New Zealand coach Graham Henry praised an impressive showing by Sonny Bill Williams after the All Blacks romped to an 83-7 victory over Japan at Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium.

New Zealand 83 Japan 7

New Zealand head coach Graham Henry insisted he was not prepared to gamble on the fitness of captain Richie McCaw and full-back Mils Muliaina for the World Cup Pool A clash with Japan in Hamilton.

FIRST, something we expected — a New Zealand win.

New Zealand 41 Tonga 10

A number of New Zealand fringe players have been given their chance to impress along with a solid mix of experience for Friday’s World Cup opener against Tonga.

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.

ANOTHER back-three speedster will miss the World Cup after it emerged Scotland wing Nikki Walker’s knee injury suffered against Italy on Saturday will rule him out of the tournament.

A host of fringe players will get the chance to stake a final claim for a place in New Zealand’s World Cup squad after being named in the starting XV for Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with South Africa.

Former All Blacks lock Ali Williams begins his quest to regain his international place in earnest when starting in the Blues’ side which will play the Crusaders at Eden Park on Saturday night.

Wales 25 New Zealand 37

Wales 25 New Zealand 37

New Zealand have restored hooker Keven Mealamu to their starting line-up for Saturday’s potential Grand Slam-clinching clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

NEW ZEALAND are not exactly the ideal visitors for a team scrambling for form and confidence, but All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith is of the belief Ireland are far from the fading force their results would suggest.

NEW ZEALAND will enter the second match of their autumn Grand Slam quest with Scotland today without Keven Mealamu after the hooker’s appeal against his four-week ban was only partially successful.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made four changes to his starting XI from the team that beat England last weekend for Saturday’s Test against Scotland at Murrayfield.

New Zealand wing Sitiveni Sivivatu has been ruled out of the All Blacks’ tour of Britain and Ireland after suffering a knee injury.

Fly-half Dan Carter returns to the New Zealand side for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia but there is no place in Graham Henry’s 22-man squad for Sonny Bill Williams.

Former rugby league star Sonny Bill Williams has been named in New Zealand’s 30-man squad for their end-of-season tour of the northern hemisphere but there is no place for Aaron Cruden, Robbie Fruean or Colin Slade.

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.

IT’S THE same question every year. As sure as Cork and Kerry will produce a draw in the Munster football championship, we speculate as to who from the home nations is capable of producing any kind of a win on the annual summer sojourns to the southern hemisphere.

INJURIES and rich Super 14 form have prodded All Blacks coach Graham Henry into picking three new caps for the starting team for the Irish Test on Saturday, along with three more on the reserves bench.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry clearly has one eye on the future when naming rising stars Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg and Victor Vito in his squad for Tests against Ireland and Wales next month.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry had one eye on the future when he named rising stars Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg and Victor Vito in his squad for Tests against Ireland and Wales next month.

New Zealand have lost another midfield prospect for their upcoming Test matches against Ireland and Wales with Richard Kahui ruled out for three weeks with a rib cartilage injury.

Luke McAlister will be available for New Zealand’s end of year tour after an MRI scan on his injured ankle confirmed the damage was not as serious as first thought.

Tamati Ellison’s chances of making the New Zealand squad for the upcoming end of year tour have been given a big boost following Isaia Toeava’s latest stress fracture injury.

New Zealand 33 Australia 6

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry has made five changes and two positional switches to his starting line-up for the dead rubber Tri-Nations match against Australia in Wellington.

New Zealand 29 South Africa 32

Stephen Donald will start at inside centre for New Zealand in Saturday’s Tri-Nations showdown with South Africa in Hamilton.

The absence of injured duo Luke McAlister and Conrad Smith has left New Zealand's coaches with a selection headache ahead of next month's Tri-Nations Tests against South Africa and Australia.

New Zealand midfielders Luke McAlister and Conrad Smith have been ruled out of the remainder of the Tri-Nations series due to injuries they sustained in the nail-biting 19-18 victory over Australia last weekend.

Dan Carter has been called into the New Zealand squad for the remainder of the team's Tri-Nations campaign.

New Zealand 27 Italy 6

Munster 16 New Zealand 18

THE GREAT New Zealand wing Joe Rokocoko is the only starting member of Saturday’s All Blacks XV at Croke Park included in the lineup for tomorrow night’s clash with Munster at Thomond Park.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has given Ireland full respect by going for his strongest available side ahead of the meeting with Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

MILS MULIAINA will go straight into New Zealand’s test team against Ireland next Saturday as the All Blacks look to stiffen their selections for the most difficult tests of the tour.

New Zealand 19 Australia 14

AUSTRALIA and New Zealand yesterday squabbled over their line-ups for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match with the All Blacks claiming star player Dan Carter was being deliberately targeted.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named seven new players in his 35-man squad for the autumn tour to Hong Kong and Europe.

Brad Thorn, Sitiveni Sivivatu and captain Richie McCaw have been recalled to the New Zealand starting line-up for the Tri-Nations decider against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.