All Blacks

It was a case of men against boys in Pukekohe, as the world champions prepared for next weekend's Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship opener against Australia with a 57-7 first-up demolition of Taranaki and then a 49-0 win over the Steelers.

Earlier, Counties defeated Taranaki 28-7.

Handed a licence to attack and entertain, Steve Hansen's troops threw the ball around willingly and ran at every opportunity.

Barrett made his debut for the All Blacks against Samoa early this year and started at fullback in the final test against the British and Irish Lions.

The 20-year-old suffered the injury in the Hurricanes Super Rugby semi-final loss to the Lions in Johannesburg and will require surgery, which means he won't be back in 2017.

"It's a pretty clear cut injury. The ligament has come off and it's basic reattachment," said assistant coach Ian Foster.

Fifty four test veteran Savea has been dropped by the selectors from the 33-man squad unveiled for the Rugby Championship series which begins with next week's Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia in Sydney.

Savea, the scorer of 46 test tries, has struggled this year, facing the Lions in the third Test only.

He lacked zip with the Hurricanes and was named on the bench for their Super Rugby semi-final loss to South Africa's Lions.

Williams was suspended for four weeks for a charge on Lions wing Anthony Watson - it was hoped he would be able to serve the ban before the Rugby Championship.

RNZI reports World Rugby has confirmed the suspension is for four matches.

Since a hearing on July 2nd, World Rugby says the disciplinary committee had been receiving and reviewing additional submissions and evidence from the player's side relating to his upcoming schedule of matches.

Crotty, who's preparing to return from injury for the Crusaders' Super Rugby quarter final match against the Highlanders on Saturday, has also signed on with Canterbury for another year.

The 28-year-old has played 27 tests for the All Blacks, including the first test against the British and Irish Lions last month, and has played 119 Super Rugby games for the Crusaders.

Crotty admitted he considered overseas options but chose to stay in New Zealand.

The Lions levelled the series with victory in Wellington last Saturday after the All Blacks had won the first test.

Phillips, who played in five Lions tests across two tours in 2009 and 2013, is confident that Warren Gatland's side can do the business in the deciding test at Eden Park which "isn't an intimidating ground", and become the first Lions team to win a series in New Zealand since 1971.

France were the last winners at Eden Park 23 years ago and the All Blacks have won their last 38 matches at their Auckland fortress.

Speedsters Rieko Ioane and Waisake Naholo are out, and Israel Dagg has been shifted from fullback to the right wing.

They'll meet an unchanged Lions starting line-up and bench - with captain Sam Warburton again leading the 23 who won the second test - as coach Warren Gatland sticks to his winning formula.

 It's the first time since 1992 that the Lions have kept the same starting 23 for consecutive tests.

Jordie Barrett is thrown into a pressure-cooker role at fullback in what will be the 20-year old's first Test start.

After being comfortably beaten in the first Test, Gatland made changes for the second match and it brought the desired result as the tourists recorded a 24-21 win.

And they will all get the chance to finish the job at Eden Park after the Lions coach named an unchanged squad.

That means Sam Warburton will again lead the Lions, with Maro Itoje and Alun Wyn Jones set to renew their outstanding partnership in the second row.

Your Lions to face @AllBlacks in the series decider are...

The blockbuster series in New Zealand will be decided by a third and final game at Eden Park on Saturday after the Lions rallied to beat the world champions 24-21 in Wellington last week.

Gatland's Lions capitalised on Sonny Bill Williams' red card in the first half as Owen Farrell kicked a late penalty to level the three-match series at 1-1.

And Gatland believes the visiting Lions have what it takes to claim a series victory over the All Blacks for the first time since 1971.

The cross-code star was sent off with just 25 minutes on the clock during Saturday's match, after catching Lions wing Anthony Watson flush on the head with a shoulder charge.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen confirmed Williams would plead guilty to a charge of unnecessary contact with the head when he faced a hearing at the New Zealand Rugby offices in Wellington on Sunday.

That hearing resulted in a four-week suspension being imposed on the centre, whose place in the All Blacks' squad for next weekend's decisive third Test has been taken by Malakai Fekitoa.