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”.

THE All Blacks have praised Ireland for knocking the arrogance out of the Tri Nations sides following their victory over Australia on Saturday.

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 yesterday.

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 30 Australia 14

THE touch judge who mistakenly advised Jonathan Kaplan to award Wales’ try against Ireland on Saturday is likely to be sanctioned by the IRB today.

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.

PROP Tendai Mtawarira is a doubt for South Africa’s clash with England at Twickenham on Saturday after missing training yesterday with a medial knee ligament strain.

THIS evening’s Ireland versus New Zealand match represents an occasion laden with milestones.

Keven Mealamu will watch from the stand as New Zealand meet Scotland at Murrayfield today, safe in the knowledge that he may still have a part to play in the All Blacks’ bid for the Grand Slam.

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 hooker Keven Mealamu has had his four-week ban for striking an opponent with his head reduced to two weeks following an appeal hearing in Edinburgh today.

ENGLAND captain Lewis Moody has denied provoking Keven Mealamu into launching a flying head-butt at him during last weekend’s Test at Twickenham.

Australia 26 New Zealand 24

ROBBIE DEANS has faced pressure before, but the vultures are circling after Saturday’s disaster in Melbourne.

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

Keven Mealamu is under no illusions that the Tri-Nations series will present far greater challenges for New Zealand than they have encountered against either Ireland or Wales so far this month.

New Zealand 42 Wales 9

New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu is to undergo surgery on a ruptured chest muscle and will be out of rugby for at least four months.

New Zealand’s injury concerns ahead of their Tri-Nations clash with South Africa have eased after skipper Richie McCaw, centre Conrad Smith, lock Isaac Ross and hooker Keven Mealamu all came through the team’s light training session in Centurion yesterday.

New Zealand 14 France 10

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry is not concerned about the lack of experience in his side to face Scotland today.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry has refused to get into a war of words with South Africa counterpart Peter de Villiers after the latter accused the All Blacks of cheating in the scrums.

A MAJOR talking point in the lead-up to the All Black’s game against Portugal on Saturday has been the physical disparity between the teams.

A HAT-TRICK of tries for Munster-bound winger Doug Howlett — to draw him level with Christian Cullen at the top of the All-Black try-scoring charts — was the good news for Irish fans after this rout in Marseille on Saturday.

New Zealand assistant coach Steve Hansen has returned home from the World Cup to be with his ill mother.

AUSTRALIA have recalled full-back Chris Latham for the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup showdown against the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.

THE ALL BLACKS have been forced to call up the seventh and eighth locks on their pecking order yesterday, after Ali Williams and Keith Robinson joined a growing list of seriously injured middle row forwards.

HEADING back up the boreen towards the hut on the hills on my regular daily constitutional yesterday morning, it was heartening to see the long shadow being cast before me, almost the first occasion this year.

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.

DAN CARTER will start New Zealand’s clash with England at Twickenham after fly-half Nick Evans failed a fitness test.

New Zealand got their Tri-Nations campaign off to a positive start by cruising to victory over Australia in the opening game of this year’s series in Christchurch.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll claims he has no axe to grind with Keven Mealamu in the forthcoming Test series against New Zealand.

ALL BLACK Keven Mealamu hopes next month’s visit to New Zealand by Brian O’Driscoll and Ireland will finally provide him with a sense of closure after his prominent part in the tackle on the Lions skipper last year.

CARL HAYMAN was the toast of the All Blacks following his epic duel with England prop Andy Sheridan on Saturday.

All Blacks coach, Graham Henry, fields an entirely different team in today's rugby test against Ireland from that which trounced Wales last weekend.

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.

Ireland flanker Simon Easterby has vowed his side will not seek retribution against New Zealand for the tackle which forced captain Brian O’Driscoll out of the November Tests.

WITH Tana Umaga sitting out Saturday’s game, all Irish eyes are now likely to focus on Keven Mealamu, but the All Black hooker is relishing the prospect of running out at Lansdowne Road to what will probably be a hostile reception.

PREPARE for lift-off when flight NZ1 touches down at Heathrow Airport today — the All Blacks will be in town.

THE International Rugby Board (IRB) insist the Brian O’Driscoll spear-tackle case is “done and dusted” — but will use new footage of the incident as an example to referees of the sort of ‘illegal ’conduct to clamp down on in future.

The International Rugby Board insists the Brian O’Driscoll spear tackle case is “done and dusted” – but will use new footage of the incident as an example to referees of the sort of “illegal” conduct to clamp down on in future.