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The South African
2 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Argentina vs All Blacks - Saturday, 16 August 2025
New Zealand may be favourites on paper, but the aura of guaranteed victory is long gone as they face a resurgent Argentina in their Rugby Championship opener at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 23:10 (SA time). While the All Blacks boast a dominant historical record – winning 28 of the first 29 matches between the two sides – the Pumas have claimed three victories in their last 10 encounters, including memorable wins in Christchurch and Wellington. 'We want to play fast and be really strong at the set-pieces,' said All Black prop Fletcher Newell, noting that the team is still working to 'find its identity' under new head coach Scott Robertson. Robertson has selected Beauden Barrett at flyhalf ahead of Damian McKenzie, citing Barrett's experience and game management. 'Beauden's in great form, so he gets picked,' said Robertson. 'DMac is one of the best players in the game to come off the bench and change the pace. It's a great balance.' The All Blacks head into this clash off a 3-0 Test series win over France, though the visitors were missing key stars like Antoine Dupont. In contrast, Argentina's form remains erratic – having stunned the British & Irish Lions in Dublin before falling to a weakened England in back-to-back home defeats. Robertson acknowledged the role of the raucous Argentine crowd, even taking his players to a local football match for a taste of the intensity. 'They can get a lot of momentum from the energy of the crowd,' Robertson said. 'That's why we're here, that's what we love. South America – you've got that passion.' Argentina loose forward Marcos Kremer believes the key to victory lies in forward dominance. 'The key is to give our backs a plentiful supply of ball. They have the ability to cause problems for any opponents,' he said. With a blend of youthful hunger and seasoned leadership, this opening match promises to be a fierce battle, as the All Blacks aim to set the tone in the southern hemisphere's most prestigious competition – but they'll do so knowing that Argentina can no longer be underestimated. New Zealand to win by 8 points 15 Juan Cruz Mallía, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Bautista Delguy, 10 Tomás Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo García, 8 Joaquín Oviedo, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Pedro Rubiolo, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Pedro Delgado, 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 1 Mayco Vivas Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 18 Joel Sclavi, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Juan Martín González, 21 Simón Benítez Cruz, 22 Santiago Carreras, 23 Justo Piccardo 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Du'Plessis Kirifi, 6 Tupou Vaa'i, 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Pasilio Tosi, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Damian McKenzie Date: Saturday, 16 August Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba Kick-off: 21:10 (SA time) Referee: Pierre Brousset (France) Assistant referees: Nic Berry (Australia), Morné Ferreira (South Africa) TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
RNZ News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Prop Fletcher Newell the latest All Black to re-commit to NZ Rugby
Fletcher Newell. Photo: Kerry Marshall / All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders to after the 2027 World Cup. The front rower will remain in Aotearoa to the end of 2028. Newell made his All Blacks debut in 2022 and has played 25 tests, scoring one try. He played in all three tests in the recent 3-0 series win over France, starting the first two matches. Born and raised in Rangiora, Newell joined the Crusaders Academy in 2018 whilst studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce at Lincoln University. He made his Crusaders debut in 2021. "I'm extremely grateful to re-sign with the Crusaders, it's a team I grew up watching as a young kid. I've played rugby for as long as I can remember and would come to the games when I was a wee one," Newell said. "I just love this team, and I wouldn't want to be with anyone else All Blacks prop Fletcher Newell in action against Argentina. Photo: photosport "We've got an amazing culture here at the Crusaders; not just the players, but all the management and back-room staff. You turn up every day, everyone wants to work hard for each other, which is one of my values that we all share. I just love coming in every day and working with these guys," he says. "It means the world to me. Growing up wanting to be a Crusader and now being one, I'm just extremely grateful." Chris Lendrum, NZR general manager professional rugby and performance said Newell's re-signing was a boost for New Zealand Rugby. "Fletcher is a young man with a bright future and his success so far is a mark of both his talent and dedication to his craft as he's moved through the high-performance system from the New Zealand U20s in 2019 through the All Blacks. "We look forward to watching his continued development and progression in coming seasons." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The All Blacks just hang on to beat an under-strength France team 31-27 in the 1st test
New Zealand's Ardie Savea runs at the defence during their rugby test against France in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) Tom Spring of France is tackled by New Zealand's Fletcher Newell during their rugby test against France in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) New Zealand's Will Jordan scores a trytheir rugby test against France in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) Romain Taofifenua of France loses the ball forward as he is tackled by New Zeakand's Quinn Tupaea during their rugby test in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) Romain Taofifenua of France loses the ball forward as he is tackled by New Zeakand's Quinn Tupaea during their rugby test in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) New Zealand's Ardie Savea runs at the defence during their rugby test against France in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) Tom Spring of France is tackled by New Zealand's Fletcher Newell during their rugby test against France in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) New Zealand's Will Jordan scores a trytheir rugby test against France in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) Romain Taofifenua of France loses the ball forward as he is tackled by New Zeakand's Quinn Tupaea during their rugby test in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP) DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — A French team lacking most of the leading players from its recent Six Nations victory fully stretched New Zealand before succumbing 31-27 in the first test on Saturday to trail 1-0 in the three-test series. France was a massive underdog with eight new caps in its lineup against the proven combinations of the three-time world champions. Advertisement But France scored the first 10 points of the match, including the opening try through Mickael Guillard, and stuck with the All Blacks throughout, counter-punching every time New Zealand scored. Critics had angrily condemned France's decision to leave most of its top players at home because the tour of New Zealand conflicted with the end of the French club season. A mostly young and inexperienced French team fully answered those criticisms on Saturday. 'There was a lot of outside noise saying we'd come out, we'd take 50, we didn't have the strength to play against a team like that,' France's Canada-born lock Tyler Duguid said. 'We showed a lot of spirit tonight. We knew we'd come out with a lot of intensity and come out all together and what we lack in experience we can bring out with some spirit.' France won most of the mini battles within the match: in the air, at the breakdown and in the collisions, while the All Blacks produced another spiritless performance under head coach Scott Robertson. Advertisement The All Blacks looked best when they were able to lift the tempo, as they did to score tries through fullback Will Jordan and backrower Tupuo Vaa'i to take their first lead in the match at 14-10. But they were unable to keep that up through the match because of frequent errors and the resilience of the French defense. Jordan scored a second try and center Jordie Barrett also touched down. But the All Blacks had tries disallowed to Barrett, Jordan and center Billy Proctor. Barrett's try put the All Blacks ahead 21-13 at halftime. France scored through Gabin Villiere to start the second half after the All Blacks spilt the restart. Advertisement And when Jordan put the All Blacks ahead 28-20, France responded again through Cameron Woki who restored the one-point margin. At that point the All Blacks were forced into the humbling position of having to shoot for goal to establish a safe four-point to avoid being vulnerable to a late penalty. 'It was quite tight towards the end,' All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said. 'We certainly created enough opportunities did well to hang into the game and it went right down to the wire.' The All Blacks lost winger Sevu Reece to a head knock in the first minute of the match and had to reorganize their backline with Damian McKenzie coming in at fullback. But that was little excuse for the disorganized, undisciplined and error-ridden performance they produced. The All Blacks lacked physicality and leadership as they have done repeatedly under Robertson's coaching. Advertisement The French pack was superb and they were inspired by outstanding performances among the backs from fullback Theo Attisogbe, who was constantly elusive, and centers Emilien Gailleton and Gael Fikou. All three of those backs were instrumental in France's first try. Lock Fabian Holland, the first player from the Netherlands to play for the All Blacks, had a strong debut and Vaa'i also was consistent. The All Blacks backline lacked coherence and may need rearrangement before the next test. The teams meet against in Wellington next Saturday and in Hamilton a week later. ___ AP rugby:
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
All Blacks countdown: The fine margins of the scrum
All Blacks v France Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 5 July Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Live blog updates on RNZ Sport There's a wild rumour flying around about the Super Rugby Pacific final , but Fletcher Newell has cleared it up. The Crusaders conceded penalties on the first two scrums of the game, only to then take complete control of the Chiefs' scrum for the remainder of the game, culminating in a couple of match clinching penalties. Word was that the Crusaders had done so on purpose, which would be a wily but on brand act to lull their opponents into a false sense of security. However Newell said that the reality of the eventual 19-12 win to the Crusaders was a little less dramatic. "That's not true, nah definitely not. It probably took us a couple of scrums to execute our plan. We had a pretty clear plan going into the game," he said at the All Blacks' hotel. "It was probably just a couple of little technicalities we didn't quite get right. Probably the gap was a little bit big, they saw we were collapsing on the hit. So, once we got that right, we're able to keep both teams up. We saw the power of our back five to be able to get us through and it turned into a pretty pivotal part of the final, which was really enjoyable." Fletcher Newell. Photo: Martin Hunter/ The 25-year-old Newell's attention now focuses to the All Blacks' three test series with France , starting this Saturday night in Dunedin. After the emotional high of the Crusaders' redemption championship, he has had his training load managed after playing the entirety of both the semi and final. Such a shift is rare for a modern day front rower, but Newell isn't fussed. "I think for me, just playing rugby is really important. Stacking weeks on weeks and I know last year we missed a few weeks before the first test, you kind of fall out of that routine a bit. So, I think for me, like being in routine and to be able to just keep stacking training weeks is really important physically." Newell pointed out that the test match intensity of the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs was the perfect pre-cursor to the test season, although it will still require a step up. "It's a little bit more difficult. Obviously, there's a lot of experienced players around us, but I think it's just having that courage to, to tell them what we need. I think that's really important part of being a tighthead prop as well, you've got to communicate with everyone on the field, have those little simple adjustments and be able to execute it under pressure." That includes communicating directly with the likes of Scott Barrett to push harder in the scrums, on the surface a rather unenviable situation. "We have built up that trust, throughout Super Rugby. And then also when we come in here, we're encouraged to speak what we need to say." The All Black scrum has been one of the success stories of the last few seasons, however has suffered the loss this week of Tamaiti Williams , who is out with a knee injury for the next six to eight weeks. Newell is well aware of just how crucial the scrum will once again be, and how it will be adjudicated throughout the season. "Obviously there's a lot of a lot of moving parts and it is a really tough thing to be out for a referee who's under a lot of pressure to be able to make a call in a big moment. What we've got to do to give the ref clear pictures, stay really nice and square and show both sides going forward. So the more we can do that and show dominance, we're confident in the referee to make that decision."
NZ Herald
06-06-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Crusaders v Reds live updates: Super Rugby qualifying round
The Crusaders host the Reds in the first qualifying round match of the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs. Crusaders team to face the Reds The Crusaders will be bolstered with the return of All Black Will Jordan as they host the Reds on Friday night in the first match of a new-look Super Rugby Pacific playoffs format. The 27-year-old will don the fullback jersey after almost a month on the sidelines with a knee injury, in one of four changes made by coach Rob Penney to the starting lineup that edged the Brumbies 33-31 in Canberra at the weekend. The Crusaders' front row stocks have also been strengthened, with All Black Fletcher Newell named at tighthead prop and Kershawl Sykes-Martin on the bench after both nursing injuries. The midfield combination of captain David Havili and Braydon Ennor returns to round out the changes made to the starting XV. While the Crusaders sit comfortably in second place heading into the qualifying finals, their spot in the Super Rugby Pacific semifinals is not guaranteed. If they lose to the Reds on Friday and the Blues upset the Chiefs in Hamilton, the Crusaders' season will be over. Crusaders: 1. Tamaiti Williams, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Fletcher Newell, 4. Scott Barrett, 5. Antonio Shalfoon, 6. Ethan Blackadder, 7. Tom Christie, 8. Christian Lio-Willie, 9. Noah Hotham, 10. Rivez Reihana, 11. Sevu Reece, 12. David Havili (c), 13. Braydon Ennor, 14. Chay Fihaki, 15. Will Jordan. Bench: 16. George Bell, 17. George Bower, 18. Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 19. Tahlor Cahill, 20. Cullen Grace, 21. Kyle Preston, 22. James O'Connor, 23. Dallas McLeod.
