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.

IRELAND will play a three-Test series against New Zealand for the first time in 2012, as the shape of International Rugby Board-approved tours changed following a new global schedule agreed in the last week.

NEW ZEALAND have named virtually their strongest side – including Richie McCaw and Dan Carter — for Saturday’s clash with England at Twickenham.

FLY HALF Mike Delany will make his New Zealand debut alongside backs Tamati Ellison and Ben Smith in Saturday’s test against Italy at Milan’s San Siro on Saturday.

WALLABIES vice-captain Berrick Barnes has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks after rolling his left ankle at training in Tokyo yesterday.

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

Daniel Carter has been named in the New Zealand starting XV for Saturday’s must-win Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia in Sydney.

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 drew first blood in the 2009 Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations series with an entertaining, hard-fought 22-16 win against Australia in Auckland on Saturday.

New Zealand 22 France 27

England 6 New Zealand 32

IRELAND’S appeal against the three-week suspension handed to flanker Alan Quinlan for stamping has been rejected.

Ireland’s appeal against the three-week suspension handed to flanker Alan Quinlan for stamping has been rejected.

Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Argentina after receiving a three-week ban for stamping.

New Zealand 19 Australia 14

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.

New Zealand stopped the rot and got their Tri-Nations campaign back on track with an emphatic victory against Australia today.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made two changes to his starting line-up for the second match of the Tri-Nations against world champions South Africa on Saturday.

New Zealand extended their unbeaten home run to 30 matches with a gutsy victory over South Africa.

Former South Africa captain Corne Krige has come under fire from current Springboks skipper John Smit for questioning the ability of New Zealand’s Rodney So’oialo.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made four changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s second Test against England in Christchurch.

IT’S PROBABLY the worst feeling in sport to come off the fieldregretting what might have been.

Anthony Tuitavake will make his New Zealand debut on Saturday after being selected on the wing to play in the one-off Test against Ireland in Wellington.

ALL BLACK hopeful Kieran Read has failed to make Graham Henry’s 26-man squad for the Test series against Ireland and England and the Philips Tri Nations.

Auckland flanker Daniel Braid was named New Zealand’s rugby footballer of the year at the New Zealand Rugby Union awards on Thursday.

BYRON KELLEHER last night pleaded for compassion from the New Zealand public as the All Blacks reflected on another failed World Cup.

New Zealand 18 France 20

SCOTLAND coach Frank Hadden insists his side’s schedule in Pool C of the World Cup forced him to field a weakened team against tournament favourites New Zealand at Murrayfield yesterday.

EARLY DAYS and all that but if first impressions count for anything, then New Zealand have set an awesome standard. I was fortunate to be in the Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday where the men in black delivered as clinical a performance as one could expect against respected Six Nations opposition.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry will keep faith with the bulk of his Tri-Nations winning-squad when the World Cup favourites pursue glory in France this autumn.

Former New Zealand captain Reuben Thorne has been recalled to the All Blacks side for their Tri-Nations clash with South Africa in his home city of Christchurch on Saturday.

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

Nick Evans has replaced fly-half Dan Carter in the New Zealand starting line-up for the second Test against France in Wellington on Saturday.

FURTHER evidence that Rugby is going soft? Well, that’s the obvious conclusion when hard-as-nails All Black Carl Hayman was forced to sashay down a catwalk in New Zealand at the behest of the moneymen from adidas.

PRIOR to Saturday’s clash of France and New Zealand I met a number of former French internationals invited to the stadium to celebrate the inaugural game between these two great countries 100 years ago.

New Zealand head coach Graham Henry has made seven changes for Saturday’s clash with Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

South Africa 21 New Zealand 20

New Zealand coach Graham Henry has made eight changes from the All Blacks side that beat Australia in the starting 15 for the Tri-Nations game against South Africa in Wellington.

There were few surprises in the New Zealand squad named to face Australia in Christchurch on Saturday.

Ireland have a worry over full-back Geordan Murphy ahead of Saturday’s second Test against New Zealand in Auckland.

FORMER Irish coach Warren Gatland believes Ireland’s back-row could run into trouble when they meet the All Blacks in Hamilton on Saturday.

South African-born Greg Rawlinson will make his debut for the All Blacks along with Clarke Dermody against Ireland at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday.

South African-born lock Greg Rawlinson has been called into the New Zealand squad ahead of their Tests against Ireland and Argentina.