Three-time champions New Zealand inflicted more World Cup heartbreak on Ireland on Saturday, beating them 28-24 in a tense quarter-final to bring a bitterly disappointing end to Irish captain Johnny Sexton’s stellar career. The All Blacks avenged a historic home series defeat at the hands of Ireland last year, taking their chances when they had...
Kane Williamson marked his return to the World Cup with an undefeated 78 as New Zealand cruised past Bangladesh by eight wickets on Friday but the captain was forced to retire hurt with a thumb injury. Williamson had been sidelined with a serious knee injury picked up during the IPL and sat out New Zealand’s...
Mitchell Santner played a blistering innings and then took five wickets to guide New Zealand to a convincing 99-run win over the Netherlands in a World Cup match in Hyderabad on Monday. The 31-year-old left-hander clubbed a 17-ball 36 not out in New Zealand’s imposing total of 322-7 before achieving figures of 5-59. Santner, the...
New Zealand cantered to the bonus-point victory they needed to secure qualification for the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with an 11-try 73-0 thrashing of Uruguay on Thursday. Fullback Damian McKenzie starred for the All Blacks with a try in each half, two conversions and a brilliant one-handed offload for Will Jordan to score the first...
New Zealand handed defending champions England a nine-wicket thrashing at the Cricket World Cup on Thursday at the start of a marathon tournament likely to dictate the event’s status in the future of the sport. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra smashed centuries to power New Zealand to a crushing win over an England side stripped...
Scrum-half Aaron Smith scored a hat-trick of tries as New Zealand laid down a statement of intent with a 96-17 blitzing of a hapless Italy at the Rugby World Cup on Friday. Captain Ardie Savea, wing Will Jordan and replacement hooker Dane Coles scored two each in the 14-try Pool A rout in Lyon as...
Sam Whitelock is set to break the New Zealand Test appearances record he shares with Richie McCaw after head coach Ian Foster on Wednesday named him on the bench to face Italy at the World Cup. Whitelock is locked on 148 All Black caps with former captain McCaw. “This is a credit to Sam, every...
NDN Staffer PARIS, Sept. 16 — After a disappointing start with a loss to France, the All Blacks were determined to regain their winning form, and they did so emphatically by scoring 11 tries against a valiant but overmatched Namibian team. Cam Roigard, the scrumhalf, made an impactful debut with two tries within the first...
NDN Staffer PARIS, Sept. 16 — Namibia faced a tough challenge in their Rugby World Cup Pool A match against New Zealand, resulting in a 71-3 loss. Despite the scoreline, coach Allister Coetzee sees several positives to take away from the game. Namibia displayed resilience and disrupted New Zealand’s play, leading to the All Blacks...
Live-wire scrum-half Cam Roigard had a field day to help New Zealand to an 11-try 71-3 thrashing of Namibia in the two teams’ second World Cup match in Toulouse on Friday. Roigard scored two tries and set up two more as fly-half Damian McKenzie bagged 26 points to kick start the All Blacks’ tournament after...