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.

NEW ZEALAND head coach Graham Henry hailed the All Blacks’ 20-6 destruction of Australia in the Rugby World Cup semi-final as “outstanding”.

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.

A STONY-FACED Graham Henry drew a line under reports All Blacks had been drinking in the build-up to yesterday’s World Cup quarter-final, saying he had “dealt with it”.

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.

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.

SOUTH AFRICAN rugby has reversed its policy of refusing to play against the New Zealand Maori, paving the way for match-ups between the two sides.

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.

WITH a year to go to Rugby World Cup 2011, tournament organisers in New Zealand says preparations are well on track, despite last week’s earthquake near Christchurch.

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.

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 lock Victor Matfield was yesterday despairing at the way Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland have policed the breakdown, following his side’s second successive Tri Nations defeat to New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.

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).

SOUTH AFRICA lock Bakkies Botha has apologised to his team-mates after being banned for his head-butt on New Zealand scrum-half Jimmy Cowan.

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.

SOUTH Africa coach Peter de Villiers has described Morne Steyn as a match winner after calling up the fly-half to replace the injured Ruan Pienaar for Saturday’s Tri-Nations Test match with New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND were left to lament costly errors after going down 28-19 to South Africa in the Tri-Nations match in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

TOBY FLOOD steps into the number 10 limelight vacated by Danny Cipriani at Twickenham on Saturday determined to make some publicity of his own.

GRAHAM HENRY expects “the kitchen sink” from Wales on Saturday when they attempt to derail New Zealand’s potential grand slam tour.

AS EXPECTED, coach Graham Henry has made a number of changes to the All Black team that enjoyed a big win over Italy last Saturday for this weekend’s meeting with World Cup minnows Portugal.

New Zealand have been forced to make late changes to their side for tomorrow’s World Cup Pool C encounter with Italy in Marseille.

World Cup favourites New Zealand will parade their big guns in Saturday’s Pool C opener against Italy.

Canterbury duo Greg Somerville and Andrew Ellis have overcome injury to seal places in New Zealand’s World Cup squad.

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.

THE All Blacks defended using security guards to ward off spies at training after yesterday naming their “A team” to face Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.

New Zealand flanker Richie McCaw has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Test against England at Twickenham.

New Zealand head coach Graham Henry has named Sitiveni Sivivatu and Doug Howlett on the wings for Saturday’s highly-anticipated clash with England at Twickenham.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has named an entirely different starting XV for Saturday’s clash with Ireland from the side that beat Wales last weekend.

ALL BLACKS captain Tana Umaga may be shielded from playing in front of irate Irish rugby fans next month as coach Graham Henry looks to keep his players’ workloads in check during a rare Grand Slam tour.

John Lewis

IF Munster’s pre-season form is anything to go by, then the team will improve on last year, according to centre Rob Henderson.

Luke McAlister is undaunted by the challenge of stepping into New Zealand hero Dan Carter’s boots for the final Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

LIONS captain Brian O’Driscoll is relishing the chance to quickly atone for his side’s defeat to the New Zealand Maori against Wellington on Wednesday.

New Zealand 91 Fiji 0

A SLIGHTLY experimental All Blacks will face Fiji in their first test of the year tomorrow as coach Graham Henry fine-tunes the side ahead of the three-test Lions series.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry today named two new caps in the side to face Wales in Saturday’s Test at the Millennium Stadium.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry was true to his word today when he named his team to face England in Dunedin on Saturday.