Injury highs and lows for All Blacks ahead of Chamionship
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RNZ News
20 minutes ago
- RNZ News
'Massive challenge': All Blacks braced for Argentine onslaught
Pumas v All Blacks Kick-off: 9:10am Sunday 17 August (NZT) Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba Live blog updates on RNZ The All Blacks are anticipating a battle this weekend in Córdoba against an Argentinean side looking to make history with their first win in front of their home fans. Fullback Will Jordan is expecting "a lot of passion" from the Pumas , who come in of the back of victories over the All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks, France and the British & Irish Lions in the past 12 months. "In the Rugby Championship over the last few years, they've really challenged us," said Jordan. "Particularly in the first games, we've lost the last couple of those in The Rugby Championship against them. So we know the first 20 minutes is going be important to try and silence will be a loud home crowd." It will be the first time the All Blacks have played a test match in Argentina's second-largest city, although tour matches have been played in Córdoba in the past. Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, named for the great hero of Argentina's maiden FIFA World Cup win in 1978, fits an impressive 57,000 capacity and will be full for the match on Sunday morning. The All Blacks got a taste of what it was like to be in an Argentine football crowd over the weekend, with a large group of players attending a match between Boca Juniors and Racing Club in Buenos Aires. "It's my first time ever in Argentina and first time at a soccer match," said Jordan. Leandro Paredes of Boca Juniors takes a corner kick at Estadio Alberto J. Armando, Buenos Aires. Photo:"So it was pretty impressive. The boys were searching up the songs and chants the crowd was singing, that was cool to experience and I'm sure it'll be something similar come Saturday." Assistant coach Jason Holland described the opening match of The Rugby Championship as a "massive challenge". "The balance in their game at the moment is really good, they have a good ability to attack us across the field, certainly physically through the middle. We know we need to be really accurate with what we do to give them as little attacking opportunities as possible," said Holland. Argentina players celebrate a try, Rugby Championship, New Zealand All Blacks v Argentina. Photo: Kerry Marshall / It is highly likely we'll see a full strength All Black lineup this weekend, albeit still without the injured Tamaiti Williams and Wallace Sititi. Scott Robertson confirmed on Monday that the pair will not be considered till next week, with Fletcher Newell expected to start at prop and Tupou Vaa'i to carry on his blindside role. The areas of interest are who will back up Cortez Ratima at halfback, given that Finlay Christie and Kyle Preston are both injury replacements, and whether Robertson pulls the trigger on young wing Leroy Carter given that Caleb Clarke is still out with an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Pumas coach Felipe Contepomi has recalled Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia, Franco Molina and Joel Sclavi, who were all rested for the recent series with England. Albornoz was commanding in the Pumas' breakthrough 28-24 win over the British & Irish Lions in Dublin and has now established himself as the team's permanent first five. There will once again be a familiar face hunting down All Black ball carriers in the form of loose forward Pablo Matera, who won a Super Rugby title with the Crusaders under Robertson in 2022. "I think they're a really strong side," said Jordan. "If you go back a couple of months ago now when they beat the Lions…they're certainly powerhouse of world rugby at the moment. So coming over here, we know it's going to be huge challenge."
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Duplantis 'incredible for the sport' says NZ pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, known as Mondo Duplantis. Photo: FREDRIK SANDBERG / AFP New Zealand pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart says having a front row seat to one of athletics biggest super stars has been inspirational. McTaggart continued her impressive form by finishing second at the latest World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series event in Budapest Wednesday morning. Not long after her event, Sweden's Mondo Duplantis continued to take men's pole vault to another level at the Hungarian Grand Prix meeting. Duplantis broke his own pole vault world record with a clearance of 6.29 metres - the 13th time he has set a new world mark. The double-Olympic champion improved on his previous record by one centimetre, surpassing the mark he set in Stockholm in June. The 25-year-old first broke the world record in 2020, with his leap of 6.17 beating the previous record set by Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie six years earlier. McTaggart said everybody knows when Duplantis enters a stadium. "Oh yeah you do for sure, especially with his intros he gets that little bit louder of a cheer. And then when he's going for those world records, the stadium just absolutely lights up, that's what he's able to do. "He's an absolute phenomenon and he's been incredible for the sport and is just reaching those absolute new heights every time and there's really no limit on that guy, we don't know what he's going to get up to." McTaggart missed his record on Wednesday but was sure there will be more. "I was on the way back on the bus and I saw the results and realised he got the world record, unfortunately I wasn't in the stadium but he's only 25 so he's got a bit to go in his career and there'll be many more records that I will be able to see in the future I'm sure." McTaggart, who is the same age as Duplantis, first met him about eight years ago before he started dominating the sport. "We were both little 17 year-olds in the early days at a few German competitions. He's super down to earth and he chats to all of us and we can sit down and have lunch at different competitions and meets when all the pole vaulters are in the same area. "So down to earth, great guy and for how well he's done and the success he's got, he's humble beyond belief so it's pretty impressive." Pole vaulting is in the Duplantis family. His father Greg is a former pole vaulter and his sister Johanna competed in Budapest, finishing eighth in one of her biggest competitions to date. "It was cool for her to get that experience and to be here with her brother, giving her a little bit of advice I'm sure and to see him win the world record." Olivia McTaggart Photo: Simon Stacpoole / McTaggart cleared 4.67m on Wednesday morning, behind the winner Tina Sutej of Slovenia who crossed at a height of 4.73m at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial. Fellow New Zealander Imogen Ayris finished sixth in Budapest with a height of 4.51m. Last month McTaggart produced the performance of her career in winning the Diamond League event in London with a lifetime best of 4.73m. "I had a 71, 73, and now a 67 today and today was actually my fourth biggest height so it's good to see that I'm getting back up in the upper quartile of my jumps in my career. The consistency and first attempts are just placing me a lot higher lately, which is awesome." Why are things clicking? "A lot of what this comes down to is just consistency and being able to be injury free for a while. I've got a really good programme and working with my coach on just getting faster, stronger, fitter, and jumping higher with my technique. We just needed a little bit of time to get that consistency in training, I've never been training better. "I think it's also my mentality and there's a maturity that's really come into my competitions, which is just staying a lot more calm and controlled. I've always wanted to be process over outcome-driven but hadn't quite got there in how to execute it and I think I've finally found what that is for me to be able to stay consistent and feel confident in competition and believe myself to be able to do it." McTaggart spends four or five months a year training at Loughborough University in the heart of the East Midlands, where her British coach Scott Simpson is based. Simpson has been coaching McTaggart and fellow Kiwis Imogen Ayris and Eliza McCartney since late 2023. He also coaches British pole vaulter Molly Caudery, the 2024 world indoor champion. "She was coached by him originally and then us Kiwis kind of invaded and now he's got four of us," McTaggart laughs. "He's sort of renowned as one of the best pole vault coaches and Athletics New Zealand were looking for a new coach so it all made sense, we came over to Loughborough to try it out, he came to New Zealand for a little bit. He did really well to get the three of us to the Olympic final last year." McTaggart's next big event is the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next month.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
OFC U16 women's final: Samoa ready to challenge defending champs New Zealand
Samoa's Breanna Kitiona and New Zealand's Ameila Hitchcock ready for the OFC 2025 U16 Women's Championship at the Samoa Football HQ Apia. 13 August 2025 Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Samoa's national under-16 women's soccer team captain is confident her side will be able to hold its own against New Zealand when the two teams clash in the final of the Oceania Football confederation (OFC) 2025 Under-16 Women's Championship in Apia on Thursday. Playing at home and currently riding high after securing their second FIFA Under-17 World Cup spot in two years, Samoa has been the in-form team at the tournament, alongside the favourites and defending champions New Zealand. New Zealand has represented Oceania at the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup seven times, finishing third in 2018. While the junior Football Ferns are tipped to win the final again, there is an air of silent confidence in the Samoan camp. Playing at home makes the occasion even more special for Kitiona and the team. "It's exciting to do it here in Samoa and represent our country and villages," Samoa captain Breanna Kitiona told OFC on Wednesday. "We've seen what New Zealand can do and I can't wait to see what they bring. "I think it's been really exciting to see every team grow here. It's very special to be on home soil, playing against so many different styles of play, and I can't wait for tomorrow." Samoa's Makeli Leonard and Fiji's Teonila Levuiciva tussle for possession during the OFC U16 Women's Championship on Monday. 4 August 2025 Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Her head coach Juan Chang Urrea, who has now guided Samoa to back-to-back finals and consecutive FIFA Under-17 World Cup berths, said his team has stayed committed and had self belief. "We feel blessed to be here at home," he said. "It's a double blessing to play in the final. Hopefully, we create a pathway for Samoa football. "New Zealand is a tough opponent, so we have to bring our A game tomorrow." He said the unity in his squad and their commitment to the plan deserves praise. "Bringing our team together from different parts of the world is not easy, but the girls believe in what we do,"he stated. "All credit goes to them. We've had several camps this year, and it's great to see that investment paying off. "For tomorrow, we are excited but also realistic. We are at home, but New Zealand is a tough opponent. We must bring our A-game." The team's semi-final 5-0 win over Solomon Islands on Monday sent them into the OFC final and secured them a world cup spot next year. Samoa's Madison Cahill and Tahiti's Moerani More during their OFC 2025 U16 Women's Championship in Apia. 7 August 2025. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / New Zealand captain Amelia Hitchcock said the final clash will be tough. "It's been really good, a really fun tournament," she told OFC. "Playing in the final is going to be hard but we're up for the challenge." New Zealand coach Alana Gunn said Samoa in the final will be a different challenge. "The tournament's been great," the coach said. "For this group of players, it's provided a good level of challenge on and off the pitch, which is always good from a development perspective. "Obviously, there's a tough opponent in Samoa, looking strong through pool play. It's another timely challenge for these girls to test their resilience and ability to back up after a tough couple of weeks." The final will be preceded by the third place play-off between losing semi-finalists Solomon Islands and New Caledonia. Meanwhile, Tahiti closed out their campaign in seventh spot, defeating American Samoa 2-0. In another upset at the event, Tonga defeated Fiji 1-0 to claim fifth spot. India-May Mann sealed the win for Tonga with a 70th minute strike.
