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Report: New Zealand to kick off season with game against Pacific XV featuring former and future All Blacks
By Online Editors
While there's hope that a new Pacific Island side could be included in a Super Rugby replacement as early as 2021, it appears that players of Pacific heritage could get a chance to tackle the All Blacks as early as the coming international season.
According to 1 News, a Tana Umaga-coached Pacific XV could be the New Zealand national side's first challenge of the year, with South Auckland's Mount Smart being lined up to host the game.
Umaga would likely be joined in the coaches box by fellow former All Blacks Aaron Mauger and Ben Afeaki while a slew of current and former Super Rugby Aotearoa players are expected to make up the squad.
The likes of Hurricanes fetcher Du'Plessis Kirifi and Blues loose forward Akira Ioane are both reported to be lined up to play for the Pacific XV, providing they aren't selected in the All Blacks squad.
Former NZ-based stars Julian Savea, Ma'a Nonu and Nasi Manu are also all touted to feature.
The Rugby Championship, likely hosted solely in New Zealand, is tentatively scheduled to kick off on November 7 but there's a reasonable chance that the All Blacks could square off with the Wallabies in a pair of Bledisloe matches expected to be held prior to the TRC.
New Zealand last played a Pacific Islands composite side in 2004. That team was comprised of players still eligible to represent Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, however.
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The first half penalties against NZ were for speculative tackling because England were attacking so flat. If NZ didn't do this then it may have been tries and not penalties conceded earlier. I believe Felix Jones is still helping with the transition online. It was quite clear he wasn't helping in person with Earls in particular shooting up and leaving huge holes. NZ had a few that nearly stuck but the two tries by Telea were defensive errors. Furbank biting on Sititi leaving Genge to mark. Genge wont show Telea the outside again. Poor tacking on Telea for the second. That said he is a hard man to grab hold of.
Isolating Genge was clever for Jordans try. NZ spotted he defended wide too often and they could leave a gap with that switch play. 6 day turnaround for Ireland now.
I imagine NZ will be better, but they will need to be a lot better.
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