All Blacks

Paisami, 21,was born in Samoa but grew up in Auckland before moving to Melbourne with his family as a 17-year-old.

"My favourite player was Ma'a Nonu because he could do everything ... ball-carry, pass, kick, he was unreal," he told Brisbane's Courier Mail this week ahead of Friday night's game against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

The Courier Mail claimed Paisami - 1.80m and 92kg and devoid of dreadlocks - is no "mini-Ma'a" yet, but the tyro midfielder's first memory of rugby was watching Nonu at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the 21-year-old will sign a four-year deal with the Newcastle Knights, worth a staggering $4.5m.

However according to the report, the fullback’s new contract will include an option that would allow him to try his hand at rugby and attempt to crack the All Blacks’ side for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Born in Western Australia, Ponga spent five years in New Zealand from the age of eight years old until 13 and has Maori heritage through his Kiwi parents.

The Welsh Rugby Union announced their traditional November fixtures this morning with the All Blacks and world champion South Africans two of the four opponents named.

The other two sides are Fiji and Argentina.

After facing Fiji  on November 7 Wales will take on the All Blacks on November 14 in Cardiff at 5:30pm local time.

It will be the third time Wales faces the All Blacks this year with Pivac and his men touring New Zealand in July for a two-Test series.

The news comes on the back of the 22-year-old's breakout season last year.  Reece was called into the Crusaders as a replacement before joining the squad fulltime. His blistering pace and sharp finishing saw him top the try-scoring chart for the Super Rugby season with 15 tries.

His year got better when he was picked for the All Blacks for the Rugby Championship, and then the Rugby World Cup squad.  He played seven tests in total in 2019, including four matches at RWC2019, and scored four tries.

The All Blacks will meet Scotland at the famous Edinburgh ground on November 21, their first test at Murrayfield since escaping with a 22-17 victory in 2017.

It will be the second meeting between the two sides this year, with Scotland travelling to Dunedin for a one-off test in July. The Scots' last played the All Blacks on New Zealand soil in 2000.

With the Murrayfield announcement, the All Blacks' end-of-year schedule is beginning to take shape.

Unfortunately for Hurricanes supporters and fans of Savea’s all-action style, the loose forward won’t make a Super Rugby appearance until well into the second half of the season but confirmed yesterday he was committed to the space age eyewear which caused a storm at last year’s World Cup.

The confirmation will add even more interest to the 26-year-old’s eventual return, not least from new All Blacks coach Ian Foster.

Cane has co-captained alongside Charlie Ngatai, Aaron Cruden and Brodie Retallick for the past four seasons, but will take the reins on his own this year. 

"Sam has co-captained the Chiefs since 2016," explained Gatland. "He is an experienced campaigner who is well respected by the players and management. 

"We believe it was important to identify one person this season to lead the team and that individual would be supported by the team's leadership group."

The 37-year-old, a member of New Zealand's Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 2011, has this week joined the Chiefs as a replacement player.

The former Highlanders, Reds and Rebels loose forward played for Otago in last season's Mitre 10 Cup after a four-year stint in Japan with the Canon Eagles.

A Chiefs spokesperson told Stuff he was only signed on as All Blacks cover until early February at this stage, but said it was "highly likely" he would play in Friday's pre-season match against the Blues in Waihi. 

Such selections often reflect a regional bias, but All Blacks dominated Wales Online rugby correspondent Andy Howell's XV.

McCaw and Carter were joined by wings Ben Smith and Julian Savea, midfielder Ma'a Nonu, No 8 Kieran Read, lock Brodie Retallick and frontrowers Dane Coles and Owen Franks.

Of McCaw's selection, Howell wrote that there were other standout openside flankers in the 2010s, but "unfortunately for them, they have been eclipsed by one of the greatest rugby players in history. A world record 148 caps for the All Blacks says everything about McCaw."

Scarlets and New Zealand Rugby confirmed Mooar's appointment, looking after the attack, yesterday.

He completes Ian Foster's coaching team.

Scarlets general manager of rugby Jon Daniels said when they recruited Mooar both had a long-term plan, but he and the rest of the coaching staff had set the club on a path.

Daniels said Scarlets and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) would explore partnership opportunities with each other as part of the agreement to release Mooar.