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The Star
a day ago
- Sport
- The Star
Rugby-Proud All Black Kirifi keen to sink teeth into Argentina
(Reuters) -Late-blooming flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi is glad the fuss over his test debut is receding in the background so he can focus on cementing his spot in New Zealand's back row in the Rugby Championship. The Hurricanes hard-man soaked up his first All Blacks minutes off the bench against France in Dunedin last month and finished the series with a full match in Hamilton as a late replacement for the starting openside Luke Jacobson. He has retained the All Blacks' number seven jersey for the first test against Argentina in Cordoba on Saturday, beating out a raft of quality loose forwards, including Samipeni Finau, who was named in the reserves. "It's obviously another proud moment, officially being named to start for the first time," Kirifi told reporters in a video call on Friday. "But I'm kind of glad that the first couple of tests are over and all the noise around me becoming an All Black is behind me. "Now I can just focus on training hard and playing well." Named after former South Africa captain Morne du Plessis by a rugby-loving dad, 28-year-old Kirifi has waited a long time for his moment in test rugby. Five years ago he was called up to Ian Foster's All Blacks squad as injury cover but he never got to pull on a jersey. Current coach Scott Robertson also gave him a call-up during the Northern Hemisphere tour last year, but he missed out on selection again. While processing the disappointment, Kirifi flirted with a move overseas to take up a "juicy deal" with a Japanese club which would have meant shelving his test rugby ambitions. Instead, he re-signed with the Hurricanes and New Zealand Rugby in March after his father urged him to give the All Blacks one more crack. Little wonder there were warm cheers when Kirifi took the field in Dunedin and finished his victorious All Blacks debut with a blood-soaked collar from a cut to his ear. Kirifi said post-match he would give the jersey, unwashed, to his father to hang in the hallway of the family home. Starting alongside enforcer Ardie Savea on Saturday, Kirifi will be ready to spill more blood for New Zealand against a ferocious Argentina back row featuring Marcos Kremer and Pablo Matera. "We're pretty aware of the challenge that's in front of us and the environment that we're walking into over the next couple of weeks," he said. "We're really looking forward to sinking our teeth into some pretty solid opposition." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Otago Daily Times
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Depleted All Blacks complete series sweep against France
Du'Plessis Kirifi celebrates after scoring the go-ahead try against France. The All Blacks have come from behind to beat France 29-19 in the third and final test in Hamilton, completing a 3-0 series sweep for the hosts. France opened the scoring, with halfback Nolann Le Garrec diving over from close range, after a lineout drive near the All Blacks tryline. They extended their lead to 10-0 with a penalty goal midway through the first half, but the All Blacks struck back almost immediately, with halfback Cortez Ratima kicking into space and wing Will Jordan winning the race to the ball to score next to the posts. Will Jordan charges forward. The try was converted, reducing France's lead to 10-7, but the tourists snapped a drop goal to make it a six-point game. The All Blacks were the next to score with a penalty goal, but the visitors soon restored their advantage with a penalty of their own, before kicking another to go ahead 19-10. The hosts would score a controversial try to midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown well after the halftime hooter to cut France's lead to 19-17 at the break. Fabian Holland collects the ball from a lineout. There looked to have been a clear forward pass in the lead-up to the try, but the referee and touch judges missed it, much to the annoyance of French fans at FMG Stadium The first points of the second half weren't scored until the 58th minute, when All Blacks flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi dotted down for a try, after Sevu Reece stripped a French player of the ball in the in-goal area. The All Blacks led for the first time, with the unconverted try putting them ahead 22-19 with 20 minutes to go. They extended their lead to 29-19 with a converted try to debutant and reserve hooker Brodie McAlister, and the score wouldn't change from there, as the hosts claimed a scrappy victory at Kirikiroa.
Otago Daily Times
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
All Blacks complete series sweep against France
Du'Plessis Kirifi celebrates after scoring the go-ahead try against France. The All Blacks have come from behind to beat France 29-19 in the third and final test in Hamilton, completing a 3-0 series sweep for the hosts. France opened the scoring, with halfback Nolann Le Garrec diving over from close range, after a lineout drive near the All Blacks tryline. They extended their lead to 10-0 with a penalty goal midway through the first half, but the All Blacks struck back almost immediately, with halfback Cortez Ratima kicking into space and wing Will Jordan winning the race to the ball to score next to the posts. Will Jordan charges forward. The try was converted, reducing France's lead to 10-7, but the tourists snapped a drop goal to make it a six-point game. The All Blacks were the next to score with a penalty goal, but the visitors soon restored their advantage with a penalty of their own, before kicking another to go ahead 19-10. The hosts would score a controversial try to midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown well after the halftime hooter to cut France's lead to 19-17 at the break. Fabian Holland collects the ball from a lineout. There looked to have been a clear forward pass in the lead-up to the try, but the referee and touch judges missed it, much to the annoyance of French fans at FMG Stadium The first points of the second half weren't scored until the 58th minute, when All Blacks flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi dotted down for a try, after Sevu Reece stripped a French player of the ball in the in-goal area. The All Blacks led for the first time, with the unconverted try putting them ahead 22-19 with 20 minutes to go. They extended their lead to 29-19 with a converted try to debutant and reserve hooker Brodie McAlister, and the score wouldn't change from there, as the hosts claimed a scrappy victory at Kirikiroa.
Otago Daily Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Blood-soaked and full of pride
This is one jersey going straight to the pool room. And it may not even get washed. Du'Plessis Kirifi shed blood for the cause as he made his debut for the All Blacks in Dunedin on Saturday night — and he had a white collar soaked red to prove it. His 30-minute cameo off the bench included all the energy and bustle we have come to expect of the 93-game Hurricanes veteran, and spilling a touch of claret was a small price to pay for the greatest moment of his career. "It's going to get framed, and it's probably going to go to my dad," Kirifi said when asked what he had planned for his first black jersey. "Unwashed, too." Kirifi was one of four players on debut for the All Blacks in the 31-27 win in the first test against France. The rugby passed by in a blur, but he said he treasured everything about the experience. "Just the whole night. The bus, getting changed in the official changing room for the first time, the national anthem. "What a proud moment, you know. Being able to represent your country in front of your country is special. "To be able to get out and perform the haka — that's something you used to do when you were 7, 8, 9 years old. "So there were a heap of special moments to go with playing alongside some lifelong friends of mine, and winning, and being able to go into the crowd and see my mum and dad." It had been an intense week leading up to the first test for Kirifi and fellow forwards Fabian Holland, Christian Lio-Willie and Ollie Norris. But the 28-year-old openside flanker took everything in his stride. "I guess one of my points of difference is I'm not 21, 22 anymore. I've been doing this for nine-odd years, so although it was my debut, and there was a little bit of nervousness, it comes with a lot of belief and confidence in my work ethic and my ability to just do my job. "I've had plenty of texts and phone calls left unanswered. I will slowly get back to some people. "I'm definitely feeling the love." Kirifi said there was immense respect in the All Blacks for how the French challenged them. While the game appeared in the balance for much of the second half, the home side had "massive belief" they were not going to let the test slip. "We had confidence in our plan, and also just trust. "When you're hard on defence, you look across the line, you can hear boys talking, you can see their body language and their eyes up — when you see that, it's hard not to be confident. "You're not sure how it's going to end. They may end up scoring. But when you see the body language and the chat, it fills you with a lot of confidence." Kirifi would treasure a start on his home ground in the second test in Wellington this weekend, and it will be interesting to see whether the All Blacks do any tinkering in the loose forwards. Some sort of announcement is expected today on whether captain Scott Barrett could be out for some time after tweaking his Achilles in Dunedin. If he is a goner, Ardie Savea will presumably be captain, and Holland can expect another start at lock.
1News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Beauden in box seat: All Blacks likely to opt for continuity
Analysis: The selectors will probably go for proven combinations in Dunedin but there could be opportunities for two newcomers, writes Patrick McKendry. Not many would have predicted the exact make-up of Scott Robertson's first squad of the year, but guessing his first match-day 23 of 2025, which he will name in just over a week, is likely to be far easier. For all the excitement over the five newcomers in his squad of 33, Robertson and his fellow selectors will almost certainly go with experience against the French in Dunedin for the first Test a week on Saturday. That's not to say a couple of them — and potentially Chiefs loosehead prop Ollie Norris and Hurricanes loose forward Du'Plessis Kirifi — won't feature. Much will depend on how the seven Crusaders and 11 Chiefs players in the squad back up after their torrid Super Rugby Pacific grand final in Christchurch last weekend. ADVERTISEMENT Loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams played in that match despite a minor meniscal (knee) tear and may be on light duties next week which could open the door for Norris to make his Test debut off the bench under the roof. Likewise, Chiefs loose forward Luke Jacobson is unlikely to be available due to his head knock in the final. Jacobson, his face bloodied afterwards, also lost a tooth. As a result, Crusader Christian Lio-Willie has joined the squad as injury cover. Jacobson's recent travails may provide an opportunity for Kirifi, one of the more heart-warming stories of Robertson's squad announcement in rural Taranaki on Monday. At the start of the year, the 28-year-old thought long and hard about his plans before deciding to fully commit to his dream of becoming an All Black, and after being on the selectors' radar for the last three or four years, he is on the brink of a Test cap. Such has been Kirifi's maturity this season as a Hurricanes' co-captain, it is difficult to see him unduly fazed by a potential bench role in the first Test – and his skillset as a proven turnover winner makes him an ideal impact player. The make-up of the bench – and the potential impact those eight players provide – is a priority for the coaching staff this year after they watched the All Blacks spurn halftime leads in all four defeats last year. A blood-soaked Du'Plessis Kirifi carries the ball against Moana Pasifika last month. (Source: Photosport) ADVERTISEMENT They were up 20-15 against Argentina in Wellington (a 38-30 loss), 12-11 against South Africa in Johannesburg (31-27 loss), and 9-3 against the Boks in Cape Town (18-12 loss). One of the more gut-wrenching would have been the defeat to France in Paris in November when the All Blacks were up 17-10 at halftime, only to concede two converted tries in 12 minutes after the break to lose 30-29. After missing the previous Test against Ireland in Dublin due to a head injury, Beauden Barrett played at No.10 in Paris and again against Italy in Turin a week later in his team's final Test of the year. Of all Robertson's selections, the name of the man wearing the No.10 jersey will again be the most highly anticipated but it would surprise if Barrett does not start the year as he finished the last. Damian McKenzie filled in superbly in Dublin to help the All Blacks to victory over an Irish team who are probably now New Zealand's greatest rivals after South Africa, given their recent history. But McKenzie, who started at first-five in the first eight Tests of Robertson's first year, was usurped by Barrett after the All Blacks' narrow victory over the Wallabies in Sydney in September and has been forced to play back-up to Barrett since. McKenzie also suffered the recent misfortune to play No.10 in a Chiefs team which lost its third consecutive Super Rugby grand final, while Barrett's form in the second half of the season has been excellent – he was particularly good in the head-to-head battle against McKenzie in the Blues' last-gasp qualifier victory in Hamilton. ADVERTISEMENT Such is Barrett's influence as a leader in the squad alongside skipper and brother Scott, and other brother Jordie, a vice-captain, it's difficult to see anyone other than the 34-year-old, who has played 134 Tests, starting in that pivotal position a week on Saturday. Billy Proctor, in action for the All Blacks against Japan last year, could earn his third cap in the first Test against France. (Source: Photosport) The third back reserve, after McKenzie and back-up halfback Cortez Ratima, is harder to predict but the selectors will almost certainly dip into their deep resource of six midfielders here. Billy Proctor would appear a good fit, with Rieko Ioane potentially shifting from centre to left wing during the Test to accommodate him. Otherwise, the team virtually names itself, with Samipeni Finau almost certain to play blindside flanker alongside No.8 Sititi and openside flanker Ardie Savea in the wake of Sam Cane's departure. The French are bringing an inexperienced 37-man squad for the three Tests, with only six players possessing 18 or more caps – the average is 9.3 per player. With so many players unavailable, coach Fabian Galthie is in building mode - a state that would make an All Blacks defeat over the next few weeks all the more unpalatable. Potential All Blacks match-day team for the first Test against France 1. Ethan de Groot, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Scott Barrett ©, 5. Tupou Vaa'i, 6. Samipeni Finau, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Wallace Sititi, 9. Cam Roigard, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Jordie Barrett, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Will Jordan. Reserves: 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Tamaiti Williams/Ollie Norris, 18. Fletcher Newell, 19. Patrick Tuipulotu, 20. Du'Plessis Kirifi, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Damian McKenzie, 23. Billy Proctor.
