All Blacks v Italy Stat Attack

By Peter Marriott The All Blacks played Italy this past weekend - some facts and figures from that game below. New Zealand v Italy: Won 47-9 New Zealand and Italy first met at test level at Eden Park in Auckland on 22 May 1987. It was the opening match of the inaugural

George Serrallach and the Evolution of Rugby Analysis

By Adam Julian It’s November 1999 and the baggage carousel rumbles at Heathrow Airport. Weary All Blacks collect their luggage after the long haul across hemispheres. Technical advisor Wayne Smith waits anxiously for a meandering 43kg parcel marked Oversize and Fragile to reach him. Inside two cases, attached to wheels, is ‘Battlestar,’

Aisle be Back: When in Rome

By Kevin McCarthy I don’t know definitively that the refereeing delays in the All Blacks win over Wales were longer than usual. I certainly am not going to sit here and do a rewind with stopwatch in hand. Probably I just hit peak TMO, that feeling that surely I didn’t sign

Aisle be Back: bread from heaven

By Kevin McCarthy The roof will be on, so there’ll be no raining on the parade of Beauden Barrett this Sunday in Cardiff. No surprise that he would be handed his 100th cap at a prestige venue, rather than against Italy a week later. However, coach Foster is clear that this

All Blacks v USA: Stat Attack

By Peter Marriott The All Blacks met the USA in Washington this past weekend - some facts and figures from New Zealand v United States: Won 104-14 New Zealand and the United States first met at test level at California Field in Berkeley, California, on 15 November 1913.The home side was then