Well, the All Blacks have beaten the French XV side by 5 points in a midweek game at Groupama Stadium over in Lyon in preparation for the test this Sunday morning against Scotland over in Murrayfield in Edinburgh with a news report:
The All Blacks have beaten a rugged French selection XV 28-23 in Lyon and laid the foundation for future success in the process, according to coach Steve Hansen.
A hugely inexperienced New Zealand team trailed 15-14 at halftime in a physical contest before gaining some control soon after the break.
Hansen was delighted his team held its nerve as the final quarter descended into a testy affair and the French scored to close the margin while debut centre Jack Goodhue was in the sin bin for taking out a support runner.
Hansen wanted to assess his next wave of talent in an international cauldron and got the acid test he wanted from a committed home team. That a New Zealand side featuring nine uncapped players and boasting just 150 caps between them clung on could only be positive for the future, he said.
"Everyone put their hand up. You can go right through the group and I think everybody did what we asked them to do and enhanced their reputations," Hansen said.
"The confidence that will give some of those guys, you can't buy. Some of these guys may not get their opportunity until after 2019."
Among New Zealand's best was halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow, in possibly his last game before taking up a French club contract. Hansen said the nuggety Chiefs No.9 he will be missed.
"He's been in outstanding form most of his All Blacks career, I reckon. Do we want him to leave? No. But he's made that decision so then we've got to decide what we do."
Burly flanker Liam Squire shook off the effects of a virus which ruled him out Saturday's 38-18 Test win over France in Paris and unleashed a muscular display to prove he is ready to face Scotland in Edinburgh this weekend.
"I thought he was really physical and punishing with his defence," Hansen said.
The All Blacks' first-half tries were fine team efforts, with both converted from the sideline by first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga.
Squire crossed in the left corner in the 11th minute and Matt Duffie in the right in the 24th, the first All Blacks try for the former Melbourne Storm NRL winger. On both occasions France responded with a try to winger Gabriel Lacroix, the second a 70m intercept effort following a long, loose pass from Ngani Laumape.
Playing with more precision in the third quarter, the visitors create close-range tries to lock Patrick Tuipulotu and Laumape to power 28-15 ahead. The 14-man All Blacks couldn't stop centre Henry Chavancy crossing but were able to hold out the passionate hosts over the final seven minutes.
And the All Blacks team has been named to take on Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh so here is the starting lineup:
FRONT ROW
1 (Loose head prop): Kane Hames (Tasman/Chiefs)
2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders)
3 (Tight head prop): Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs)
SECOND ROW
4 (Lock): Luke Romano (Canterbury/Crusaders)
5 (Lock): Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders)
BACK ROW
6 (Blindside Flanker): Vaea Fifita (Wellington/Hurricanes)
7 (Openside Flanker): Sam Cane (Bay Of Plenty/Chiefs)
8 (Number 8): Kieran Read (Captain, Counties Manukau/Crusaders)
HALVES
9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders)
10 (First five eighth): Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes)
MIDFIELD
12 (Second five eighth): Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues)
13 (Centre): Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders)
OUTSIDE BACKS
11 (Left Wing): Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues)
14 (Right Wing): Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders)
& 15 (Fullback): Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs)
And in the reserves are:
16. Nathan Harris (Who replaces Asafo Aumua with Codie Taylor being elevated into the starting lineup to replace the injured Dane Coles who had to return home)
17. Wyatt Crockett (Who replaces Atu Moli for this clash)
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
19. Liam Squire (Who replaces Scott Barrett for this one after a comfortable performance against France XV by overcoming a virus)
20. Matt Todd (Who replaces Akira Ioane to take his place back by covering the openside flanker position)
21. TJ Perenara (Who has replaced Dillon Hunt to cover at halfback)
22. Lima Sopoaga (Who is dropped to the bench to replace Mitchell Drummond to cover at first five)
& 23. Anton Lienert-Brown (Who has replaced Richie Mo'unga to cover at the midfield position).
And the hosts for the 2023 Rugby World Cup goes to France (For only the 2nd time because they 1st hosted it in 2007 a decade ago) as announced by the sport's governing body World Rugby as favourites Ireland had been eliminated during the 1st round of voting before France outperformed the other favourite South Africa in the last round of voting then the decision came from World Rugby as France (Who were clear outsiders to host the 2023 tournament) revealed that they are hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup (And the French were like: Vive la France! Oui, oui, oui (Yeah, yeah, yeah), merci beaucoup (Thanks very much). Because they were ecstatic & happy about it, so relieved especially the legend of the game, Sebastian 'Caveman/Seabass' Chabal (He was part of France's world cup bidding mastermind for 2023) because it was in fact a shock decision I have to say because not only favourites Ireland were out in the 1st round of voting then another favourite South Africa crashed out in the last round of voting).
And finally here are the list of national teams qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup next year in Russia (And their star men):
Argentina (Lionel Messi)
Australia (Tim Cahill)
Belgium (Eden Hazard)
Brazil (Neymar)
Colombia (James Rodriguez)
Costa Rica (Giancarlo Gonzalez)
Croatia (Luka Modric)
Denmark (Christian Eriksen)
Egypt (Mohamed Salah)
England (Harry Kane)
France (Antoine Griezmann)
Germany (Toni Kroos)
Iceland (Gylfi Sigurdsson)
Iran (Sardur Azmoun)
Japan (Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa & Shinji Okazaki)
Korea Republic (Son Heung-min)
Mexico (Hirving Lozano)
Morocco (Mehdi Benatia)
Nigeria (John Mikel Obi)
Panama (Luis Tejada)
Peru (Jefferson Farfan)
Poland (Robert Lewandowski)
Portugal (Cristiano Ronaldo)
Russia* (Igor Akinfeev)
Saudi Arabia (Nasser Al Shamrani)
Senegal (Sadio Mane)
Serbia (Branislav Ivanovic)
Spain (Isco)
Sweden (Marcus Berg)
Switzerland (Xherdan Shaqiri)
Tunisia (Aymen Abdennour)
& last but not least, Uruguay (Luis Suarez)
*: Hosts
And the 2nd one is taken from Anna Molly/Talk Shows On Mute: All Whites failure against Peru & Kiwis early exit in the Rugby League World Cup:
Anna Molly/Talk Shows On Mute: All Whites failure against Peru & Kiwis early exit in the Rugby League World Cup:
Well, the All Whites & Kiwis rugby league team are in sporting crisis (So too are the US men's soccer team who lost to Trindad & Tobago during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers (1986 was the last time that the USA has failed to qualify) as well as Italy who went down to Sweden in the UEFA qualification playoff (And 1958 was the last time Italy failed to qualify) followed by The Netherlands & Chile) as the All Whites fail to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, losing to Peru (Who had to score both goals to book their golden ticket) in Lima then the Kiwis rugby league team went down to Fiji by 2 points in the Rugby League World Cup quarterfinals in Wellington (After surprisingly losing to Tonga in the final pool game over in Hamilton, producing the biggest upset in rugby league history), producing our worst result in the history of the Rugby League World Cup (And it is one of our darkest days in New Zealand rugby league although Pops isn't a rugby league fan at all).
And 2017 wasn't our year for All Blacks standards because they missed out on winning the Lions series as well as the 2 defeats against both the British & Irish Lions in the 2nd test of the Lions series in Wellington & the Wallabies in the 3rd & final Bledisloe Cup test in Brisbane but let's hope that the Warren Gatland coached Wales doesn't become the 3rd team to down the All Blacks.
And the 3rd one is taken from Perfect Insanity/Stricken: Scotland Vs All Blacks & 2017 end of year rugby internationals week 5 review:
Well, the All Blacks held on to win against the brave Scotland team (Who were on the verge of making history until a forward pass by man of the match Stuart Hogg ended their hopes of claiming their 1st victory against us) by 5 points over in Murrayfield in Edinburgh with the match commentary being provided:
Hello and welcome to live updates of Scotland hosting the All Blacks at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland.
It is the second Test match of the All Blacks northern tour after beating France 38-18 last weekend.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, and all the action.
Commentary will start from around 5:45 am (NZT). In the meantime check out the video above as All Blacks captain Kieran Read talks about what it means to play at Murrayfield Stadium.
Lineups
Scotland
1. Darryl Marfo, 2. Stuart McInally, 3. Zander Fagerson, 4. Ben Toolis, 5. Jonny Gray, 6. John Barclay (c), 7. Hamish Watson, 8. Cornell du Preez, 9. Ali Price, 10. Finn Russell, 11. Lee Jones, 12. Alex Dunbar, 13. Huw Jones, 14. Tommy Seymour, 15. Stuart Hogg
Reserves
16. George Turner, 17. Jamie Bhatti, 18. Simon Berghan, 19. Grant Gilchrist, 20. Luke Hamilton, 21. Henry Pyrgos, 22. Pete Horne, 23. Byron McGuigan
All Blacks
Kane Hames, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Luke Romano, 5. Sam Whitelock, 6. Vaea Fifita, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Kieran Read, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Rieko Ioane, 12. Sonny Bill Williams,13. Ryan Crotty, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Damian McKenzie
Reserves
16. Nathan Harris, 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19. Liam Squire, 20. Matt Todd, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Anton Lienert-Brown
Match facts and stats
Referee: Matthew Carley (ENG)
Sideline officials: Romain Poite (FRA) and Ian Davies (WAL)
Review officials: Graham Hughes (ENG)
Past meetings
Head to head: Played 30, Scotland 0, All Blacks 28, Drawn 0
Last time played: All Blacks 24 def Scotland 16, November, 15 2014
5:45 am: Scotland will be wearing their white jersey for this match which means the All Blacks will be in... well, all black.
5:51 am: It is a beautiful, clear afternoon in Edinburgh. Only 4:50 pm and it is dark. Great condition for counter-attacking rugby - something both teams are really good at.
5:52 am: I also better mention that it is a cool five degrees at the ground.
5:56 am: Both teams are finishing their final warm-ups and will head to the locker rooms very shortly.
5:58 am: Last time the All Blacks and Scotland squared off, the All Blacks scraped past with a 24-16 win.
6:00 am: England have just beaten Australia 30-6 in Twickenham. They scored three tries in the last 10 minutes to get the win.
6:01 am: The lights have gone out at the stadium and all you can see is a sea of blue thundersticks.
6:03 am: The teams are back out in the sheds and will be heading out shortly. The atmosphere is incredible. Can't wait to hear Flower of Scotland as it always sounds amazing.
6:05 am: Not long to go now!
6:08 am: Both teams are out on the field to a massive roar by the crowd.
6:09 am: Time for the national anthems. God Defend New Zealand is first.
6:11 am: Anthems are done. As always they sound amazing in Edinburgh. Haka time!
6:13 am: The All Blacks go with Ka Mate! and the Scotland crowd is singing so loud you can't even hear it! Magical scenes at Murrayfield.
6:16 am: Former Scotland international Doddie Weir brings the match ball out. He is well loved by the Scots and sadly was diagnosed with motor neurone disease this year.
KICKOFF: We are underway at Murrayfield. The All Blacks get the match started.
1min: Scotland gets an early penalty as Waisake Naholo obstructed and they kick to touch. Attacking lineout 22 out.
2min: Vaea Fifita comes through the middle of the maul and wins the turnover. Great play by the blindside flanker. All Black scrum.
3min: Aaron Smith clears the ball away. A great clearance kicks off a strong carry by Sonny Bill Williams. Scotland win the lineout and Stuart Hogg breaks the line but Cornell du Preez drops the pass.
5min: Stuart Hogg causing problems early on. Scotland just outside the 22.
6min: The home side has a penalty advantage and the referee blows his whistle. The All Blacks have had little ball and the Scotland chant starts around the stadium.
7min, PENALTY GOAL SCOTLAND: The home side is the first to score as Finn Russell slots the penalty goal. They lead early in this clash.
8min: The All Blacks have the ball on the halfway line and are taking their time as the Scotland defence holds strong.
9min: Finn Russell goes for an intercept and nearly get his hands to the ball but it goes forward. He is one of the best at intercepts.
10min: Stuart Hogg puts in a great kick and it goes into touch 5 out from their line.
11min: Scotland just outside the 22, but a loose pass forces them back and Ali Price has to clear the ball away but it drifts into touch on the full.
12min: All Blacks not rolling away and Scotland get the ball back and they will go for goal again.
13min: 45 out and it misses just to the right. A Missed opportunity with that one.
14min: Stuart Hogg with another deadly run making good ground. He is tackled and Sam Cane gets over the top or the ball and they win the turnover.
15min: This will be the All Blacks first real attacking chance and the ball has been turned over. But the ball pops out and the All Blacks have a scrum 25 out from the line.
16min: Brilliant start to the game I must admit. Both sides playing well but Scotland's defence will be tested here.
18min: The Scotland defence rushes up and they win the turnover Big play by John Barclay. The All Blacks honestly look stunned so far.
19min: Another penalty to Scotland just outside the 22. Will they kick for touch or go for goal?
They kick for touch. Five metres out.
20min: Scotland go for it and have a overlap. But the ball goes to ground, and the All Blacks survive again.
21min: All Blacks attack down the left wing and Aaron Smith throws the ball back infield but it is intercepted by Jonny Gray.
22min: Ali Price kicks the ball into touch and they will have a throw in 10 out from their line. cotland will be wanting to steal the lineout here.
23min: A mistake by Tommy Seymour and the All Blacks have an attacking lineout and now the All Blacks have a penalty advantage also.
24min: The All Blacks throw a forward pass but they had a penalty advantage. They have a chance to go for goal but they opt to go for touch. Five out.
26min: Scotland's defence is just holding on here. The All Blacks are inches from the line and they go wide, but Beauden Barrett throws a forward pass.
27min: The crowd loves it as another Scotland chant starts around the stadium.
Luke Hamilton comes on for Hamish Watson who will go for a HIA.
28min: Scotland get a free kick and the boot the ball downfield but but it doesn't go into touch.
Waisake Naholo could be in serious trouble here for taking Stuart Hogg out in the air. Time is off.
Waisake Naholo is lucky and stays on the field. The crowd are not happy with that at all. Naholo is very lucky.
29min: Scotland is now five out from the line as the Scotland chant starts again, but they are heading backwards now.
30min: The All Blacks defence is holding strong and is like a brick wall. Hogg attacks the line and they are five out again.
Another missed opportunity as Zander Fagerson knocks the ball on after 19 phases on attack. The All Blacks look puffed. The need to really score as they keep blowing chances inside the All Blacks 22.
31min: The All Blacks win a penalty at the scrum.
33min: Scotland carries the ball back by accident it looks like. All Blacks scrum five out from the line.
34min: Penalty to the All Blacks five out from the line and they go for the scrum. After dominating the match, Scotland are on the back-foot.
36min: Scotland survives again as they get a turnover at the scrum. But they kick the ball straight to the All Blacks instead of into touch and the All Blacks are back on the attack.
37min: Another penalty to the All Blacks, will they go for goal this time?
38min, PENALTY GOAL ALL BLACKS: Beauden Barrett lands the penalty goal from right in front and the game is tied.
39min: From the restart, Vaea Fifita makes a break down the right wing and the momentum is now with New Zealand.
40min: Codie Taylor drops the ball into touch just before the halfitme siren, so the home side get one last chance before the break.
42min: Play still goes on as the All Blacks win a penalty. They will now have a chance to score before the break.
HALFTIME: What a first half. Scotland, yes Scotland have been the better of the two teams in the first 40 as the game is all square at the break. Scotland has had a number of chances to score, but have failed to capitalise. No tries in the opening 40.
40min: Scotland get the second half started at Murrayfield. The All Blacks let the ball bounce straight into touch.
41min: The All Blacks win the lineout and Vaea Fifita knocs the ball out. Scotland scrum 15 out from the try line.
42min: Scotland five metres from the line... Now inches from the line. But the ball is trapped and the All Blacks win the penalty.
43min: Rieko Ioane causing problems for Scotland as he makes a break down the wing. Now it is the All Blacks who are hot on attack.
44min, TRY ALL BLACKS: As all hookers do in 2017, Codie Taylor just stands on the wing and dives over in the corner. New Zealand leads for the first time in the match. It was bound to happen.
46min: The conversion goes wide, so the All Blacks hold a five point lead.
47min: Scotland on the attack are just outside the 22. They need to score here.
48min: The All Blacks in a penalty. Scotland let the away side off the hook again. But good defence by New Zealand once again.
49min: Time is off as Luke Hamilton is down injured. It looks like the guy on debut has a broken leg. Which is disappointing because Hamilton has been great since coming on.
Due to the injury, George Turner will come on, meaning Stuart McInally will shift to the back row.
The All Blacks are doing some drills to keep the blood flowing as it is only four degrees.
50min: The All Blacks dominate the scrum and win a penalty.
51min: Another penalty advantage to the All Blacks who look like they will score.
TRY ALL BLACKS: New Zealand go over for their second. Sonny Bill Williams puts a grubber kick through and Damian McKenzie dives on the loose ball to score by the posts.
52min: Scotland just outside the 22 and now they really need to score next.
53min: Another knock-on inside the All Blacks 22 and the Scots will rue another missed opportunity.
55min: Scotland back with the ball as Finn Russell clears the ball away.
56min: Another loose carry by Scotland and the All Blacks go on the counter-attack.
57min: The All Blacks looked like they were about to score try number three, but the king of intercepts Finn Rusell coms up with a big play and now the All Blacks are all the way back on their line and the crowd loves it.
59min: Ryan Crotty comes off for what appears to be an HIA. Scotland has the ball just inside New Zealand's 22.
60min: 20 minutes remain and the All Blacks lead by 12 points. Scotland has a lineout five out from the line.
YELLOW CARD ALL BLACKS: Sam Cane is off to the sin-bin for killing the play right in front of the posts as Scotland were about to cross the line.
61min, TRY SCOTLAND: Scotland makes the All Black pay right away as Jonny Gray powers his way over the line.
62min: Finn Russell lands the conversion and it is a five point ball game. The crowd is loving this.
64min: That try has sparked Scotland as they make a break down the muddle but the double knock on lets the All Blacks off the hook. Ryan Crotty is back on the park. TJ Perenara is also on for Aaron Smith.
66min: The All Blacks have just kiled about three minutes with scrum resets.
TRY ALL BLACKS: Beauden Barrett sprints over the line for try number three. Sonny Bill Williams attacks the line and offloads to his five-five who dives over to counter Scotlands try.
68min: Barrett converts his own try as the All Blacks restore their 12 point lead. Sonny Bill Williams heads off for Anton Lienert-Brown.
69min: Scotland gets the match back underway and the All Blacks five-way another penalty. Lineout five out from the line.
70min: Penalty to Scotland right in front and they take a quick tap.
71min, YELLOW CARD ALL BLACKS: Wyatt Crockett goes to the bin for taking out the halfback (And remember that halfbacks are protected species) just as Sam Cane is about to come back on for killing the play.
With Crockett in the bin, Kane Hames has to come back on and Vaea Fifita heads off.
72min: Another penalty to Scotland right in front. The Scots wanted to take it quickly but the referee brings the playback which the crowd doesn't like.
The All Blacks win a penalty at the scrum which is a let down for Scotland.
74min: Liam Squire makes a break and is tackled, but they turn the ball over and Scotland clear the ball downfield quickly as possible.
75min: Another blown chance by Scotland.
76min, TRY SCOTLAND: It is not over yet! Huw Jones scores in the corner. Stuart Hogg stabs a grubber through and Tommy Seymour gathers and finds Jones on the inside.
77min: Three minutes to go and it is a five point ball game.
79min: One minute to go. Scotland with the ball.
FULLTIME: Stuart Hogg makes a break down the wing and throws it back infield but it goes forward and the referee blows his whistle and that is it. Heartbreak for Scotland as Stuart Hogg is in tears knowing he could have made history.
SCOTLAND 17 - 22 ALL BLACKS
And what do I think of the game? Well, it was scrappy I would have to say. But our discipline has been a bit of a letdown because we conceded most penalties as well as both yellow cards handed out from the English referee to both Sam Cane (For killing the ball) & Wyatt Crockett (For taking out the opposing halfback) which proved to be costly. And what about patriotic Scottish fullback Stuart Hogg, because he was their star performer of the game for his heroic performance (And he was the hero of Scottish rugby) but the Scots missed out on making history (As Hogg's pass drifted forward when the ref blew the final whistle, effectively ending the match in front of a sell-out crowd at Murrayfield).
And finally in other rugby news such as England continue their dominance against the Wallabies in a highly controversial fashion (Even the Wallaby coach Michael Chieka isn't so happy with the all important decisions such as a no try from Wallaby captain Michael Hooper because he was clearly offside then Hooper getting sent to the sin bin due to multiple cynical infringements from the maul followed by Kurtley Beale who joined Hooper in the bin for a deliberate knock down then a try scored by long range goal kicking winger Elliot Daly whether it's out or not when the ball touched the sideline then Marika Koroibete crossed over but former Wallaby captain Stephen Moore obstructed one of the English players as he made his tackle but Chieka is facing disciplinary action for his conduct which is currently under investigation by World Rugby but he was cleared for that) with a win over in Twickenham in London then South Africa topple France by 1 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis then Argentina scraped past Italy over in Firenze (Which is located in the Tuscany region) then Ireland win by 3 against Fiji at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin & the under strength Wales side win against Georgia by 13 points in another scrappy game during their 1st meeting between the 2 nations at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
And finally in other rugby news such as England continue their dominance against the Wallabies in a highly controversial fashion (Even the Wallaby coach Michael Chieka isn't so happy with the all important decisions such as a no try from Wallaby captain Michael Hooper because he was clearly offside then Hooper getting sent to the sin bin due to multiple cynical infringements from the maul followed by Kurtley Beale who joined Hooper in the bin for a deliberate knock down then a try scored by long range goal kicking winger Elliot Daly whether it's out or not when the ball touched the sideline then Marika Koroibete crossed over but former Wallaby captain Stephen Moore obstructed one of the English players as he made his tackle but Chieka is facing disciplinary action for his conduct which is currently under investigation by World Rugby but he was cleared for that) with a win over in Twickenham in London then South Africa topple France by 1 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis then Argentina scraped past Italy over in Firenze (Which is located in the Tuscany region) then Ireland win by 3 against Fiji at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin & the under strength Wales side win against Georgia by 13 points in another scrappy game during their 1st meeting between the 2 nations at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
And the 4th one is taken from Bridge Burning: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview:
Well, the Formula 1 circus is heading to Abu Dhabi in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) for the last time this year in 2017 as the F1 season is coming to a close, what a year (And what a season for all the drivers (Especially the 4 time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had enjoyed his stellar, roller coaster season) & constructors (Especially Mercedes who have had an incredible season after winning their 4th consecutive constructor's title) they have had so far) so here's the circuit guide which will host the 20th & final round of the 2017 championship:
''Built at huge cost on an island, close to Abu Dhabi airport. Facilities second to none but track layout disappointing with too many slow & medium-speed corners. Racing from dusk into darkness, & marina back-drop, adds to atmosphere. Settled the championship more than once since introduction in 2009.''
And the 5th one is taken from Prayer: All Blacks starting lineup against Wales:
Well, the All Blacks team has been named to play against Wales in our final test match of the year at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff so here is the starting lineup:
FRONT ROW
1 (Loose head prop): Kane Hames (Tasman/Chiefs)
2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders)
3 (Tight head prop): Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs)
SECOND ROW
4 (Lock): Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland/Blues)
5 (Lock): Sam Whitelock (Captain, Canterbury/Crusaders)
BACK ROW
6 (Blindside Flanker): Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders)
7 (Openside Flanker): Sam Cane (Bay Of Plenty/Chiefs)
8 (Number 8): Luke Whitelock (Canterbury/Highlanders)
HALVES
9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders)
10 (First five eighth): Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes)
MIDFIELD
12 (Second five eighth): Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues)
13 (Centre): Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders)
OUTSIDE BACKS
11 (Left Wing): Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues)
14 (Right Wing): Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders)
& 15 (Fullback): Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs)
And in the reserves are:
16. Nathan Harris
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
19. Scott Barrett (Who replaces Liam Squire (Who is elevated to the starting lineup to replace Vaea Fifita) to cover the second row position)
20. Matt Todd
21. TJ Perenara
22. Lima Sopoaga
& 23. Anton Lienert-Brown.
And finally the 6th one is taken from I Am The Fire/Something From Nothing: Wales Vs All Blacks, 2017 end of year rugby internationals week 5 & Abu Dhabi Grand Prix review:
Well, the All Blacks end the year with a win against Wales at the Millennium Stadium over in Cardiff so here's the live commentary provided & taken from Newshub:
Hello and welcome to live updates of Wales hosting the All Blacks at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The match is the last match for 2017 for the All Blacks and the fifth and final on their northern tour.
We bring you live streaming written commentary.
Commentary will start at 5:40 am (NZT).
Lineups
Wales
1. Rob Evans, 2. Ken Owens, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Jake Ball, 5. Alun Wyn Jones (c), 6. Aaron Shingler, 7. Josh Navidi, 8. Taulupe Faletau, 9. Rhys Webb; 10. Dan Biggar, 11. Steff Evans, 12. Owen Williams, 13. Scott Williams, 14. Hallam Amos, 15. Leigh Halfpenny
Reserves: 16. Kristian Dacey, 17. Wyn Jones, 18. Leon Brown, 19. Cory Hill, 20. Justin Tipuric, 21. Gareth Davies, 22. Rhys Priestland, 23. Jamie Roberts
All Blacks
1. Kane Hames, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Samuel Whitelock (c), 6. Liam Squire, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Luke Whitelock, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Rieko Ioane, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 13. Ryan Crotty, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Damian McKenzie
Reserves: 16. Nathan Harris, 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19. Scott Barrett, 20. Matt Todd, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Anton Lienert-Brown
Match facts and stats
Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG)
Sideline officials: Jérôme Garcès (FRA) and Frank Murphy (IRE)
Review officials: Rowan Kitt (ENG)
Past meetings
Head to head: Played 33, Wales 3, All Blacks 30
In Wales: Played 19, Wales 3, All Blacks 16
Last time played: All Blacks 46 def Wales 6 June 25, 2016
Last time played in Wales: All Blacks 34 def Wales 16 November 22, 2014
5:47 am: Thanks for tuning in for live updates for the last All Blacks test match of 2017. Millenium Stadium has sold out and fans are starting to fill the second.
5:55 am: If you missed the news, Sam Whitelock will captain the All Blacks with Kieran Read out with hip/back injury.
6:03 am: Both teams are in the sheds and will head out to the field very shortly for the national anthems.
6:07 am: Both team are out on the field under the roof.
6:12 am: The anthems are done and now it is time for the last haka of 2017 by the All Blacks.
6:15 am: The All Blacks go with Kapa o Pango and as always in Wales, there was a very intense stare-down between the two teams.
KICKOFF: We are underway in Wales. The All Blacks get this match started to a massive roar by the sell-out crowd.
1min: Wales clear the ball early and the All Blacks let it bounce but they get to the ball. But then Alun Wyn Jones comes over the top and the Welsh get the ball back.
2mins: Wales continue to go forward and eventually get inside the 22.
3mins: Now Wales have gone backwards and after 18 phases, they kick the ball and once again they let it bounce. Beauden Barrett eventually clears the ball away.
5mins: Wales hot on the attack and they stab a kick through, but Beauden Barrett gets to the ball first but is tackled back in-goal and now the Welsh have a scrum five out from the line.
6mins: Wales very close to the line, but the All Blacks defence holds strong.
8mins: After 16 phases, Wales win a penalty and actually made no grand at all. What will the Welsh do?
9mins, PENALTY GOAL WALES: Leigh Halfpenny lands a penalty goal right in front and Wales lead early.
11mins: Wales back with the ball as the dominate early possession. The All Blacks knock the ball forward so Wales now with scrum.
14mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: First chance with the ball and the All Blacks make a break and Wiasake Naholo goes over. They want to check the grounding. It started all from a Rieko Ioane break.
15mins: From the sidelines, Beauden Barrett kicks the ball straight over the black dot.
17mins: Wales make a break down the wing, but Beauden Barrett makes another great defensive play as Hallam Amos goes into touch.
18mins: Time is off as Jake Ball is down in pain with what appears to be a serious shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Ryan Crotty is heading off for an HIA injury.
19mins: Time is currently off. The All Blacks lead 7-3 thanks to a try to Waisake Naholo.
21mins: Wales back with the ball and they attack through the middle through Gareth Davies. They re close to the line.
The All Blacks survive a close scare as Taulupe Faletau goes over the line and goes to put the ball down but Sam Cane knocks the ball out of his hands.
23mins: Wales going for goal once again. Thy trail despite having over 80% possession.
24mins: The penalty goal goes wide of the mark. The score remains 7 - 3.
25mins: The All Blacks finally have some ball but they need to clear it away into touch.
26mins: Leigh Halfpenny goes on a run and is smashed by Rieko Ioane. Wales still have possession - a very common sight this half.
27mins: Wales hot on the attack and they have a overlap, but the ball doesn't go to hand and once again the All Blacks survive.
28mins: Scrum time and the All Blacks put the ball in. They clear the ball downfield and into touch and Wales go quickly.
30mins: Waisake Naholo with a break down the wing and he cuts back infield and does a 'Benji Marshall' but Damian McKenzie drops the ball. A few plays later, Wales get a penalty as one of their players was taken out by Kane Hames.
32mins, PENALTY GOAL WALES: Leigh Halfpenny kicks his second penalty goal and now Wales trail by one point despite dominating the match.
34mins: Wales with a lineout and Patrick Tuipulotu steals the ball in the air and now New Zealand with some rare possession.
35mins: Waisake Naholo with another strong run as the All Blacks get a penalty advantage.
37mins: The All Blacks go over the line and Rieko Ioane claims a try but he is held up.
38mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Waisake Naholo has his second as he goes over in the corner. He is falling into touch but gets the ball down. Great try!
39mins: From the sidelines once again but this time Beauden Barrett pulls it wide.
40mins, TRY WALES: As the siren sounds, wales go over for their first try of the game. Scott Williams the scorer, but it started from a break from a set piece. Fantastic try to the Welsh who have a chance to take the lead at the break.
HAFLTIME: Leigh Halfpenny misses the conversion and the All Blacks lead 12-11 at the break despite having little to no ball.
40mins: Nepo Laulala is off and Ofa Tu'ungafasi will start the second half. Wales get the final 40 minutes started.
41mins: Wales with the ball early as they look to go wide.
42min: The All Blacks get the ball and kick it away. Wales still looking to attack and hold the ball.
44mins: Liam Squire wins the ball back for New Zealand as the All Blacks look to go on the counter-attack and all of a sudden they get inside the Wales 22.
46mins: Patrick Tuipulotu and Luke Whitelock both off the field for the All Blacks. Scott Barrett and Matt Todd both come on as the replacements.
48mins: The All Blacks with some rare attacking ball, as they go wide again. Waisake Naholo stabs a kick through and it goes dead in goal.
50mins: Wales with a lineout only five from the line. Can they score here and reclaim the lead?
51mins: It comes to nothing as the All Blacks turned the ball over.
53mins: The All Blacks now inside Wales' 22.
55mins: Wales turn the ball over and clear it into touch. This has been a vey physical game so far. All Blacks just leading.
57mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Wow what a try! Rieko Ioane makes a break down the wing and as he was tackled, he offloads the ball back infield and Anton Lienert-Brown goes over for the try.
59mins: The All Blacks right back on the attack and they look to put the nail in the coffin.
60mins: Aaron Smith throws a forward pass and Wales now have a scrum.
61mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Rieko Ioane goes over for the try. He intercepts the ball and dives over.
64mins: A bounce of the ball goes in favour of Wales and now they are five metres from the line.
66mins: Penalty to Wales who have opted for a scrum five metres from the line.
67mins: Wayne Barnes give the All Blacks a warning and one more penalty, somebody will be carded.
68mins, YELLOW CARD ALL BLACKS: Captain Sam Whitelock is off to the bin as Matt Todd makes a try-saving tackle on Taulupe Faletau. Beauden Barrett takes over the captaincy.
70mins, TRY WALES: Gareth Davies goes over for the try as they make the All Blacks pay for being a man down. The crowd loves it.
71mins: The All Blacks have cleared their bench as Wales now trail by eight points.
74mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Rieko Ioane scores his second for the All Blacks. He makes a break and busts through a tackle to go over.
75mins: Five minutes remain as Beauden Barrett lands another conversion.
78mins: Sam Whitelock is back on the field.
80mins: Tensions flare as the clock ticks over 80. Nothing coems of it.
82mins: Wales still hunting for one last try. They will face South Africa next week.
FULLTIME: The match is over. The All Blacks beat Wales again 33-18 the fulltime score.
8:40 am: That is all from us here in Cardiff. Thanks for tuning in.
WALES 18 - 33 ALL BLACKS
And what do I think of the game. Well, it was a blockbuster but how good is that barnstorming rookie All Black winger Rieko Ioane? He is a sensational player not only because he was man of the match because he got a double, scoring both tries along with fellow winger Waisake Naholo as well as he set the try up scored by Anton Lienert-Brown (Who just came on for Ryan Crotty during the 1st half) during the 2nd half...& he was the breakthrough player of the year (Man what a player that he is because he is known for his lightning speed) at the World Rugby Awards over in Monaco although star first five Beauden Barrett is still best rugby player in the world (And he is such a fantastic player indeed).
And in other rugby news such as Scotland (Who were without star fullback Stuart Hogg due to injury during a warm-up) trashing the Wallabies 53 - 24 after a Wallaby prop got sent off for that dirty hit (It was shades of Sonny Bill Williams's cheap shot on Anthony Watson during the 2nd test of the Lions series over in Wellington in July this year) at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh then the Springboks got revenge against Italy in Padua then Ireland also got payback against Argentina over at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin followed by England's victory against the struggling Samoa at Twickenham in London & France had another disappointing game with a draw against Japan at the new Racing 92 stadium.
And finally Finland's Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes has effectively ended the 2017 Formula 1 season (It is all over rover so see you in 2018...watch this space) with a win (His 3rd of the season) at the season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after starting on pole with 4 time world champion Lewis Hamilton finishing in 2nd & Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel rounded out the podium in 3rd (And New Zealander Brendon Hartley in the Toro Rosso has finished in 15th).
And here's the points standings for both the drivers & constructors but 1st here's the drivers standings:
1st: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, Mercedes), 363 points
2nd: Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Ferrari), 317 points
3rd: Valtteri Bottas (Finland, Mercedes), 305 points
4th: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland, Ferrari), 205 points
5th: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 200 points
6th: Max Verstappen (The Netherlands, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 168 points
7th: Sergio Perez (Mexico, Force India Mercedes), 100 points
8th: Esteban Ocon (France, Force India Mercedes), 87 points
9th: Carlos Sainz (Spain, Toro Rosso/Renault), 54 points
10th: Nico Hulkenberg (Germany, Renault), 43 points
11th: Felipe Massa (Brazil, Williams Mercedes), 43 points
12th: Lance Stroll (Canada, Williams Mercedes), 40 points
13th: Romain Grosjean (France, Haas Ferrari), 28 points
14th: Kevin Magnussen (Denmark, Haas Ferrari), 19 points
15th: Fernando Alonso (Spain, McLaren Honda), 17 points
16th: Stoffel Vandoorne (Belgium, McLaren Honda), 13 points
17th: Jolyon Palmer (Great Britain, Renault), 8 points
18th: Pascal Wehrlein (Germany, Sauber Ferrari), 5 points
19th: Daniil Kvyat (Russia, Toro Rosso), 5 points
And then the constructors to wrap up the Formula 1 report:
1st: Mercedes (Germany), 625 points
2nd: Ferrari (Italy), 522 points
3rd: Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer (Austria), 368 points
4th: Force India Mercedes (India), 187 points
5th: Williams Mercedes (Great Britain), 83 points
6th: Renault (France), 57 points
7th: Toro Rosso (Italy), 53 points
8th: Haas Ferrari (USA), 47 points
9th: McLaren Honda (Great Britain), 30 points
10th: Sauber Ferrari (Switzerland), 5 points
So that is my 179th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 99th this year (Only 1 day to go (And 1 more blog left until my 100th this year which I will be doing on New Year's Eve 2017) until Christmas tomorrow so I'm getting pumped up, all fired up for tomorrow!).
P.S. And Paige has sent me an incredible email (Well, she hasn't sent me since 2 months ago) so here's her full email in it's entirety:
Hi Whetu,
Sorry I didn't see your last email!
I don't actually like the Star Wars movies so I haven't seen the new one but jarrod has and he loved it!
I am going to spending Christmas at my mums in the morning and then will go to my dads in the afternoon which should be nice!
What are your plans for Christmas?
Mum has all the photos so I will get her to send them to you.
Have a lovely day tomorrow and Merry Christmas.
Lots of love,
Paige
''Built at huge cost on an island, close to Abu Dhabi airport. Facilities second to none but track layout disappointing with too many slow & medium-speed corners. Racing from dusk into darkness, & marina back-drop, adds to atmosphere. Settled the championship more than once since introduction in 2009.''
And the 5th one is taken from Prayer: All Blacks starting lineup against Wales:
Well, the All Blacks team has been named to play against Wales in our final test match of the year at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff so here is the starting lineup:
FRONT ROW
1 (Loose head prop): Kane Hames (Tasman/Chiefs)
2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders)
3 (Tight head prop): Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs)
SECOND ROW
4 (Lock): Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland/Blues)
5 (Lock): Sam Whitelock (Captain, Canterbury/Crusaders)
BACK ROW
6 (Blindside Flanker): Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders)
7 (Openside Flanker): Sam Cane (Bay Of Plenty/Chiefs)
8 (Number 8): Luke Whitelock (Canterbury/Highlanders)
HALVES
9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders)
10 (First five eighth): Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes)
MIDFIELD
12 (Second five eighth): Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues)
13 (Centre): Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders)
OUTSIDE BACKS
11 (Left Wing): Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues)
14 (Right Wing): Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders)
& 15 (Fullback): Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs)
And in the reserves are:
16. Nathan Harris
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
19. Scott Barrett (Who replaces Liam Squire (Who is elevated to the starting lineup to replace Vaea Fifita) to cover the second row position)
20. Matt Todd
21. TJ Perenara
22. Lima Sopoaga
& 23. Anton Lienert-Brown.
And finally the 6th one is taken from I Am The Fire/Something From Nothing: Wales Vs All Blacks, 2017 end of year rugby internationals week 5 & Abu Dhabi Grand Prix review:
Well, the All Blacks end the year with a win against Wales at the Millennium Stadium over in Cardiff so here's the live commentary provided & taken from Newshub:
Hello and welcome to live updates of Wales hosting the All Blacks at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The match is the last match for 2017 for the All Blacks and the fifth and final on their northern tour.
We bring you live streaming written commentary.
Commentary will start at 5:40 am (NZT).
Lineups
Wales
1. Rob Evans, 2. Ken Owens, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Jake Ball, 5. Alun Wyn Jones (c), 6. Aaron Shingler, 7. Josh Navidi, 8. Taulupe Faletau, 9. Rhys Webb; 10. Dan Biggar, 11. Steff Evans, 12. Owen Williams, 13. Scott Williams, 14. Hallam Amos, 15. Leigh Halfpenny
Reserves: 16. Kristian Dacey, 17. Wyn Jones, 18. Leon Brown, 19. Cory Hill, 20. Justin Tipuric, 21. Gareth Davies, 22. Rhys Priestland, 23. Jamie Roberts
All Blacks
1. Kane Hames, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Samuel Whitelock (c), 6. Liam Squire, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Luke Whitelock, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Rieko Ioane, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 13. Ryan Crotty, 14. Waisake Naholo, 15. Damian McKenzie
Reserves: 16. Nathan Harris, 17. Wyatt Crockett, 18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19. Scott Barrett, 20. Matt Todd, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Anton Lienert-Brown
Match facts and stats
Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG)
Sideline officials: Jérôme Garcès (FRA) and Frank Murphy (IRE)
Review officials: Rowan Kitt (ENG)
Past meetings
Head to head: Played 33, Wales 3, All Blacks 30
In Wales: Played 19, Wales 3, All Blacks 16
Last time played: All Blacks 46 def Wales 6 June 25, 2016
Last time played in Wales: All Blacks 34 def Wales 16 November 22, 2014
5:47 am: Thanks for tuning in for live updates for the last All Blacks test match of 2017. Millenium Stadium has sold out and fans are starting to fill the second.
5:55 am: If you missed the news, Sam Whitelock will captain the All Blacks with Kieran Read out with hip/back injury.
6:03 am: Both teams are in the sheds and will head out to the field very shortly for the national anthems.
6:07 am: Both team are out on the field under the roof.
6:12 am: The anthems are done and now it is time for the last haka of 2017 by the All Blacks.
6:15 am: The All Blacks go with Kapa o Pango and as always in Wales, there was a very intense stare-down between the two teams.
KICKOFF: We are underway in Wales. The All Blacks get this match started to a massive roar by the sell-out crowd.
1min: Wales clear the ball early and the All Blacks let it bounce but they get to the ball. But then Alun Wyn Jones comes over the top and the Welsh get the ball back.
2mins: Wales continue to go forward and eventually get inside the 22.
3mins: Now Wales have gone backwards and after 18 phases, they kick the ball and once again they let it bounce. Beauden Barrett eventually clears the ball away.
5mins: Wales hot on the attack and they stab a kick through, but Beauden Barrett gets to the ball first but is tackled back in-goal and now the Welsh have a scrum five out from the line.
6mins: Wales very close to the line, but the All Blacks defence holds strong.
8mins: After 16 phases, Wales win a penalty and actually made no grand at all. What will the Welsh do?
9mins, PENALTY GOAL WALES: Leigh Halfpenny lands a penalty goal right in front and Wales lead early.
11mins: Wales back with the ball as the dominate early possession. The All Blacks knock the ball forward so Wales now with scrum.
14mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: First chance with the ball and the All Blacks make a break and Wiasake Naholo goes over. They want to check the grounding. It started all from a Rieko Ioane break.
15mins: From the sidelines, Beauden Barrett kicks the ball straight over the black dot.
17mins: Wales make a break down the wing, but Beauden Barrett makes another great defensive play as Hallam Amos goes into touch.
18mins: Time is off as Jake Ball is down in pain with what appears to be a serious shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Ryan Crotty is heading off for an HIA injury.
19mins: Time is currently off. The All Blacks lead 7-3 thanks to a try to Waisake Naholo.
21mins: Wales back with the ball and they attack through the middle through Gareth Davies. They re close to the line.
The All Blacks survive a close scare as Taulupe Faletau goes over the line and goes to put the ball down but Sam Cane knocks the ball out of his hands.
23mins: Wales going for goal once again. Thy trail despite having over 80% possession.
24mins: The penalty goal goes wide of the mark. The score remains 7 - 3.
25mins: The All Blacks finally have some ball but they need to clear it away into touch.
26mins: Leigh Halfpenny goes on a run and is smashed by Rieko Ioane. Wales still have possession - a very common sight this half.
27mins: Wales hot on the attack and they have a overlap, but the ball doesn't go to hand and once again the All Blacks survive.
28mins: Scrum time and the All Blacks put the ball in. They clear the ball downfield and into touch and Wales go quickly.
30mins: Waisake Naholo with a break down the wing and he cuts back infield and does a 'Benji Marshall' but Damian McKenzie drops the ball. A few plays later, Wales get a penalty as one of their players was taken out by Kane Hames.
32mins, PENALTY GOAL WALES: Leigh Halfpenny kicks his second penalty goal and now Wales trail by one point despite dominating the match.
34mins: Wales with a lineout and Patrick Tuipulotu steals the ball in the air and now New Zealand with some rare possession.
35mins: Waisake Naholo with another strong run as the All Blacks get a penalty advantage.
37mins: The All Blacks go over the line and Rieko Ioane claims a try but he is held up.
38mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Waisake Naholo has his second as he goes over in the corner. He is falling into touch but gets the ball down. Great try!
39mins: From the sidelines once again but this time Beauden Barrett pulls it wide.
40mins, TRY WALES: As the siren sounds, wales go over for their first try of the game. Scott Williams the scorer, but it started from a break from a set piece. Fantastic try to the Welsh who have a chance to take the lead at the break.
HAFLTIME: Leigh Halfpenny misses the conversion and the All Blacks lead 12-11 at the break despite having little to no ball.
40mins: Nepo Laulala is off and Ofa Tu'ungafasi will start the second half. Wales get the final 40 minutes started.
41mins: Wales with the ball early as they look to go wide.
42min: The All Blacks get the ball and kick it away. Wales still looking to attack and hold the ball.
44mins: Liam Squire wins the ball back for New Zealand as the All Blacks look to go on the counter-attack and all of a sudden they get inside the Wales 22.
46mins: Patrick Tuipulotu and Luke Whitelock both off the field for the All Blacks. Scott Barrett and Matt Todd both come on as the replacements.
48mins: The All Blacks with some rare attacking ball, as they go wide again. Waisake Naholo stabs a kick through and it goes dead in goal.
50mins: Wales with a lineout only five from the line. Can they score here and reclaim the lead?
51mins: It comes to nothing as the All Blacks turned the ball over.
53mins: The All Blacks now inside Wales' 22.
55mins: Wales turn the ball over and clear it into touch. This has been a vey physical game so far. All Blacks just leading.
57mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Wow what a try! Rieko Ioane makes a break down the wing and as he was tackled, he offloads the ball back infield and Anton Lienert-Brown goes over for the try.
59mins: The All Blacks right back on the attack and they look to put the nail in the coffin.
60mins: Aaron Smith throws a forward pass and Wales now have a scrum.
61mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Rieko Ioane goes over for the try. He intercepts the ball and dives over.
64mins: A bounce of the ball goes in favour of Wales and now they are five metres from the line.
66mins: Penalty to Wales who have opted for a scrum five metres from the line.
67mins: Wayne Barnes give the All Blacks a warning and one more penalty, somebody will be carded.
68mins, YELLOW CARD ALL BLACKS: Captain Sam Whitelock is off to the bin as Matt Todd makes a try-saving tackle on Taulupe Faletau. Beauden Barrett takes over the captaincy.
70mins, TRY WALES: Gareth Davies goes over for the try as they make the All Blacks pay for being a man down. The crowd loves it.
71mins: The All Blacks have cleared their bench as Wales now trail by eight points.
74mins, TRY ALL BLACKS: Rieko Ioane scores his second for the All Blacks. He makes a break and busts through a tackle to go over.
75mins: Five minutes remain as Beauden Barrett lands another conversion.
78mins: Sam Whitelock is back on the field.
80mins: Tensions flare as the clock ticks over 80. Nothing coems of it.
82mins: Wales still hunting for one last try. They will face South Africa next week.
FULLTIME: The match is over. The All Blacks beat Wales again 33-18 the fulltime score.
8:40 am: That is all from us here in Cardiff. Thanks for tuning in.
WALES 18 - 33 ALL BLACKS
And what do I think of the game. Well, it was a blockbuster but how good is that barnstorming rookie All Black winger Rieko Ioane? He is a sensational player not only because he was man of the match because he got a double, scoring both tries along with fellow winger Waisake Naholo as well as he set the try up scored by Anton Lienert-Brown (Who just came on for Ryan Crotty during the 1st half) during the 2nd half...& he was the breakthrough player of the year (Man what a player that he is because he is known for his lightning speed) at the World Rugby Awards over in Monaco although star first five Beauden Barrett is still best rugby player in the world (And he is such a fantastic player indeed).
And in other rugby news such as Scotland (Who were without star fullback Stuart Hogg due to injury during a warm-up) trashing the Wallabies 53 - 24 after a Wallaby prop got sent off for that dirty hit (It was shades of Sonny Bill Williams's cheap shot on Anthony Watson during the 2nd test of the Lions series over in Wellington in July this year) at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh then the Springboks got revenge against Italy in Padua then Ireland also got payback against Argentina over at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin followed by England's victory against the struggling Samoa at Twickenham in London & France had another disappointing game with a draw against Japan at the new Racing 92 stadium.
And finally Finland's Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes has effectively ended the 2017 Formula 1 season (It is all over rover so see you in 2018...watch this space) with a win (His 3rd of the season) at the season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after starting on pole with 4 time world champion Lewis Hamilton finishing in 2nd & Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel rounded out the podium in 3rd (And New Zealander Brendon Hartley in the Toro Rosso has finished in 15th).
And here's the points standings for both the drivers & constructors but 1st here's the drivers standings:
1st: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain, Mercedes), 363 points
2nd: Sebastian Vettel (Germany, Ferrari), 317 points
3rd: Valtteri Bottas (Finland, Mercedes), 305 points
4th: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland, Ferrari), 205 points
5th: Daniel Ricciardo (Australia, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 200 points
6th: Max Verstappen (The Netherlands, Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer), 168 points
7th: Sergio Perez (Mexico, Force India Mercedes), 100 points
8th: Esteban Ocon (France, Force India Mercedes), 87 points
9th: Carlos Sainz (Spain, Toro Rosso/Renault), 54 points
10th: Nico Hulkenberg (Germany, Renault), 43 points
11th: Felipe Massa (Brazil, Williams Mercedes), 43 points
12th: Lance Stroll (Canada, Williams Mercedes), 40 points
13th: Romain Grosjean (France, Haas Ferrari), 28 points
14th: Kevin Magnussen (Denmark, Haas Ferrari), 19 points
15th: Fernando Alonso (Spain, McLaren Honda), 17 points
16th: Stoffel Vandoorne (Belgium, McLaren Honda), 13 points
17th: Jolyon Palmer (Great Britain, Renault), 8 points
18th: Pascal Wehrlein (Germany, Sauber Ferrari), 5 points
19th: Daniil Kvyat (Russia, Toro Rosso), 5 points
And then the constructors to wrap up the Formula 1 report:
1st: Mercedes (Germany), 625 points
2nd: Ferrari (Italy), 522 points
3rd: Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer (Austria), 368 points
4th: Force India Mercedes (India), 187 points
5th: Williams Mercedes (Great Britain), 83 points
6th: Renault (France), 57 points
7th: Toro Rosso (Italy), 53 points
8th: Haas Ferrari (USA), 47 points
9th: McLaren Honda (Great Britain), 30 points
10th: Sauber Ferrari (Switzerland), 5 points
So that is my 179th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 99th this year (Only 1 day to go (And 1 more blog left until my 100th this year which I will be doing on New Year's Eve 2017) until Christmas tomorrow so I'm getting pumped up, all fired up for tomorrow!).
P.S. And Paige has sent me an incredible email (Well, she hasn't sent me since 2 months ago) so here's her full email in it's entirety:
Hi Whetu,
Sorry I didn't see your last email!
I don't actually like the Star Wars movies so I haven't seen the new one but jarrod has and he loved it!
I am going to spending Christmas at my mums in the morning and then will go to my dads in the afternoon which should be nice!
What are your plans for Christmas?
Mum has all the photos so I will get her to send them to you.
Have a lovely day tomorrow and Merry Christmas.
Lots of love,
Paige
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