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14 All Blacks released to play NPC quarter-finals
By Ben Smith
14 All Blacks have been released from the squad to play in this weekend's NPC quarter-finals, including halfback TJ Perenara who will play for the Wellington Lions against Counties.
The quarter-final will give Perenara at least one more home game at Sky Stadium before heading to Japan at the conclusion of the All Blacks end of year tour.
Three other All Blacks, Ruben Love, Asafo Aumua and Billy Proctor will join Perenara for the top-seeded Lions do-or-die clash.
Perenara will go head-to-head with Hurricanes teammate Cam Roigard, who was named to return in the All Blacks squad this week, for an intriguing battle of the No 9s.
In the Hawke's Bay versus Bay of Plenty quarter-final, only one All Black will feature in Pasilio Tosi.
Taranaki versus Waikato will see Stephen Perofeta, Luke Jacobson, and Samipeni Finau line up in New Plymouth.
In Sunday's battle between the two Crusaders' feeder provinces, five All Blacks will feature for Tasman and Canterbury.
Ethan Blackadder and David Havili will turn out for the Mako, while George Bell, Fletcher Newell and Sam Darry will play for Canterbury.
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Latest Comments
I'm not meaning to criticise the players, it's a professional game, this is their livelihood so all power to them. I am aiming criticism at the selectors. Italy is the perfect opportunity to give players of the future a game such as Lakai, Love etc. There is a finite number of tests until the next world cup to develop the team, we are wasting one today.
Go to commentsThe Crusaders have signed a few "senior pros" recently. Smart recruitment to pass knowledge on to younger players or an indication that the much vaunted Kiwi player pipeline is in decline?
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