AT last, the waiting is over. The Rugby World Cup squads have been announced and the players can get down to the business of fine-tuning their games for the challenges ahead.

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 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 winger Hosea Gear is not taking a place in the All Blacks World Cup squad for granted, despite scoring five tries in four games on their Grand Slam tour of the Home Unions.

Wales 25 New Zealand 37

TO HAVE any chance of competing against this New Zealand side, Ireland will have to make life difficult for them at the breakdown this evening at the Aviva Stadium.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named his side to face Ireland in the 2010 Guinness Series at the Aviva Stadium.

HALFWAY through his team’s bid to complete another Grand Slam tour Graham Henry is anticipating a much tougher examination next weekend than the All Blacks were subjected to at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Scotland 3 New Zealand 49

England 16 New Zealand 26

New Zealand’s new “superman” Sonny Bill Williams revealed today how Jonny Wilkinson inspired his remarkable rise from rookie centre to All Blacks international.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has defended the selection of under-fire winger Joe Rokocoko in his squad for the Tri-Nations opener against South Africa next weekend.

John Afoa, Corey Flynn, Liam Messam and Ma'a Nonu have been recalled to the New Zealand squad for the Tri-Nations series with Australia and South Africa.

FT New Zealand Maori 35 England 28

Hosea Gear is looking forward to getting some game time with the Wellington Lions after a frustrating few weeks on the sidelines with New Zealand.

AUSTRALIA ended their six-match tour with a hard-fought 18-11 win over the Barbarians in the Olympic Centenary match at Wembley last night.

NEW Zealand coach Graham Henry revealed the decision to play Dan Carter at inside centre for the historic Bledisloe Cup match with Australia on Saturday was one borne out of necessity.

WITH all the hype surrounding Munster’s game against New Zealand, it was interesting to watch their Magners League clash with Ulster on Saturday.

Australia 20 New Zealand 15

Wellington forwards John Schwalger and Ross Filipo will make their New Zealand debuts against Canada in Hamilton on Saturday.

Ireland A coach Michael Bradley has warned England A they must be ruthless if they are to have any hope of toppling the New Zealand Maori in Saturday’s Churchill Cup final.

IRELAND A’S hopes of making the Churchill Cup final were left in tatters as the New Zealand Maori ran in seven tries in a one-sided contest at Sandy Park.

Ireland A 22 New Zealand Maori 50

NEW Zealand rugby selectors picked scrum-half Brendon Leonard and prop John Schwalger for the first time and omitted winger Rico Gear for the All Blacks’ final matches before the World Cup.

Uncapped duo Brendon Leonard and John Schwalger have been called up to the New Zealand squad for the Tests against France, Canada and the upcoming Tri-Nations tournament.

ENGLAND’S record Twickenham crowd of 82,000 witnessed a record-breaking occasion — but for all the wrong reasons as New Zealand underlined their credentials as overwhelming World Cup favourites.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has intervened in the on-going saga surrounding All Black winger Rico Gear’s future.

New Zealand Maori 27 Ireland A 6

Scotland 10 New Zealand 29

FULL-BACK Geordan Murphy has challenged his team-mates to make Irish rugby history by claiming our first victory over New Zealand.

Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy has challenged his team-mates to make Irish rugby history by claiming the nation’s first victory over New Zealand.

Wales 3 New Zealand 41

South Africa 22 New Zealand 16

New Zealand 38 British and Irish Lions 19

The Lions suffered a ’blackwash’ in New Zealand for only the third time in their history today after a painful tour ended with defeat in the final Test of the series.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry is satisfied the fall-out from the incident involving Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll and his opposite number Tana Umaga has not had a negative effect on his team in the build-up to the second Test in Wellington on Saturday.

WINGER Sitivei Sivivatu, hooker Derren Witcombe and lock James Ryan will make their test debuts for New Zealand against Fiji on Friday after the trio were confirmed as starters in a new-look All Blacks side.

Barbarians 19 New Zealand 47

New Zealand Maori 9