Newly appointed New Zealand Under 20 coach Tom Donnelly will cast his eye over New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) next generation of stars in Taupo next week during the second edition of the Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby Under-20 tournament.
Sitting seven points clear of the DHL Super Rugby Pacific pack, the Blues know the value a win over the second-placed Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday would provide heading into the playoffs.
Reds coach and former World Cup-winning All Black Brad Thorn said his side paid the cost of missing far too many tackles in their 26-53 DHL Super Rugby Pacific loss to the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday.
Blues backs Stephen Perofeta and Beauden Barrett are fast becoming DHL Super Rugby Pacific’s most effective one-two punch and the younger half of the dynamic duo has revealed clear, simple communication is the not-so-secret key to their success this season.
New Zealand sides achieved a clean sweep of wins in round 13 of DHL Super Rugby Pacific at the weekend, although it took a last minute try, in the last game, for the Chiefs to complete the sequence.
Start early, keep at it and develop a simple process was the advice for junior rugby players from Highlanders first five Sam Gilbert after he knocked over a perfect 8/8 conversions to guide his team to a 61-10 win over the Western Force in Dunedin on Friday night.
Facing Australia's best three teams over the next three rounds of DHL Super Rugby Pacific, starting with the Reds in their final round-robin game in Auckland on Saturday, will be a next-level step for the Blues.
The Gallagher Chiefs have named a strong side to travel to Melbourne to take on the Rebels at AMII Park on Sunday. With a 4pm kickoff (NZ time), the Gallagher Chiefs are chasing a vital game as they push for a top-four spot and home field advantage for the upcoming playoffs in DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
Three games remain for the Chiefs to lift their DHL Super Rugby performance to a more competitive level, and the Rebels on Sunday in Melbourne will be the next challenge for the side.