from Emoni Narawa, Cam Roigard and Christian Lio-Willie last month. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer Deputy principal Dominic Kay was also stoked for the students. 'I think just being able to see their heroes and do some passing drills with them is something they remember for a long, long time. 'Being able to connect and show our boys that if you work hard ... that there is a pathway. 'You never know what you could end up doing.' Narawa, an All Blacks winger, said it had been a lot of fun teaching the kids 'the basics of footy'. Image 1 of 12 : Impressions from the All Blacks skills and drills session at St Johns College 2025. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer 'Seeing the smiles on those kids' faces ... That's what we play for. 'They did pretty well and were eager to learn ... I was actually surprised with their skills. 'Seems like NZR [New Zealand Rugby] is in good hands.' There was also a signing session at Centre Place and some fans, including Anne Leonard of Ngātea, Barb Cleland of Hamilton and Whangamatā's Sharon and Stephanie Laurenson were lucky enough to be invited to the captain's run, after Sharon won the tickets at an auction. Barb Cleland, of Hamilton, Sharon Laurenson, of Whangamatā, and Anne Leonard, of Ngātea at the All Blacks Captains' run in Hamilton. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer The group had especially hoped to meet captain Ardie Savea and Will Jordan – with great success. 'It's lovely to see [the All Blacks] up close and personal. Really exciting. We got about 10 photos and autographs,' Sharon Laurenson said. 'It was a different insight into how they train,' Leonard added. Les Bleus enjoyed stay The French last played in New Zealand in 2018. Talking to the Waikato Herald last month, French captain Gaël Fickou said the team enjoyed their recent stay. '[New Zealand] is a very beautiful country with incredible landscapes. We were warmly welcomed and the people were very nice. French captain Gaël Fickou. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer 'We will take home fond memories [of our stay].' The French last played in Hamilton in 1979. This time, the team stayed in the Tron for only two days, instead opting to set up camp in Auckland before that – much to the disappointment of some local fans. The French team told the Waikato Herald the decision had been made by management staff a few months before the test series. When Les Bleus last stayed in New Zealand in 2018, they spent some time in Auckland and 'got to know the training facilities' there, the French said in a statement. Action from thw All Blacks v France, 3rd Test at FMG Stadium, Hamilton. Photo / Brett Phibbs, Photosport As they weren't 'familiar' with Hamilton's facilities and Auckland was just a short drive away, staying in Auckland had been the 'easiest' and most comfortable option. Fickou said due to the short stay in Hamilton, the team didn't have a lot of time to have a proper look around. 'We have mostly been to the hotel and the stadium – which is magnificent. But Hamilton seems to be a very warm, welcoming and friendly city. 'I find the respect that we have in this terrain and in the stands extraordinary. 'We were super well received by everyone and there are a lot of French [fans] here, which makes us very happy.' Despite the losses, Fickou said it was 'always a pleasure' to play the All Blacks. The interview with Gaël Fickou was conducted in French with translation provided by the reporter. Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.
