There have never been as many questions coming out of a Rugby World Cup for the Home Nations. That is probably a good thing, we won’t just be going with the hot hand like we did in 2005.
I do my own thing.
This World Cup lark (which has only been around since 1987) pales in comparison to the magnitude of a British Lions tour of the antipodes (which have been around since 1888). I’m going to give it a bit of thought and post up my current test XV over the next day or two.
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Please use this thread to log all news of New Zealand rugby, incorporating international test matches, Super Rugby, National Provincial Championship and Ranfurly Shield matches, from now until the conclusion of the 2017 British Loins tour.
Revised Test XV as of 18/10/15:
- Jack McGrath (Ireland)
- Rory Best (Ireland)
- Dan Cole (England)
- Johnnie Gray (Scotland)
- Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
- Sam Warburton (Wales)
- Sean O’Brien (Ireland)
- Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
- Greig Laidlaw (Scotland)
- Dan Biggar (Wales)
- Tom Seymour (Scotland)
- Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)
- Jonathan Joseph (England)
- Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland)
- Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
New Zealand update:
• Canterbury reclaimed New Zealand’s ITM Cup (formerly known as the National Provincial Championship) on Saturday, beating old rivals Auckland 25-23 in Christchurch to win the title for the seventh time in eight years. Ryan Crotty, who narrowly missed out on All Black selection for the World Cup, played a starring role.
• But the talk of New Zealand was this try for Wanganui in the final of the Heartland Championship (the third level of provincial rugby), which helped them to a 28-11 win over South Canterbury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QClbEGSzGk
• Waikato hold the biggest prize of all, the Ranfurly Shield, into next year, with all challenges for 2015 now over. They will next defend the “Log O’ Wood” in their first home match of 2016.
• New Zealand take on Australia in Saturday’s World Cup final. The prestige of British Loins rugby will be enhanced either way. A New Zealand victory means the 2017 series will be against the reigning world champions, while an Australian victory retrospectively bestows even more greatness on the 2013 series victory for the Loins, as it will, in that case, have been against the next world champions, in a similar manner to the 1989 series win.
Adidas are OUT.
Canterbury are IN.
I’d have preferred Cotton Oxford personally.
Great news. Adidas’s departure had been well flagged. They were always a bit too common for my liking, anyway. I’m pleased that a traditional rugby brand in Canterbury has got the contract rather than Under Armour, who have made a dog’s dinner of the Welsh playing kit over the last decade and had been rumoured to be the front runners.
Excellent news. Canterbury make a very nice shirt
adidas carried the brand in the 90’s however and should never be forgotten for this outstanding effort, shame about the logo mind.
John Feehan is a legend
97 and 01 were both beautiful kits. 97 was one of the last proper rugby jerseys where as 01 had a nice modern design to it and proper material.
Apart from the ntl logo that was their finest effort. Name the guy being hugged by Keith Wood?
Henderson… you fool.
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I knew the answer, I was asking the question…
Their old shirts were lovely. I’m not as big a fan of the new ones with crap collars and light material
Hendo loved to fish.
Lets see what they come up with. Doesn’t really matter, going to get 7 shades of shite knocked out of them by New Zealand in any case…
