It will be no comfort to Declan Kidney as he prepares for a three-Test series in New Zealand but Sky Sports analyst Stuart Barnes believes the Ireland head coach has the hardest job in international rugby.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry today named an unchanged team for Sunday’s World Cup final against France at Eden Park.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named an unchanged team for Sunday’s World Cup final against France at Eden Park.

MATCH-WINNING Australia flanker David Pocock has laughed off suggestions he is a cheat in the wake of his dominant World Cup performance against South Africa.

NEW ZEALAND rolled over Canada in their World Cup encounter in Pool A in Wellington but the performance of Dan Carter’s replacement gave the All Blacks cause for concern.

GRAHAM HENRY will take charge of his 100th All Blacks Test match when New Zealand conclude their World Cup Pool A campaign against Canada in Wellington tomorrow (3.30am Irish time).

PLAYING old rivals France in a World Cup clash at Eden Park is the perfect scenario to become the first All Black to win 100 caps, New Zealand captain Richie McCaw said last night.

FIRST, something we expected — a New Zealand win.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry has announced his 30-man squad for the Rugby World Cup with no place for quintet Sitiveni Sivivatu, Wyatt Crockett, Liam Messam, Jarrad Hoeata and Hosea Gear.

NEW ZEALAND are determined to avoid an upset like that suffered by Australia last week when they get their season underway in a test against Fiji in Dunedin this morning.

Canterbury fly-half Colin Slade has won the battle to be Aaron Cruden’s back-up for New Zealand’s final Tri Nations match against Australia in Sydney on September 11.

GRAHAM HENRY expects his New Zealand side to face a much-changed South Africa one when the two countries meet in the Tri-Nations on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND have made three changes to the side that hammered Australia 49-28 in Melbourne on Saturday for this weekend’s return match in Christchurch.

SOUTH AFRICA out-half Morne Steyn insists there will be no knee-jerk reaction to last week’s Tri Nations destruction at the hands of the All Blacks when the sides meet again in Wellington tomorrow (8.35am).

WHILE the Super 14 is more commonly associated with dazzling backs and fingertip handling, it’s the forward-oriented pursuit of the lineout that is the primary focus at international level as the 2010 Tri Nations hovers into view.

BALANCE.

Wellington scrum-half Piri Weepu will captain New Zealand for the first time against Munster at Thomond Park.