Loyal/One More Time/Because The Night: My 48th blog of the year 2023 (AKA my last ever blog of this year)

Well, this is my last blog of the year 2023 as well as my last before I go on holiday to Northland with Pops & Carole, but the latest on the Rugby World Cup such as the All Blacks (Who had Will Jordan providing the heroics as he was over for his hat-trick of tries & is now the all-time top try scorer of the tournament this year now with 8 along with the late Jonah Lomu (1999), Bryan Habana (2007) & Julian Savea (2015) have done it, they are in the final of the Rugby World Cup (Our 1st since 2015 & our record 5th RWC final appearance) which is the big dance & we're just one win away from winning back rugby's most treasured prize, the William Webb Ellis cup after our comprehensive win against Argentina which ended in sheer humiliation compared to the Ireland test in which was a supposed contest in fact, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in the 1st semifinal so so let's relive the live updates of the last 10 minutes of the semi according to Newshub:

THE LAST 10 - ARG VS NZL

70TH MINUTE, SCRUM FEED ARGENTINA: Untidy as Retallick fails to claim the lineout, but Argentina then knocked on, giving the ball back to New Zealand. This time they couldn't hold either, as a useless tip ball from McKenzie was spilt by Frizell at his ankles. Scrum Argentina on the 10m line.

72ND MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Bruni brings it away, but almost immediately it was back in All Blacks hands from a knock, with Jordan offloading for Christie. He pokes it in behind, seeing it roll to touch 15m off his own line.

73RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Argentina go quickly before thumping a kick long to touch, where the All Blacks then went quickly. All very disjointed, as McKenzie grubbers through the line, but it fell for Argentina who kicked again. They find touch just inside the 22.

74TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY ALL BLACKS (W. JORDAN): WILL JORDAN YOU ARE A FREAK! Savea held in midfield, working an inside ball to send Jordan shooting out of the 22! He found cover on halfway, but chipped over the top into the 22! Perfectly weighted, he regathers and steams it in down the right edge.

75TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION MISS ALL BLACKS (R. MO'UNGA): From 15m in from the right touch, Mo'unga shanks it away to the right.

76TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Good simple exit, and Mo'unga drives into touch just past the 10m line.

77TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): New Zealand pinch it at the lineout, chipping it up over halfway where M Carreras charged back up over the 10m line. Argentina worked to midfield, throwing runners at the line, before driving to the corner. Dribbles to touch 7m from the line.

78TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): New Zealand settle it out of the 22, before going to Mo'unga in the pocket to clear to touch just past halfway.

79TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Messy across to the left edge for Argentina, going one-off against some ferocious New Zealand defence. J Barrett drilled Sanchez who stayed down, with it then spilt by Mallia. Mo'unga mopped up in his own half, working a perfect 50/22 into the corner! 5m lineout to come.

80TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): New Zealand go to a drive, but it was well stopped, forcing them to peel it away. They opened the space nicely, with Mo'unga taking the selfish route as he had a go at the line! He was stopped a metre short, before Taukei'aho had a go, but he knocked on. 5m scrum for Argentina.

80TH MINUTE + 2ND MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Bruni rumbles out of the boot, before a couple of good busts further to the right took play out of the 22. Sanchez worked a chip to the left, which Jordan easily gathered electing to play on! Frizell spills in midfield, so Argentina will get another go.

80TH MINUTE + 3RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY ARGENTINA (OFFSIDE): All very messy in midfield, and it falls for Lienert-Brown to hack it ahead! He got it a couple of times, but skewed on the third, as Argentina smothered just inside their own 22. They are out on their feet, but get a penalty as Newell was pinged for offside. Sanchez misses touch though, allowing Mo'unga to put it into touch to bring this one to a close!

FULL TIME: 6 - 44

Statement made. No upset for New Zealand, it is instead Argentina walking away upset, after being pummeled 44-6 in one of the biggest semi-final margins this tournament has ever seen. The momentum from the first continued into the second, as New Zealand ended up running in seven tries to zilch. Simply remarkable, and they now wait to see who they meet next week.

Smiles all around for New Zealand, they are a chance to become world champions for a fourth time. They did the job required of them, and in some style. They were able to give some of their key men rests, which will leave them in good stead for next week. In a real alpha move, they didn't even bring Scott Barrett back once his yellow card expired! Will Jordan was in excellent try-scoring form, showing his pace once again. Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga were also terrific, but it feels unfair to be singling players out after what was a great team showing. The only negative was the goal kicking, with Mo'unga only converting 3/7 conversions.

Argentina unfortunately just weren't up to the level required. Their ball handling was dreadful, summing up a performance of a team that was second-best. You can't question the effort, this was simply about skill, and a lack thereof. Kremer was the best, but it was slim pickings on a tough evening for the South Americans. They will have a chance to put this to bed in next week's third-place playoff, so expect them to come out firing.

That is all from the Stade de France this evening. A dominant New Zealand side is the first team into the final!

And here is the other result from the semis of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that have just come in:

England 15 - 16 South Africa (And it was the South Africans (Who haven't lost a test since against the reigning Six Nations champions Ireland who got knocked out by New Zealand in the quarterfinal during the pool game) night at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis as they managed to survive the mighty challenge of England to reach another Rugby World Cup final off the back of a match winning penalty by none other than reserve first-five Handre Pollard (Who came on early for Manie Libbok during the game), but their quest of successfully defending the RWC, is still alive after that hard fought 2019 Rugby World Cup final replay win against the English)

So it's New Zealand (Who is South Africa's main challengers in the 2023 Rugby World Cup (First it was France in both 1987 & 2011 followed by Australia in 2015) to play South Africa (Who'll put their Rugby World Cup championship on the line, & in counter point that with Siya Kolisi's status as a self-proclaimed rugby god as well as the Head of the Table in international rugby (He was Head of the Table in 2019 when the Springboks triumphed over England in the final in Yokohama, Japan), is at stake, but who'll provide the Lionel Messi (A superstar footballer from Argentina who was the most recent Football World Cup winning captain for his country in 2022), Roman Reigns (An American wrestling icon (And current champion of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship title) who is of British, Italian & Samoan origin & is a relative of his mentor Dwayne Johnson, but comes from the famous Anoa'i wrestling family which featured the late great Yokozuna), Alex Palou (A well known Spanish racing car driver who is Indycar's answer of his childhood idol & twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso) & Max Verstappen (A famous Dutch racing car driver who is now a 3 time Formula One world champion & better known as the son of ex-driver Jos who is F1's equivalent to twice Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk) moment? We will find out on the 29th of October New Zealand time) in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final (It is a rematch of the 1995 final in which the first time of 3 occasions that the Springboks (Led by that inspirational skipper at the time of Francois Pienaar who lifted the famous William Webb Ellis trophy in front of a packed home crowd) had won the World Cup against the All Blacks in a final in which they united the nation under the leadership of the late great South African president of Nelson Mandela with Joel Stransky providing the heroics as he slotted a drop kick that broke our hearts & it hurts after the defeat against the Boks not only because we were so gutted about the result, but their most recent meeting between the 2 teams was this year in which the South Africans had a comprehensive blowout win at Twickenham in London, England dubbed as the Twickenham horror show as the AB's side dealt with injury to key players such as Shannon Frizell & Brodie Retallick, went on to lose the test (And the next one against the hosts France in the RWC opener in which the French became the last side to defeat New Zealand in international rugby) in which was our worst test match defeat since 1999 against the Wallabies in Sydney who would have gone on to retain the Bledisloe & to win the Rugby World Cup later that year) but will it be All Black captain Sam Cane (It was David Kirk who did it in 1987 against France in the final then Richie McCaw twice in 2011 against France in the final & in 2015 against the Wallabies in the final) or Springbok captain Siya Kolisi (Who is gunning to become the 2nd skipper to lift the Rugby World Cup trophy twice (And the 1st South African captain to become a 2 time Rugby World Cup winning skipper) just like McCaw did who was the 1st at both the 2011 & 2015 Rugby World Cups for the All Blacks of New Zealand) again to become the Rugby World Cup winning captain to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy this year? (It was David Kirk from New Zealand in 1987 followed by Nick Farr-Jones (Australia) in 1991, Pienaar (South Africa) in 1995, John Eales (Australia) in 1999, Martin Johnson (England) in 2003, John Smit (South Africa) in 2007, McCaw (New Zealand) twice in 2011 & 2015 & last but not least, Kolisi (South Africa) in 2019) We will find it out in 7 days time but will New Zealand win their record breaking 4th World Cup title & their 1st since 2015, or will the famous William Webb Ellis trophy stay in South Africa? In part 3 of international rugby's most storied rivalry this year with both sides locked with 1 wins apiece (First New Zealand in the test at Go Media Stadium Mount Smart in Auckland, then the Springboks successfully replied at Twickenham before the World Cup which cemented them as the favourites to lift the trophy) at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday morning New Zealand time to decide who will become champion of the world (Well, who is it going to be? Whether it's the All Blacks (Who have Ian Foster in his final game in charge as All Blacks coach as he desperately wants a win to sign off his coaching career, but I was told Pops that there is going to be an New Zealand-South Africa final, but it's happening as dreams are about to become reality that there will be a dream final between both nations just like the Chiefs & the Crusaders fought out in the final for the right to become champions of Super Rugby Pacific this year at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton, in which the Crusaders again dominated the final just like last year as the Chiefs missed out not only because they were disappointed & gutted about the result but it was supposed to be the Chiefs year & they didn't when they missed out on that occasion, & of course Spain successfully won the Football Women's World Cup against England in a hard fought final in front of a sold out Stadium Australia in Sydney) to party like it's 1987, 2011 & 2015 (Go the All Blacks!) or will the South Africans who'll defend their title just like New Zealand did in 2015) but it's Argentina against England (Both sides deserve to be in the final but it wasn't to be as they lost to both opponents New Zealand & South Africa in the semifinal) 1st to decide who'll finish 3rd at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday New Zealand time.

Alright, the latest in Formula One such as Max Verstappen (Who dominated F1 for the last 3 seasons since 2021) has won the sprint race to start on pole then he won that epic United States Grand Prix at COTA in Austin, Texas, in the aftermath of Lewis Hamilton's disqualification for failing a post race inspection alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc while Lando Norris in the McLaren has just finished 2nd followed by the winner in Singapore of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari who rounded out the podium (And there are 4 races left in the season with both the drivers & constructors championship has already been decided on that occasion, but the next one is in Mexico (Which is the home race of Red Bull's Sergio Perez who is 2nd in the championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes, but behind his Red Bull Racing teammate of Verstappen) where Max Verstappen dominated the race last year as he broke the record for the most number of victories in a single season previously set by both Germans who are world champions of Michael Schumacher in 2004 & Sebastian Vettel in 2013, followed by Sao Paulo in Brazil, then they head back to America for the historic first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix & finally, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix plays host to the season finale of the 2023 Formula One season).

And finally my last thoughts before the final? There is no tomorrow, men, today we crush South Africa once & for all. Now let's get a move on, we've got an Rugby World Cup to win here! (Kia ora, good afternoon, the All Blacks carry the hopes of a nation & a burden of history in that morning's all important Rugby World Cup final. In just a few hours a question posed every 4 years will have it's answer? Will this be New Zealand's time or has they have before, will South Africa find something special to once again break Kiwi hearts?)

So that is my 524th blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 48th of this year, viva Ukraine (And you have a great Christmas & a very happy new year, so best wishes, bring on 2024! (And my last thoughts before I wrap this blog up? God bless you all).

P.S. And the All Blacks team has been revealed ahead of our highly anticipated Rugby World Cup final against the Springboks (The last time we met South Africa in international rugby, it was this year in a pre-RWC test at Twickenham in London where the South Africans edged & decimated us in convincing fashion in which was our worst ever test defeat by 28 points, surpassing the 21 we had in 1999 against Australia in Sydney, but we haven't beaten the the Boks since July at Mount Smart in Auckland during the Rugby Championship, & also we never lost against them at a RWC since 1999 which was the 3rd & 4th place playoff, & our most recent meeting between the two sides during the tournament was in 2019 where we had a 10 point win in the opening match of the World Cup where the last time South Africa had lost during the tournament before benefiting all 6 games to win their first RWC championship in 12 years, including the final against England in which the South Africans have never lost a RWC final before, but can the All Blacks finally conquer South Africa's undefeated streak, at a Rugby World Cup final? (Because they are 3 & 0 at the moment) We will find out, on the 28th of October (That's the 29th New Zealand time), but we'll see) as history beckons for both sides wanting to end the year 2023 on a high with a positive note (And it'll be the biggest match of their rugby players careers so far) if they want to lift the famous William Webb Ellis trophy, so here is the starting lineup according to outgoing coach Fozzy (Ian Foster) in what was to be his final game as coach of the All Blacks before the incoming coach of Scott Robertson takes over starting from next year along with the 7 departing main players such as Beauden Barrett, Shannon Frizell, Richie Mo'unga, Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith, Codie Taylor & Sam Whitelock:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Ethan de Groot (Highlanders/Southland)

2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)

3 (Tight head prop): Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Brodie Retallick (Chiefs/Hawke's Bay)

5 (No.5 lock): Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Shannon Frizell (Highlanders/Tasman)

7 (Open side flanker): Sam Cane (Captain, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)

8 (Number 8): Ardie Savea (Hurricanes/Wellington)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Highlanders/Manawatu)

10 (First five-eighth): Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders/Canterbury)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)

13 (Centre): Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Mark Telea (Blues/North Harbour)

14 (Right wing): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)

& 15 (Fullback): Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Samisoni Taukei'aho 

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Tamaiti Williams

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Nepo Laulala (Who takes Fletcher Newell's place at the reserve tighthead prop position)

19 (Reserve lock): Sam Whitelock (Who is dropped to the bench with Brodie Retallck elevated to the starting lineup to start as the number 4 lock position)

20 (Reserve loose forward): Dalton Papali'i

21 (Reserve half-back): Finlay Christie

22 (Reserve first-five eighth): Damian McKenzie

& 23 (Reserve back): Anton Lienert-Brown

And the current world champion Springboks side (Who have now taken over as the top ranked rugby playing nation in the world following Ireland's elimination in the quarterfinals (I thought Bundee Aki is going to be the player of the tournament, but it's now Richie Mo'unga who could be player of the tournament after Ireland had lost to the All Blacks in the quarters) have named a strong team by naming all but one forwards on the bench again (That's the 3rd time that they had done that but that ploy worked when they defeated the All Blacks at Twickenham in London in which South Africa used their 7 - 1 split for the first time in history according to the blog that I did last month, but they were unsuccessful against the Irish during the pool game in which the last time South Africa had lost a test match) for their date with destiny against their arch-rivals New Zealand (Who are gunning to end an 8 year drought of winning the Rugby World Cup after South Africa dominated in 2019) in the final with the winning captain of the Rugby World Cup will get their hands on the William Webb Ellis Cup along with 32 others in the squad, as well as the chance of becoming the most successful rugby playing nation, in Rugby World Cup history as both sides are locked at 3 Rugby World Cup crowns each, but who'll break the deadlock to win their elusive 4th?) so here is the starting lineup according to coach Jacques Nienaber:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Steven Kitshoff (Ulster)

2 (Hooker): Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks)

3 (Tight head prop): Frans Malherbe (Stormers)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Eben Etzebeth (Sharks)

5 (No.5 lock): Franco Mostert (Mie Honda Heat)

LOOSE FORWARDS

7 (Blind side flanker): Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)

6 (Open side flanker): Siya Kolisi (Captain, Racing 92)

8 (Number 8): Duane Vermeulen (Unattached)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Damian de Allende (Saitama Wild Knights)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath)

14 (Right wing): Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls)

& 15 (Fullback): Damian Willemse (Stormers)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Deon Fourie

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Ox Nche

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Trevor Nyakane

19 (Reserve lock): Jean Kleyn

20 (Reserve lock): RG Snyman

21 (Reserve loose forward): Kwagga Smith

22 (Reserve loose forward): Jasper Wiese

& 23 (Reserve back): Willie le Roux.

Don't Dream It's Over/Better Be Home Soon: My 47th blog of the year 2023 (AKA my penultimate blog of this year)

Well, another fantastic win against the AB's, this time against Ireland (Who nearly had it should they won but their drought of reaching their 1st semi at the Rugby World Cup continues as New Zealand had ended the incredible 17 match winning streak of the defending Six Nations champions Ireland) at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis during this year's Rugby World Cup in a hard fought quarterfinal win in what was to be Johnny Sexton's final ever test match (Remember he made his test debut against Fiji back in 2009), to book us a place in the semifinal of the tournament, so let's relive the live updates of the last 13 minutes of the quarterfinal match according to Newshub:

THE LAST 13 - IRE VS NZL

70TH MINUTE, PENALTY IRELAND (NOT RELEASING): Ioane claims a long restart, working outside the 22, with another phase before New Zealand cleared long. Sexton returned nicely, before another chip in behind. B Barrett did well to keep it in, but it put pressure on Lienert-Brown, and Ireland won the turnover penalty! To the corner again!

72ND MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): JORDIE BARRETT SAVES THE DAY FOR NEW ZEALAND! It was lobbed in for a drive, and once again Ireland rumbled for the line. They looked certain to score, when Kelleher peeled away, but Barrett lodged himself under it, holding it up! Line dropout to come.

73RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), SCRUM ALL BLACKS: DORIS KNOCKS IT ON! Huge moment as he spills the restart! New Zealand will pack a scrum 55m out from the line.

74TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): New Zealand look to milk a penalty, but don't get it, working up over halfway to the short side via the run of Mo'unga. Hard carries from New Zealand, one-off whilst they are down to 14. Cane then Whitelock, worming just shy of the 10m line.

75TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Smith box kicks, with O'Brien just about claiming it, before being driven over the sideline. Coles to throw the lineout on the 10m line.

76TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), DROP GOAL MISS (B. BARRETT): New Zealand go to a drive, happily killing time in and around the fringes before J Barrett carted in midfield. Mo'unga chipped in behind, seeing it roll into the in-goal where Ireland had to force for a line dropout.

New Zealand are back to 15.

B Barrett winds up from 50m out, with nobody on him off the restart, but he hooks it horribly towards the corner. Forced for a 22m dropout.

77TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Whitelock claims and New Zealand go to work, pick and going across the halfway line. Smith looked to milk a penalty before eventually box-kicking, sending it up towards the 22. O'Brien claims, settling just back of the 10m line.

78TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Aki works left into space, before the defensive pattern settled as runners bashed over halfway. A couple of big hits from New Zealand, but a good tip ball by Doris gets Ireland to the 10m line.

79TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Lowe is chopped, before Beirne followed in midfield. Slow ball for Ireland up to 16 phases. They have it 35m from the line. THIS IS THE GAME!

80TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Ireland work a flank to get Conan closer to the 22, before Lowe worked in midfield. Then Aki, Kelleher next but the All Blacks haven't missed. O'Brien uses the left edge to earn 5m. 23 phases now!

80TH MINUTE + 1ST MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Conan bashes into the 22, before Savea had a go. He couldn't get it, with a couple more bashes away to the left. Kelleher into the 22...

80TH MINUTE + 2ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Doris then Beirne, 33 phases now but Ireland are still 22m out. Aki makes a strong bust to get it 15m from the chalk, before Conan followed. Another big carry follows closer infield.

80TH MINUTE + 3RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY ALL BLACKS (NOT RELEASING): THE ALL BLACKS DO IT! 38 PHASES! COURAGE, STRENGTH, INTEGRITY! INCREDIBLE EFFORT, AND FINALLY WHITELOCK GETS IN OVER THE BALL TO TURN IT OVER! He wins the penalty, New Zealand tap and kick it into touch, that is the end of one of the all-time great World Cup games.

FULL TIME: 24 - 28

Wow. Just wow. That was some game, one of the all-time great games. It was the unstoppable force versus the immovable object at the end there, and it spoke of the heart this All Blacks team have, as after 38 phases, tackle after tackle, the veteran Sam Whitelock got in over the ball to win the crucial turnover. Heartbreak for Ireland, ecstasy for New Zealand, who march on into next week's semi-finals.

You have to feel for Ireland. This is an incredible side, who were world number one for good reason, but their quarter-final curse continues. They gave it their all, but have fallen short after winning 17 on the trot leading into this one. Their slow start might have cost them, though equally, they will feel like they did enough to work their way back into the game. It seemed to be flowing their way when they crashed in for a penalty try, but they never scored again, and will have to live with that for another four years - and in truth, for much longer than that. That is the end for this team, the ageless Johnny Sexton finally bows out, and he isn't the only one who won't be there in four years time. He left everything out there, as did his whole side, who threw everything they had at the All Blacks, but today the execution was not quite there.

What a win that is for New Zealand. They have played many a World Cup knockout game, but as a contest there have been few like that. It had the intensity and quality for a final, with both sides not willing to give an inch, but a few extra moments of quality got them over the line. First the try to Fainga'anuku, and that later one to Jordan, you wonder whether Ireland could score a try like that. Pace, and power to the line, don't underestimate the work of Mo'unga to draw defenders to the line. It is the forwards who will take the accolades, and in particular Sam Cane and Ardie Savea who were terrific in contact and at the breakdown. Both Retallick and Whitelock also grabbed turnovers, showing the brilliant work New Zealand did around the breakdown. Jordie Barrett too was immense in what was the biggest game of his career to date. They'll get straight into recovery, before turning their attention towards Argentina in next week's semi-final.

That is all from the Stade de France tonight. Terrific quarter-final rugby, where in the end New Zealand managed to get home.

And here are the other results from the quarterfinals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that have just come in:

Wales 17 - 29 Argentina (It was Argentina's day as they save themselves from getting knocked out against Wales at Stade de Marseille in Marseille with the Argentinians provided both defining moments such as Argentinan reserve back Matias Moroni saving a try off Louis Rees-Zammit, then wily old Argentinan veteran Nicolas Sanchez who intercepted a Welsh pass as he raced all the way to the try line to score to seal a place in the semi against the All Blacks)

England 30 - 24 Fiji (And it was England's day as they gain revenge against Fiji (Who are in their 1st quarterfinal at a Rugby World Cup since 2007 but they didn't quite do the job on that occasion) after bouncing back from defeat against them before the tournament in Marseille (Although Farrell didn't play as he was suspended of course, along with Billy Vunipola), but Owen Farrell's drop goal provided a key pivotal moment in the quarterfinal therefore the English had denied Fiji their tremendous fightback that they had through terrible officiating)

& France 28 - 29 South Africa (It was South Africa's night as they stave off elimination for their hunt towards of retaining the crown as well as their unprecedented 4th RWC championship to down the hosts France (Led by Antoine Dupont who had to wear a scrum cap since his cheekbone had been fractured during the pool game against Namibia) who had just suffered a World Cup heartbreak at home at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, & they could've used Romain Ntamack should he had not been injured as the South Africans have handed France their first defeat since against Scotland at Murrayfield in August this year (And it was a great game that Carole alluded to as she watched it, but it was the South Africans who prevailed in the end by a whisker)

And here is the confirmed list for the semifinal matches being played for which I'm looking forward to:

Argentina Vs New Zealand (Their most recent meeting at a Rugby World Cup was 8 years ago when the All Blacks ran out as winners as both halfback Aaron Smith & reserve loose forward Sam Cane dotted it down against Argentina in our World Cup opener at Wembley Stadium in London, England back in 2015 despite both captain at the time of Richie McCaw & centre Conrad Smith had picked up yellow cards during the game for the AB's)

& England Vs South Africa (The last time both of these sides had met at a Rugby World Cup was during the final in 2019 at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, Japan where the Springboks had a comprehensive win against England to be crowned the world champions for the 3rd time as they ended a 12 year wait of winning rugby's global showpiece event, in a rematch of the 2007 final (Including both wingers Makazole Mapimpi & Cheslin Kolbe became the 1st 2 try scorers for the Springboks at a Rugby World Cup final), & their first in 12 years)

And the war between Hamas & Israel is ongoing as many American cities such as New York, Los Angeles & in the UK have made the decision to heighten security due to tensions surrounding the war therefore protecting schools, mosques & Jewish centres that fear for their own safety in which ordinary people are living in fear in response to mass protests being triggered between the Jews & the Muslims, but continuing onto the war as the Israelis launch an offensive attack as rockets have been fired into Israel amid Hamas war & Gaza raid (And also the hostage crisis had taken place as many women & children have been kidnapped by Hamas forces including 27 Americans whose lives had been taken away, but the rave festival should've been called off when Hamas militant fighters had infiltrated).

And in men's Cricket World Cup news such as Afghanistan pulled off a miraculous victory over reigning champs England as they claimed the biggest upset in men's CWC history (And South Africa has beaten Australia (Who defeated Sri Lanka with Glenn Maxwell having a late surge towards victory with his batting ability) again then the Black Caps who had a win against Bangladesh with Daryl Mitchell scoring a creditable 89 not out as well as New Zealand captain Kane Williamson who had to retire hurt at 78 but he might be ruled out of the next game against the giant killers of Afghanistan, while India maintain their 100% winning record at a men's Cricket World Cup against rivals Pakistan) for their 2nd win at a men's CWC as well as their first since 2015 against Scotland in Dunedin, New Zealand then the unthinkable has happened as the Netherlands pulled off the biggest boilover in men's Cricket World Cup history as they upstaged South Africa with Australian born Dutch captain Scott Edwards providing the heroics as he scored 78 not out then Roelof van der Merwe (A South African born player of Dutch origin) had a cameo role as he scored 29 to put them back into the contest.

And finally that we have our new Prime Minister of our country with Christopher Luxon victorious over Chris Hipkins in the New Zealand general election on the 14th of October as he takes charge of our country from Hipkins in the aftermath of National's successful election campaign that they just had meaning that National is back in power for the first time since 2017.

So that is my 523rd blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 47th of this year, viva Ukraine.

P.S. And the All Blacks team has been revealed ahead of our gigantic semifinal clash against Argentina (The last time we met the Argentinians in international rugby, it was this year in Mendoza in the Rugby Championship opener as went on to win the test which was overshadowed by the injury of Fijian born young AB's winger of Emoni Narawa, but Argentina have never beaten the AB's since last year in Christchurch, & also we never lost against them at a RWC (And every time we win a Rugby World Cup, we would always beat Argentina first, whether it's a pool game in both 1987 & 2015, or a quarterfinal in 2011), so here is the starting lineup according to coach Fozzy (Ian Foster):

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Ethan de Groot (Highlanders/Southland)

2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)

3 (Tight head prop): Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Sam Whitelock (Crusaders/Canterbury)

5 (No.5 lock): Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Shannon Frizell (Highlanders/Tasman)

7 (Open side flanker): Sam Cane (Captain, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)

8 (Number 8): Ardie Savea (Hurricanes/Wellington)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Highlanders/Manawatu)

10 (First five-eighth): Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders/Canterbury)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)

13 (Centre): Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Mark Telea (Blues/North Harbour)

14 (Right wing): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)

& 15 (Fullback): Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Samisoni Taukei'aho (Who takes Dane Coles's place at the reserve hooker position) 

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Tamaiti Williams

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Fletcher Newell

19 (Reserve lock): Brodie Retallick (Who is dropped to the bench with Sam Whitelock elevated to the starting lineup to start as the number 4 lock position)

20 (Reserve loose forward): Dalton Papali'i

21 (Reserve half-back): Finlay Christie

22 (Reserve first-five eighth): Damian McKenzie

& 23 (Reserve back): Anton Lienert-Brown

And the opponents Argentina led by their ever-impressive veteran Julian Montoya have named their strongest possible lineup when they take to the field against the All Blacks as they set to end New Zealand's bid of reaching our first final since 2015 &, in counter point that we haven't won the Rugby World Cup in 8 years, so here is the starting lineup according to Australian born coach Michael Chieka:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Thomas Gallo (Benetton)

2 (Hooker): Julian Montoya (Captain, Leicester Tigers)

3 (Tight head prop): Francisco Gomez Kodela (Lyon)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Guido Petti (Bordeaux Begles)

5 (No.5 lock): Tomas Lavanini (Clermont)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Juan Martin Gonzalez (Saracens)

7 (Open side flanker): Marcos Kremer (Clermont)

8 (Number 8): Facundo Isa (Toulon)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Gonzalo Bertranou (Dragons)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Santiago Carreras (Gloucester)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Lucio Cinti (Saracens)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Mateo Carreras (Newcastle Falcons)

14 (Right wing): Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh)

& 15 (Fullback): Juan Cruz Mallia (Toulouse)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Agustin Creevy

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Joel Sclavi

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Eduardo Bello

19 (Reserve lock): Matias Alemanno

20 (Reserve loose forward): Rodrigo Bruni

21 (Reserve half-back/scrum-half): Lautaro Bazan Velez

22 (Reserve first five-eighth/fly-half): Nicolas Sanchez

& 23 (Reserve back): Matias Moroni.

Something So Strong/Don't Forget Your Roots: My 46th blog of the year 2023

Well, another fantastic win against the AB's, this time against Uruguay at OL Stadium in Lyon during this year's Rugby World Cup in another comprehensive blowout which resulted in a clean sheet (Shut-out) performance (1st time the AB's did that since 2021 against Tonga in which the score was in fact 102 - 0 & the first time at a Rugby World Cup since the demolition against Canada 63 - 0 in 2019) including Leicester Fainga'anuku's heroics as he dotted it down for his hat-trick of tries just like Aaron Smith did against Italy at the same ground to book a place in the quarterfinal (And we lost both Tyrel Lomax to a potentially tournament ending injury as well as Fletcher Newell who had taken off the field as a precaution, also with an injury), so let's relive the live updates of the last 10 minutes of the match according to Newshub:

THE LAST 10 - NZL VS URU

70TH MINUTE: Uruguay send the restart long into the 22, taken safely by Clarke before Barrett settles play with a carry. McKenzie clears with a good exit that finds touch on the 10m line.

71ST MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Uruguay secure the lineout before Barrett gets through and steals the ball. Clarke charges over halfway before the ball is sent wide to Jordan who chips over the top, and Silva only just gets back to clean up and force it in his in goal. All Black attacking scrum on the 5 as Silva took it back.

73RD MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY ALL BLACKS (64 - 0, T. WILLIAMS): FIRST TEST TRY FOR WILLIAMS! Jacobson carries off the back and offloads for Christie who is 5 short. Quick ball around the corner for the forwards but Uruguay are there to meet them. Short ball for Williams before Vaa'i goes quick and he is a metre short. Williams gets up and goes again, proving to be too big and too strong as he barges his way over to score 10 in from left touch.

74TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION ALL BLACKS (66 - 0, B. BARRETT): Barrett drills the kick low and hard to send it through the middle 10 in from left touch.

75TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY ALL BLACKS: Uruguay send the kick off long and into the 22 as Vaa'i takes it safely. Christie gets dragged into the ruck illegally and Uruguay concede the penalty with Barrett finding touch 30 out from the Uruguay line.

77TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY ALL BLACKS (71 - 0, L. FAINGA'ANUKU): FAINGA'ANUKU HAS THREE! Lineout secured by Vaa'i as Clarke charges to the 22 in midfield. Jacobson goes for the quick pick and go, followed by Vaa'i and he is just 15 short. Blackadder offloads for Clarke and the All Blacks are just 5 short, charging towards the try line. McKenzie goes wide left to Williams who is only just short, before Fainga'anuku goes quick with the pick and go to dive over in the left corner for his third try.

78TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION ALL BLACKS (73 - 0, B. BARRETT): Barrett draws the kick from right to left to send it through the uprights from the left touchline.

79TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Uruguay's restart is sent deep into the 22 as Clarke brings it back well. Back door play for Barrett in midfield and he bursts straight through! He gets to the fullback and kicks over the top, with the ball going too far and travelling dead. Uruguay 22m restart.

80TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY URUGUAY (NOT RELEASING): Restart taken well by Barrett before the ball is sent wide left to Clarke and he is taken on the 22m line. Wide the All Blacks go as Blackadder storms his way down the right flank to find himself within 10. Christie goes for a snipe but he is isolated and concedes the penalty. Quick tap as Uruguay break over halfway, before the pass travels forward and that is all she wrote from Lyon this evening!

FULL-TIME: 73 - 0

An outstanding first-ever Test match between New Zealand and Uruguay sees the All Blacks run away with a 73-point, 11-try victory as they showed their class against a brave Uruguay side. After heading into the halftime break with a 26-point lead, the All Blacks came out of the sheds firing to seal this match and their place in the quarterfinals of RWC 2023.

An uncharacteristically slow start by the All Blacks was matched by a fired-up Uruguay side who came out with a point to prove. With 9 changes made to the side that dominated Italy, it was obvious to see the New Zealanders lacked cohesion and were rather rusty. The first 20 minutes proved to be an even contest before the All Blacks upped the tempo and ran rampant, crossing for a total of 11 tries and not allowing any points against them. A hattrick to Fainga'anuku and doubles for McKenzie and Jordan made sure the All Blacks back three had a proper day out, with Fainga'anuku in particular making a strong case to be included in the All Blacks best 23.

In typical Uruguay fashion, they performed admirably and should be proud of their efforts. While the result doesn't look flash, their intensity over the first 20 minutes was impressive and provided them with a lot to build off. Unfortunately, they couldn't maintain that level of play for the 80 minutes, as the All Blacks proved to be too classy and experienced to run away with the contest. Arata was classy in the 9 jersey, while Freitas and Mieres looked dangerous anytime they got the ball in space. That spells the end of Uruguay's 2023 Rugby World Cup, as they finish in 4th place in Pool A and will be incredibly proud of their tournament.

That is all for now from Lyon. I hope you have enjoyed coverage of this Pool A Rugby World Cup 2023 fixture between the All Blacks and Uruguay.

And here are the other results from the pool matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that have just come in:

France 60 - 7 Italy (It was France's night as they decimated Italy who fell from the skies as Damian Penaud led an eight-try rout at OL Stadium in Lyon to advance through to the quarterfinal against the reigning 3 time world champs the Springboks (And the French captain as well as the best halfback in world rugby of Antoine Dupont has been given clearance by the surgeon to train with the team, then play the Boks in France's most important knockout game)

Wales 43 - 19 Georgia (It was Wales's day as they had a bit of payback against the Georgians after losing to them last year with young Welsh winger Louis Rees-Zammit picking up a hat-trick just like Fainga'anuku did against Uruguay but they lost loose forward Taulupe Faletau with a broken arm meaning that he's ruled out of the next game against Argentina in the quarterfinal as well as the tournament at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes (And Kieran Hardy (The halfback) has joined the squad as injury replacement for Faletau who will not take further part in this tournament)

England 18 - 17 Samoa (And it was England's day as they had a close shave & managed pull off a South Canterbury inspired comeback win to edge Samoa who are bitterly disappointed that they blew their lead just like Ngati Porou East Coast when they almost pulled it off did at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, & head to the quarterfinal against Fiji in a rematch of the pre-Rugby World Cup test in which the Fijians prevailed in a historic upset at Twickenham to become the first tier 2 side to defeat England)

Ireland 36 - 14 Scotland (And it was Ireland's night as they hammer Scotland to book a date with the AB's (Who'll meet the Irish (Who have Australian born Mack Hansen in the squad & there was an incredible story about him as he just found out that he was Irish qualified when he first got in the Ireland national side according to his mother being from there, just like New Zealand born Willi Heinz who played for England four years ago in 2019 due to his grandmother being English) again at a RWC, just like in 2019) in the quarters at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis)

Japan 27 - 39 Argentina (It was Argentina's day as they wallop Japan to go through to the quarterfinal of the Rugby World Cup for the first time since 2015 with Mateo Carreras getting a hat-trick just like both Fainga'anuku & Rees-Zammit did at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, but the Argentinians (Who'll face the Welsh in the quarters) have lost Pablo Matera with a terrible hamstring injury therefore ending his tournament, allowing lock forward Lucas Paulos to assume the call-up for the injured Matera)

Tonga 45 - 24 Romania (And it was Tonga's day as they dispatched Romania to end their campaign with a huge victory at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille)

& Fiji 23 - 24 Portugal (And it was Portugal's night as they secure their historic first ever win at the Rugby World Cup with a boilover against Fiji (Who advanced through to the quarters against the English not only by virtue of points difference ahead of the Wallabies (Their hopes of reaching the knockouts are done & dusted for the host nation of the 2027 tournament of Australia) as they picked up the defensive losing bonus point) by a single point at Stade de Toulouse in Toulouse (And that's the 2nd time that there has been a major upset of the tournament but first, it was Fiji against Australia & now it's the Portuguese who pulled it off against Fiji)

And here is the confirmed list for quarterfinal matches being played (Well, not only these high octane quarterfinal matches are going to be epic indeed, so yeah definitely):

Wales Vs Argentina (The last time both of these sides had met at a Rugby World Cup was during the opening game in the pool stages in 1999 with the Welsh securing a 5 point win over the Argentinians at the newly constructed Millennium Stadium in Cardiff)

Ireland Vs New Zealand (Their most recent meeting at a RWC was in 2019 where the AB's thrashed them in the quarterfinal in our 2nd ever meeting between the 2 countries at a RWC at Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo, Japan)

England Vs Fiji (The last time they clashed at a Rugby World Cup was in 2015 where Mike Brown had got a double to get their Rugby World Cup campaign off to a winning start as they secured a bonus point win at Twickenham in London)

& France Vs South Africa (And their only meeting between the 2 sides at a RWC was in 1995 during the semifinal in the wet in which France should've won the game because of a match winning try had not been counted according to the referee at Kings Park in Durban)

And some terrible news such as a brutal terrorist invasion by Hamas killed most party goers at a music festival (In which they should not have gone ahead on schedule during the conflict) when an airstrike had occurred as well as several gunmen who are part of the Palestinian Islamist group, opened fire & taken people hostage, with the death toll being risen to 1,300, as the war between Israel & Hamas began in the aftermath of the group launched a devastating surprise attack from Gaza, so all thoughts, prayers & condolences to the victims of this sad, diffcult & tough time (And there was a rocket attack when the Israeli leader of Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered a retaliatory strike as the war & violence had broken out as Israeli air raids pound Gaza Strip 4 days after Hamas sent rockets & fighters into Israel in an unprecedented attack).

And the Black Caps of New Zealand got off to a winning start at this year's men's Cricket World Cup as they secure their 1st win against England (Who beaten the Black Caps twice in 2019, including the final in which we should've won) at a men's CWC since 2015 by 9 wickets with South African born Devon Conway (Who top scored 152 not out compared to Ravindra who got 123 not out) & Rachin Ravindra (Who is a Kiwi of Indian origin, just like Ish Sodhi) picking up unbeaten tons respectively followed by Pakistan who did it against both the Netherlands (Who got beaten by the Black Caps next time round in which we won by 99 runs) & Sri Lanka (Who lost to South Africa in their 1st game of the World Cup) then Bangladesh who took victory against Afghanistan before losing to England who got their tournament back on track before the hosts India had decimated Australia with a victory followed by Afghanistan with a century none other than the Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

And finally in motor racing news such as Dutchman Max Verstappen is now a 3 time Formula One world champion after finishing 2nd behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the sprint race while Verstappen's Red Bull teammate of Sergio Perez has crashed out allowing Verstappen to go in for the kill & clinch the championship with 5 races to spare before he had a dominating peformance to win at the Qatar Grand Prix at Losail International Circuit in Lusail (In which the race was marred by both Mercedes drivers George Russell & Sir Lewis Hamilton who both collided during the Grand Prix (Hamilton had to retire but Russell was one shy of a place on the podium in which he recovered to finish 4th, but our own flying Kiwi of Liam Lawson in the Alphatauri originally was going to make his sprint race debut but he couldn't after just 1 lap due to a spin on the opening lap in which he crashed) which was reminiscent of Spain in 2016 where Max Verstappen won the race for the first time after both Hamilton & his Mercedes-AMG teammate at the time of Nico Rosberg collide (And there was Sonny Bill Williams, the twice Rugby World Cup winning player who attended the Grand Prix saying on TV that the All Blacks (Who have never lost a test match since the RWC opener against the host nation France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, but never lost a Rugby World Cup quarterfinal since 2007 against the same opponent in Cardiff, Wales) are gonna win this quarterfinal against the Irish (Who haven't been beaten since last year against New Zealand at the garden of Eden at Eden Park in Auckland, & are on a 17 match winning streak going into the quarterfinal but they are gunning for their first win in the QF stages of the RWC), in our country's biggest but most difficult & demanding Rugby World Cup game of our lives since the semifinal encounter against England in 2019), but great news New Zealand motor racing fans over in Bathurst in Australia during the Supercars Championship (A motor racing series designated by all our bogans there (And I'm a friendly bogan which is the one who listens to a lot of rock music but I never use foul language a lot, especially in front of my family) such as defending 3 time champion Shane van Gisbergen (Who is 2nd in the championship as he trails behind his nearest rival of Brodie Kostecki going into the next event at the former Indycar venue of Surfers Paradise in Queensland then also the former F1 venue of Adelaide in South Australia will once again host the season finale just like last year) winning his 3rd & last crack at the Mountain during this years Bathurst 1000 sponsored by Repco along with his Kiwi co-driver Richie Stanaway, before heading to America to compete in NASCAR racing over there.

So that is my 522nd blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 46th of this year, viva Ukraine.

P.S. And the All Blacks (Who haven't tasted defeat at a RWC quarterfinal in 16 years against France at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff where it was the most controversial test match in history in which Yannick Jauzion scored a try off a forward pass that English referee Wayne Barnes missed (And the decision would've been overturned if today's modern video technology replays be available which proved costly for the AB's but luckily Graham Henry survived his All Blacks coaching job following the aftermath of the events of 2007 where we had to win our home World Cup in 2011 after 24 years of heartache, then successfully defended it in 2015 in England in which was the 1st & only time that New Zealand had won the World Cup outside of our home country, 4 years before our dreaded semifinal defeat in 2019 against England which hurt us, & we must've blown that opportunity of reaching our 3rd straight final in our bid for a historic first ever threepeat at the RWC (And the negotiations have felt short needless to say) team has been revealed ahead of our big quarterfinal clash against Ireland (The last time we met the Irish in international rugby, it was last year at Sky Stadium in Wellington as Ireland went on to win the test series in style when they overturned their 1 - 0 deficit as they came from behind where they benefited the last 2 tests to dominate out there), so here is the starting lineup according to coach Fozzy (Ian Foster):

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Ethan de Groot (Highlanders/Southland)

2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)

3 (Tight head prop): Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Brodie Retallick (Chiefs/Hawke's Bay)

5 (No.5 lock): Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Shannon Frizell (Highlanders/Tasman)

7 (Open side flanker): Sam Cane (Captain, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)

8 (Number 8): Ardie Savea (Hurricanes/Wellington)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Highlanders/Manawatu)

10 (First five-eighth): Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders/Canterbury)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)

13 (Centre): Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Leicester Fainga'anuku (Crusaders/Tasman)

14 (Right wing): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)

& 15 (Fullback): Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Dane Coles (Who takes Samisoni Tau'keiaho's place at the reserve hooker position) 

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Tamaiti Williams

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Fletcher Newell

19 (Reserve lock): Sam Whitelock (Who is dropped to the bench with Scott Barrett elevated to the starting lineup to start as the number 5 lock position)

20 (Reserve loose forward): Dalton Papali'i (Who takes Ethan Blackadder's place as the reserve openside flanker)

21 (Reserve half-back): Finlay Christie

22 (Reserve first-five eighth): Damian McKenzie (Who is dropped to the bench as he replaces Beauden Barrett to cover the reserve first-five eighth position with Barrett elevated to the starting lineup as the starting fullback)

& 23 (Reserve back): Anton Lienert-Brown (Who is dropped to the bench to make way for Rieko Ioane who'll start at centre as he replaces Caleb Clarke to cover the reserve back position)

And the opponents Ireland still led by their ever-impressive veteran Johnny Sexton have named an unchanged but strong side ready to end New Zealand's quest of making the semifinals for the 1st time (After coming close on 7 occasions, losing all of their games against Australia twice in 1987 & 1991, France in both 1995 & 2003, Wales in 2011, Argentina in 2015 & last but not least, New Zealand in 2019, all in the quarterfinals in which the Irish fell short every time they would appear) & our quest of winning the William Webb Ellis trophy for the first time since 2015 (And this quarterfinal game will be their biggest match of their players careers but let's hope that we would not see the last of New Zealand coach Ian Foster who could be in his final game in charge if the AB's miss out on winning that all important test against the Irish (If we overcome against them, it's either Wales or Argentina in the semis) which is the most difficult but demanding Rugby World Cup game of our lives since the encounter against England in 2019 in the semi in which Samoan born Manu Tuilagi's all-important but vital try that sealed a place in the final which broke our hearts), so here is the starting lineup according to English born coach Andy Farrell:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Andrew Porter (Leinster)

2 (Hooker): Dan Sheehan (Leinster)

3 (Tight head prop): Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Tadhg Beirne (Munster)

5 (No.5 lock): Iain Henderson (Ulster)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Peter O'Mahony (Munster)

7 (Open side flanker): Josh van der Flier (Leinster)

8 (Number 8): Caelan Doris (Leinster)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Johnny Sexton (Captain, Unattached)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Bundee Aki (Connacht)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Garry Ringrose (Leinster)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): James Lowe (Leinster)

14 (Right wing): Mack Hansen (Connacht)

& 15 (Fullback): Hugo Keenan (Leinster)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Ronan Kelleher

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Dave Kilcoyne

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Finlay Bealham

19 (Reserve lock): Joe McCarthy

20 (Reserve loose forward): Jack Conan

21 (Reserve half-back/scrum-half): Conor Murray

22 (Reserve first five-eighth/fly-half): Jack Crowley

& 23 (Reserve back): Jimmy O'Brien.

It's A Go/Outta Phase: My 45th blog of the year 2023

Well, another great win against the AB's, this time against Italy at OL Stadium in Lyon during this year's Rugby World Cup in another comprehensive blowout including Aaron Smith's heroics as he dotted it down for his hat-trick of tries so let's relive the live updates of the last 9 minutes of the match according to Newshub:

THE LAST 9 - NZL VS ITA

71ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), CONVERSION ALL BLACKS (D. MCKENZIE): McKenzie drills it over from the right edge.

72ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): McKenzie clears long, with Italy happy to return. New Zealand worked on the edge of the 22, before Barrett kicked ahead. Italy phased to the left, but they lost possession, with the All Blacks countering!

73RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), TRY ALL BLACKS (D. COLES): THEY JUST KEEP COMING! New Zealand worked the turnover, working some slick offloads to free McKenzie into the backfield, he fell into the 22, being stopped 10m out, before a side entry gave New Zealand a penalty advantage. They couldn't score as B Barrett's cut-out ball went into touch. They went back for the penalty though, with B Barrett tapping on the mark, before Jordan set it 5m out. Coles was ready and waiting, with quick ball sending it his way, as he walked over in the corner!

74TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), CONVERSION ALL BLACKS (D. MCKENZIE): McKenzie drills it over from the right sideline.

76TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY ALL BLACKS (NOT ROLLING AWAY): Penalty off the kickoff for not rolling. McKenzie clears to touch up on halfway.

TRY ALL BLACKS (A. LIENERT-BROWN): INTO THE NINETIES! THE TON BECKONS FOR THE ALL BLACKS! Slick move off the tail of the lineout for the men in black, with Roigard being worked into a huge hole! He sliced into the 22 off the Coles pass, speeding 15m out, before drawing back off his right for an unmarked Lienert-Brown.

CONVERSION ALL BLACKS (D. MCKENZIE): Eased over from in front.

78TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): Short restart, and it pings off the head of Cane, giving Italy some possession! They looked ragged, but managed to open it up away to the left, as Ioane hit a half gap, flinging a superb offload for Capuozzo! He linked Cannone 5m away, but a neck roll at the ruck lets New Zealand off the hook. Quick clearance to touch, and New Zealand get a lineout up on their attacking 10m line.

79TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): New Zealand set a couple of rucks in midfield before splitting right for McKenzie, with it nearly opening up, before Savea and Coles couldn't quite combine on the right. Italy with one last chance perhaps.

80TH MINUTE + 1ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), TRY ITALY (M. IOANE): ITALY GET THE FINAL SAY! They worked off their own goal line, working across to the right before grubbering up to halfway. McKenzie couldn't quite hold on in recovery, as Italy took control, working up the left. They chopped back right for Odogwu, who chopped inside one, before linking for Ioane who did just enough to get over in the right corner.

80TH MINUTE + 3RD MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), CONVERSION ITALY (P. GARBISI): Garbisi has the final say by knocking it over from the right sideline.

FULL-TIME: 96 - 17

What a game. 16 tries, one every five minutes on average, 14 of them to a rampant New Zealand side, who never really took their foot off the gas, nearly notching a rare ton against a very good Italian side. Nobody saw such a victory coming, but the game flowed, which played into the hands of the men in black, who deservedly got the win here that has shown why they are very much a threat at this World Cup.

No cards, no injuries, and a massive victory, this game couldn't have gone much better for the All Blacks. They may pinpoint a short period where they slipped off after halftime, but it is hard to be dominant in the manner they were for the full eighty. They were brilliant, with tries right across the park, and slick attacking rugby from all of their players. Jordie Barrett was probably the pick of the bunch, but it is tough to single out players in such a good win. Uruguay next week for them, before they likely face Ireland in the quarter finals.

Italy will want to swiftly move on from that one. They were blown away, caught out with far too many gaps in their defence, and they couldn't keep up. They managed a couple of tries, which is something for them to be proud of, but that was grim. Some thought they were capable of an upset, but instead they go away upset with the performance they turned in. They can technically still qualify when they play France next week, but that will require them to beat France, which doesn't at all look likely.

That is all for now from Lyon. New Zealand has blown away Italy to all but secure qualification for the quarters.

And finally, here are the other results from the pool matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that have just come in:

Uruguay 36 - 26 Namibia (It was Uruguay's day as they smash poor old Namibia at OL Stadium in Lyon)

Japan 28 - 22 Samoa (And it was Japan's day as they wallop Samoa at Stade de Toulouse in Toulouse)

Argentina 59 - 5 Chile (It was Argentina's day as they cop a good old hammering over rivals Chile at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes)

Fiji 17 - 12 Georgia (And it was Fiji's day as they see off a challenge from Georgia at Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux)

Scotland 84 - 0 Romania (It was Scotland's night as they recorded a shutout/clean sheet thrashing over Romania at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille)

Australia 34 - 14 Portugal (And it was the Wallabies day as they put their hopes of making the quarters back on track with a convincing win over Portugal at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne)

& South Africa 49 - 18 Tonga (And it was the Springboks night as they pounce Tonga to move ahead of Ireland (Who can go back on top of the pool with a bonus point win against Scotland going into the next match in Saint-Denis as their 16 game winning streak is at stake) in Pool B at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, but unfortunately for South Africa, they lost one of their key players for the whole tournament of Makazole Mapimpi (Who had been replaced by Lukhanyo Am (Who was originally not on the squad as a result of a knee injury) as an injury replacement) as he fractured an eye socket in an illegal head on head collision with Tongan halfback Augustine Pulu who got yellow carded in the game as well as an off-field review sent straight to the bunker)

So that is my 521st blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 45th of this year, viva Ukraine.

P.S. And the All Blacks team has been revealed ahead of our final pool game & our historic 1st ever meeting in international test rugby against Uruguay in which we haven't met before, so here is the starting lineup according to coach Fozzy (Ian Foster):

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues/Northland)

2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)

3 (Tight head prop): Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Sam Whitelock (Crusaders/Canterbury)

5 (No.5 lock): Tupou Vaa'i (Chiefs/Taranaki)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Shannon Frizell (Highlanders/Tasman)

7 (Open side flanker): Sam Cane (Captain, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)

8 (Number 8): Luke Jacobson (Chiefs/Waikato)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back): Cam Roigard (Hurricanes/Counties Manukau)

10 (First five-eighth): Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders/Canterbury)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)

13 (Centre): Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs/Waikato)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Leicester Fainga'anuku (Crusaders/Tasman)

14 (Right wing): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)

& 15 (Fullback): Damian McKenzie (Chiefs/Waikato)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Samisoni Taukei'aho (Who takes Dane Coles's place at the reserve hooker position with Coles being rested for this match) 

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Tamaiti Williams

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Fletcher Newell (Who returns to replace Tyrel Lomax as the reserve tighthead prop spot with Lomax elevated to the starting lineup as the starting tighthead prop)

19 (Reserve lock): Scott Barrett (Who is dropped to the bench with Sam Whitelock elevated to the starting lineup to start as the number 4 lock position)

20 (Reserve loose forward): Ethan Blackadder (Who is in line to make his Rugby World Cup debut for the All Blacks following his call up as injury replacement for the unfortunate Emoni Narawa as he replaces Sam Cane with Cane elevated to the starting lineup as the starting openside flanker to captain the side)

21 (Reserve half-back): Finlay Christie (Who takes Aaron Smith's place to cover the halfback position with Roigard being elevated to the starting lineup as the starting halfback)

22 (Reserve first-five eighth): Beauden Barrett (Who is dropped to the bench as he replaces Damian McKenzie to cover the fullback position with McKenzie elevated to the starting lineup as the starting fullback)

& 23 (Reserve back): Caleb Clarke (Who has replaced Anton Lienert-Brown to cover the reserve back position with Lienert-Brown elevated to the starting lineup as the starting centre)

And Uruguay led by Andres Vilaseca have named their team (And expect fireworks to go around the team in which they never fought the All Blacks before at a RWC) so here is the starting lineup according to Argentinian born coach Esteban Meneses:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Matteo Sanguinetti (Penyarol)

2 (Hooker): German Kessler (Provence)

3 (Tight head prop): Diego Arbelo (Penyarol)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Ignacio Dotti (Penyarol)

5 (No.5 lock): Manuel Leindekar (Bayonne)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Manuel Ardao (Penyarol)

7 (Open side flanker): Lucas Bianchi (Penyarol)

8 (Number 8): Manuel Diana (Penyarol)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Santiago Arata (Castres)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Felipe Etcheverry (Penyarol)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Andres Vilaseca (Captain, Vannes)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Tomas Inciarte (Penyarol)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Nicolas Freitas (Vannes)

14 (Right wing): Gaston Mieres (Penyarol)

& 15 (Fullback): Rodrigo Silva (Penyarol)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Guillermo Pujadas

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Matias Benitez

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Ignacio Peculo

19 (Reserve lock): Juan Manuel Rodriguez

20 (Reserve loose forward): Santiago Civetta

21 (Reserve loose forward): Agustin Ormaechea

22 (Reserve half-back/scrum-half): Felipe Berchesi

& 23 (Reserve back): Juan Manuel Alonso

Vertigo/Pride (In The Name Of Love): My 44th blog of the year 2023

Well, Ireland have done it! (Can you believe it! I wonder the headlines would probably say: IRISH CURSE HAS STRUCK SOUTH AFRICA IN SAINT-DENIS or more like: SPRINGBOKS UNDONE BY LUCK OF THE IRISH IN GLORIOUS FASHION, but what a nice way for Ireland to win that game, what a match for our viewers right around the world) They'll be facing the All Blacks in the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup after a hard fought victory over the reigning world champs the Springboks (Who'll take on France in the other quarterfinal since South Africa had tasted the Irish curse with Ireland who gave the South Africans an Irish whipping) by 5 points at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (And it was a great win from Ireland led by the ever incomparable Johnny Sexton by the way, but the New Zealander of Samoan origin who plays for the Irish of Bundee Aki (Ex-Counties Manukau & Chiefs player) could end up being player of the tournament after he had a monster of a game against the South Africans in which he was the standout player of the game just like he did against Tonga), so let's relive the live updates of the last 10 minutes of the match according to Newshub:

THE LAST 10 - RSA VS IRE

70TH MINUTE: Lineout won by Ryan before Murray clears with a kick over halfway, falling for Willemse. He counters, stepping one to get to halfway. Short ball for Snyman and he storms up to the 22, busting through tackles. Wide ball to Arendse but Lowe gets a hand to it and knocks it into touch. Boks throw to the lineout 15 out.

71ST MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA (JOINING MAUL INCORRECTLY): Fourie throws and finds Snyman at the lineout as the Boks set the driving maul. Well defended by Ireland before they give away the penalty, side entry to the maul from Beirne. De Klerk finds touch on the 5m line.

72ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), SCRUM IRELAND: Fourie throws but the Irish compete and his throw is not straight! Crucial error by Fourie as Ireland have the feed to the scrum on their own 5m line.

73RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): South Africa push early and concede the free kick. Easy let off for Ireland as Lowe sends the kick into touch 40 out from the Boks line.

75TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY GOAL MISS IRELAND (J. CROWLEY): 

Lineout won by the Boks as de Allende breaks through the middle and into Irish territory. Building phases 30 out before Snyman loses the ball. Murray hacks the ball long down field and Kriel does well to get back and grab the ball. He loses it in the tackle though and Lowe attacks down the left, being dragged down 15 out. Short ball for Hansen in midfield but the Boks are there to meet him. Ireland building phases in midfield, not really gaining any metres. Crowley has his attempted drop goal touched by a Bok hand and it goes dead, resulting in an attacking 5m scrum for the Irish.

76TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Both front rows get a stern talking to as the scrum is reset a couple of times. Eventually O'Keefe has enough and on the third attempt he penalises South Africa. Ireland will line up the shot at goal, 15 in from left touch.

77TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY GOAL IRELAND (J. CROWLEY): Crowley nails the kick from a handy position.

79TH MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER), PENALTY SOUTH AFRICA (PLAYER LEAVING FEET): Libbok sends the restart short and it falls for Ryan. Crowley clears with a long kick into Boks territory, taken by Libbok who counters back to his 10m line. Snyman rolls his sleeves up and carries well in midfield before Kolbe looks to break down the right. Hansen steals the ball at the ruck and Lowe sends a long kick into the Boks 22 for Willemse to counter back. Back door play sees Kriel attack down the right but Aki shuts him down. Boks win the penalty as Ryan is caught off his feet at the ruck. Libbok finds touch inside the 22.

80TH MINUTE + 1ST MINUTE (2 MINUTES LATER): South Africa secure the lineout and set the driving maul. Storming towards the line are the Boks before the maul collapses. The ball is trapped and O'Keefe blows it up, bringing an end to this incredible match.

FULL-TIME: 8 - 13

In what was a battle for the ages, Ireland come away victorious over a resilient Springboks side in Paris. This contest went right down to the wire as the Boks hammered away on the Irish line to close the match. Ireland remained strong, though, and held the South Africans out to remain unbeaten at this Rugby World Cup.

Ireland were classy from the outset, utilising their set piece dominance to gain the upper hand throughout. Ryan and Doris got through a mountain of work up front, while Bundee Aki continued his red-hot form in the first half to lead the Irish to victory. Sexton seems to never age and consistently performs at such a high level for Ireland, with this match being no different. Lowe and Hansen proved to be dangerous on the wings, and it was Lowe's raking left boot that got the Irish out of trouble on several occasions. They have just sent a resounding message to the rest of the competition, that they are here to win it all.

The Springboks were always in the contest and will rue some missed opportunities, particularly in the second half. Multiple missed kicks at goal from Libbok and de Klerk will leave the Boks gutted with the result. Wiese was dominant in the collisions throughout the match, while Kolisi continuously rolled his sleeves up and took some tough carries for his side. While the result isn't what the South Africans wanted, now is the time to drop a game in the World Cup. They will be left to lick their wounds and need to improve if they are to meet Ireland again at this World Cup.

Next up for Ireland is Scotland in 13 days time in what will be good preparation for the quarters. Until then, they will enjoy a well deserved break. The Springboks have Tonga in 7 days and will no doubt come out firing for that match as they look to secure second place in Pool B heading into the final stages.

That is all we have time for from Paris. I hope you have enjoyed coverage of Rugby World Cup 2023 and have a wonderful rest of your day.

And here are the other results from the pool matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that have just come in:

Italy 38 - 17 Uruguay (It was Italy's day as they dispatched Uruguay at Allianz Rivera in Nice)

France 96 - 0 Namibia (It was the hosts France's night as they had a comprehensive blowout against the Namibians in a record score which was marred by the red card of Namibian captain Johan Deysel (Who is now been given a lengthy ban for his actions which is worth up to 5 to 6 weeks & joins New Zealander Ethan de Groot & Englishman Tom Curry as part of the suspended players list) for a high tackle on French captain Antoine Dupont who could be ruled out for the next couple of games due to a facial injury in which the French fans were holding their breath)

Argentina 19 - 10 Samoa (And it was Argentina's day as they smoked Samoa to bits at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne)

Georgia 18 - 18 Portugal (And no side has ever claimed a win due to the first drawn match at this years World Cup as both sides share the points & the spoils after Portugal had the chance to win the game with a match winning penalty goal, but it sailed wide at Stadium de Toulouse in Toulouse)

England 71 - 0 Chile (It was England's night as they hammered Chile in English captain's Owen Farrell's return from a 4 week ban at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille while the star of the game was Henry Arundell who ran in 5 tries following his return from injury)

Scotland 45 - 17 Tonga (It was Scotland's day as they thrashed Tonga apart to pieces at at Allianz Rivera in Nice which was overshadowed by ex-All Black Vaea Fifita being sent off for a reckless cheap shot on Scotland's playmaker Finn Russell which ends his World Cup as a result of a ban)

& Wales 40 - 6 Australia (It was Wales's night as they continue their domimance over the Wallabies (Who now had their worst result at the tournament, surpassing the quarterfinal stages in 1995, 2007 & 2019 & have now had a record defeat by 26 points (Also surpassing the 16 point margin that they had in their quarterfinal defeat against England in 2019) at a Rugby World Cup at OL Stadium in Lyon which resulted Eddie Jones losing his job after the tournament due to dismal results over Fiji & now Wales recently (Well, he's gotta go as Australia sink to a new low in the world rankings & with Jones (Who he'll be gutted & heartbroken among most Aussies especially the players themselves by copping a bit of flak compared to the Matildas thrilling run to the Football Women's World Cup that they had this year in which they were semifinalists on that occasion (They lost to England before losing again to Sweden in the 3rd/4th place playoff) having the possibility of coaching Japan again despite his rumors of a job being on offer)

And the latest on Formula One as the dual world champion of Holland's Max Verstappen has returned to winning ways (Following his disappointment in Singapore where Red Bull were unable to maintain their 100% winning record in 2023) at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka to clinch the constructors title for his team Red Bull while the McLaren pair of both Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri (Who had his best result in 3rd in which he finished on the podium) have rounded out the podium, but he has a potential mathematical chance of clinching his 3rd consecutive world championship going into the next Grand Prix in Qatar at the sprint race.

And finally on the 27th of September that I went with my parents of Dad & my step mum of Raewyn on a trip to Palmy of Palmerston North (In which I haven't been since last year in November with Pops), & I had a great time there as me & Dad visited the rugby museum (Although the original volunteer was fallen ill so someone had to fill in) & had brunch at Cafe Cuba where I had beef ragu pasta there then went to the mall at The Plaza in which I went to JB Hi-Fi to get both Blu-ray movies of both Mision Impossible 2 & the Fast & The Furious before heading to Noel Leeming to get my Seagate Xbox game drive & then, we headed back home after visting a number of shops there to enjoy the day it was.

So that is my 520th blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 44th of this year, viva Ukraine.

P.S. And the All Blacks team has been revealed ahead of our next pool game against Italy (Our 1st meeting between the two sides was in 1987 which resulted in a comprehensive blowout for New Zealand in which John Kirwan scored a magnificent length of the field stunner which was the memorable moment in the game (The 1st try of the very opening match of the Rugby World Cup was in fact a penalty try while the first genuine try of the tournament was in fact Michael Jones) in which the All Blacks for the first time, put on 50 points in a full blown international) but the last time we met the Italians was in 2007 in the pool games in which we had a win against them & we were originally going to play them 4 years ago in 2019, but the game had been cancelled/called off as a result of a typhoon spreading across Japan), so here is the starting lineup according to coach Fozzy (Ian Foster):

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues/Northland)

2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)

3 (Tight head prop): Nepo Laulala (Blues/Counties Manukau)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Brodie Retallick (Chiefs/Hawke's Bay)

5 (No.5 lock): Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Shannon Frizell (Highlanders/Tasman)

7 (Open side flanker): Dalton Papali'i (Blues/Counties Manukau)

8 (Number 8): Ardie Savea (Captain, Hurricanes/Wellington)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Highlanders/Manawatu)

10 (First five-eighth): Richie Mo'unga (Crusaders/Canterbury)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)

13 (Centre): Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Mark Telea (Blues/North Harbour)

14 (Right wing): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)

& 15 (Fullback): Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Dane Coles

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Tamaiti Williams (Who takes Ethan de Groot's place as the reserve loosehead prop as De Groot is suspended for this & the next match as a result of a red card for a reckless high tackle on a Namibian player in the previous game against Namibia)

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Tyrel Lomax (Who returns from a nasty leg gash sustained against the Springboks in London before the World Cup, taking Fletcher Newell's place as the reserve tighthead prop spot)

19 (Reserve lock): Sam Whitelock (Who is dropped to the bench with Scott Barrett elevated to the starting lineup to start as the number 5 lock position & is in line of becoming the most capped All Blacks test player at 149, surpassing the all time record set by Richie McCaw with 148)

20 (Reserve loose forward): Sam Cane (Who replaces his Chiefs teammate Tupou Vaa'i to return from injury after being ruled out for both games against France in a losing effort during the opening match of the RWC & Namibia through a back spasm)

21 (Reserve half-back): Cam Roigard (Who is dropped to the bench to replace Aaron Smith to cover the halfback position with Smith being elevated to the starting lineup as the starting halfback)

22 (Reserve first-five eighth): Damian McKenzie (Who is making way to replace Richie Mo'unga to cover the first five position with Mo'unga elevated to the starting lineup as the starting first-five)

& 23 (Reserve back): Anton Lienert-Brown (Who has replaced Rieko Ioane to cover the reserve back position with Ioane elevated to the starting lineup as the starting centre)

And Italy led by Michele Lamaro have named their team so here is the starting lineup according to New Zealand born coach Kieran Crowley:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Danilo Fischetti (Zebre Parma)

2 (Hooker): Giacomo Nicotera (Benetton)

3 (Tight head prop): Marco Riccioni (Saracens)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Dino Lamb (Harlequins)

5 (No.5 lock): Federico Ruzza (Benetton)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Sebastian Negri (Benetton)

7 (Open side flanker): Michele Lamaro (Captain, Benetton)

8 (Number 8): Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Stephen Varney (Gloucester)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Paolo Garbisi (Montpellier)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Luca Morisi (Unattached)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Monty Ioane (Lyon)

14 (Right wing): Ange Capuozzo (Toulouse)

& 15 (Fullback): Tommaso Allan (Perpignan)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Hame Faiva

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Ivan Nemer

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Simone Ferrari

19 (Reserve lock): Niccolo Cannone

20 (Reserve loose forward): Manuel Zuliani

21 (Reserve loose forward): Toa Halafihi

22 (Reserve half-back/scrum-half): Martin Page-Relo

& 23 (Reserve back): Paolo Odogwu.

Ghost From The Past/Hate Boys: My 43rd blog of the year 2023

Well, the AB's are back to winning ways at the Rugby World Cup after our comprehensive blow out against Namibia during the pool stages for which I was stoked (But shame about the red card given to New Zealand prop forward Ethan de Groot (The first All Black sent off in a Rugby World Cup) after being originally given a yellow & an off-field review by the bunker for failing to wrap his arm around his opponent which was like a terrorist attack since World Rugby is continuing to clamp down on illegal head contact even though the war on dangerous tackles in rugby continues (And the high tackles in rugby is killing the game because I was absolutely livid that de Groot got sent off for foul play), but it could be heartbreaking for the All Blacks in light of de Groot (Who terrorized his opponent by charging without attempt to grasp the opponent which resulted in a sin binning offence & put it on report before upgrading it to red) is found out whether he'll be suspended for at least 2 or 3 games which will take him out of the pool stages as well as the quarterfinal then of course he will be available for the semifinal (Or quarterfinal if he tidies up his act by attending tackle academy run by the sport's governing body, World Rugby, in order to relearn his tackle technique) if the AB's progress, but the Cam Roigard - Damian McKenzie halves combination for New Zealand might have proved to be the difference for our quest of regaining the Rugby World Cup according from the comment from Pops who told me on the 16th of September, but the ploy could work in the knockout stages) to snap a wretched 2 game losing run dating back to the reigning world champs South Africa last month at Twickenham then France in the World Cup opener at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (Including a yellow card from Will Jordan for a contact in the air on a French player which cost us the game that evoked memories of 1999 & 2007 for France of winning on that occasion) but what a thrilling turnaround for New Zealand after all that twists & turns as well as the thrills & spills we had during the full 80, so let's relive the live updates of the last 10 minutes of the match according to Newshub (In which I dub my new segment as The Last 10 which is a fast paced, condensed version of a live update):

THE LAST 10 - NZL VS NAM

70TH MINUTE: Whitelock secures the restart and the All Blacks then keep ball in hand on their 22 initially. Mo'unga then exits with a high kick to halfway, which Swanepoel takes. However, the chase is good and the counter earns a turnover. McKenzie opts for another kick though, and sends it dead. Scrum back on halfway.

71ST MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Namibia are able to clear their scrum, and look to build some phases. Stevens is put under pressure behind the ruck, but he finds Loubser, who goes for a good run. A kick in behind McKenzie runs into the in goal, where he dots for a goal line restart.

72ND MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Long restart over halfway. Booysen goes for a charge back upfield, and a phase later Namibia are pinged for a cleanout beyond the ball.

TMO REFERRAL: There could be an issue here for de Groot, for a high shot on Booysen.

PENALTY NAMIBIA (HIGH TACKLE), YELLOW CARD ALL BLACKS & OFF-FIELD REVIEW: Off to the bin goes de Groot for the remainder of the game, for high contact on Booysen.

73RD MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Namibia find touch in the corner, and van der Westhuizen then finds Uanivi once more. It's another attempted drive by the Africans, but they're again forced to clear. Deysel's kick is blocked, and the All Blacks claim...

74TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), SCRUM FEED NAMIBIA: McKenzie goes on a marauding run, but then has his pass for Vaa'i blocked and Namibia claim. They again put a kick in behind, which Mo'unga ends up spilling at the back. In the follow up, Namibia are claiming a try, but they were illegally playing the ball on the deck. Scrum Namibia 5m out.

75TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Namibia clear the scrum, but Stevens then drops it cold and the All Blacks spring upfield. McKenzie gets away from a tackle and then hacks a kick long upfield, but Namibia get back to tidy up inside their 22.

76TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Stevens clears with a box kick over halfway, which McKenzie claims in the air. The All Blacks look to build from their own side of halfway, as Papali'i and Vaa'i make good carries.

77TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): The All Blacks lose their way as Mo'unga fumbles behind him, but it's tidied up and McKenzie then slings it wide to find Fainga'anuku on the left wing...

TRY ALL BLACKS: 69 - 3, R. IOANE

OUT OF NOTHING! Fainga'anuku is able to go into contact with a good carry, gets the left arm free to find Ioane back on the inside and he weaves past the only defender in his path to run away and score under the sticks.

CONVERSION ALL BLACKS: 71 - 3, D. MCKENZIE

78TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Extras added from near in front.

RED CARD ALL BLACKS: News from the foul play review is that de Groot's yellow card has been upgraded to a red.

79TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER), PENALTY NAMIBIA: The All Blacks look to launch from their own end with ball in hand, and McKenzie sends Havili away towards halfway. However, he's caught and the All Blacks are then pinged at the breakdown.

80TH MINUTE (1 MINUTE LATER): Namibia make some inroads off the lineout, but the ball is then spilled and the All Blacks are happy kicking it away to touch to finish proceedings.

FULL-TIME: 71 - 3

So New Zealand get the comfortable win as expected, although there were elements of the performance that will no doubt leave Ian Foster less than pleased. Defensively the All Blacks were strong, particularly defending a number of lineout drives in the second half, and there were some fine attacking moments as the power, pace and skill of the All Blacks backs ran rampant in broken play. However, there were also some discipline issues, with a number of needless penalties, and a brain snap moment from Ethan de Groot which saw him red carded late in the game. They also pushed passes at times instead of staying patient, which left a few points on the park.

There were some individual performances from the All Blacks which will have staked claims for the first strength side. Cameron Roigard and Leicester Fainga'anuku were the standouts, while Sam Whitelock, Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett and Anton Lienert-Brown performed solidly. Damian McKenzie added a different dimension with his play at 10, while there was impact off the bench from Tupou Vaa'i, Rieko Ioane and Scott Barrett.

Namibia battled hard right to the end, but were always overmatched and struggled at set piece. Tijuee Uanivi was strong right across the park, while Cliven Loubser and Johan Deysel had some bright moments. They'll be proud of their effort if not the execution though, as they kept toiling right to the very end.

The result puts the All Blacks' campaign back on track, and they'll be looking ahead to the games against Italy and Uruguay to try and wrap up a quarterfinal berth. Namibia meanwhile will no doubt target Uruguay as their best chance for a win, with France their other remaining game.

And here are the other results from the pool matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup that have just come in:

France 27 - 12 Uruguay (It was France's night as they had a close shave against Uruguay to remain undefeated in pool play at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, 6 days after becoming the first side to defeat New Zealand in pool play at the Rugby World Cup)

Samoa 43 - 10 Chile (It was Samoa's day as they overcome the challenge of the tournament newcomers Chile at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux)

Wales 28 - 8 Portugal (And it was Wales's day as they rolled Portugal (Who lost a player through a red card after originally being given a yellow card & an off-field review for an illegal high boot on a Welsh player which was reminiscent to Tevita Nabura did to Cameron Clark during a Super Rugby game between the Highlanders & the Waratahs in Sydney in 2018 as well as Jordie Barrett on Marika Koroibete during Bledisloe III between the All Blacks & Australia in 2021) over with an attacking bonus point win at the Stade de Nice in Nice)

Ireland 59 - 16 Tonga (And it was Ireland's night as they hammered Tonga (Who tasted the Irish curse as well as getting Irish whipped during the tournament along with Romania) to pieces thorugh a standout player of the game performance from the Irish second five of Bundee Aki going into their next most all-important clash against the Springboks (Who had lost one of their first choice players of Malcolm Marx (Who got replaced by Handre Pollard instead of Joseph Dweba after making his successful return from a serious injury after he just started practice with the Leicester Tigers side competing in England's premier club rugby competition which is the Gallagher Premiership after originally not being picked in the initial World Cup squad) during the tournament as a result of a bad knee injury sustained in training meaning that the Irish are on track of taking over as the favourite against the South Africans (Who had retaken the position as the favourites against the Irish since Pollard's call-up to the Springboks side for the most important clash) to win that clash & to top that pool in Pool B) to determine who will face the might of the All Blacks in the quarterfinals at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes)

South Africa 76 - 0 Romania (And it was South Africa's day as the defending world champions record a shut-out/clean sheet thrashing (That's the first in the World Cup this year) against Romania in Bordeaux, just before their first ever meeting at a RWC with the top ranked rugby playing nation in the world of Ireland (Who'll put their incredible 15 game winning streak on the line against the 3 time current holders of the William Webb Ellis cup) at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis including hat-tricks from both World Cup winning players from 2019 such as halfback Cobus Reinach & winger Makazole Mapimpi)

Australia 15 - 22 Fiji (And yes, that game was by far, the biggest boil over in the history of the Rugby World Cup during modern times or should I say during the modern era, in which the Fijians who shocked the world again just like against England before the tournament had even started which turned the rugby world upside down with a memorable as well as an historic upset win of the tournament against the Wallabies (Whose next game is against Wales which is a must win in order to survive from being dumped out of the tournament as they attempt to stave off on the brink of elimination) in which was during the tournament that time, but to steal the game for Fiji in one of the most victories in the history of sport, not just in the game of rugby)

& England 34 - 12 Japan (And it was England's night as they upstage Japan with a bonus point win when they needed to in Nice to follow up with their win against Argentina off the back of a pure George Ford 27 point masterclass in Marseille)

And I hadn't mentioned that there is a deadly 6.8 magnitude earthquake had occurred in Morocco which resulted 2,800 fatalities so all thoughts, prayers & condolences go to the families of the earthquake victims during that sad & difficult time as the nation is expected to spend $11.7 billion on their 5 year post-quake reconstruction plan.

And finally the latest in Formula One that Ferrari (The iconic Italian racing icon who inspired to many generations when they tasted success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 3 months ago in June during the round of the WEC (World Endurance Championship) as they ended the Japanese manufacturer Toyota's 4 year reign on top of the summit at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France) are on the board in 2023 after Carlos Sainz's epic triumph on the streets of Singapore at the Singaporean Grand Prix, therefore the incredible 10 race winning streak of Max Verstappen dating back from Miami to Italy as well as Red Bull's 15 race winning run dating back to Abu Dhabi last year to Italy this year & their bid of maintaining their perfect season, has finally ended when Sainz (Who is the 3rd different driver to win a race along with Red Bull's Sergio Perez twice & the current 2 time world champion Max Verstappen who did it 12 times during this season) had become the 1st non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix since George Russell in the Mercedes-AMG at the Brazilian Grand Prix last year.

So that is my 519th blog of the year 2023 (MMXXIII) & my 43rd of this year, viva Ukraine.

P.S. And the current world champion Springboks side have named a strong team by naming all but one forwards on the bench (That's the 2nd time that they had done that but that ploy worked when they defeated the All Blacks at Twickenham in London in which South Africa used their 7 - 1 split for the first time in history) for their all important clash against the number one ranked Ireland with the winner of pool B is expected to face the All Blacks in the quarterfinal while the runner up of that pool gets to face the host nation of France also in the quarterfinal (The last time both of these sides met was last year which resulted in a famous victory for Ireland (Who have never won a match in the quarterfinals of the RWC before) over the world champions) so here is the starting lineup according to coach Jacques Nienaber (And it's been awhile since 4 years ago where I did a blog involving other rugby teams apart from the All Blacks):

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Steven Kitshoff (Ulster)

2 (Hooker): Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks)

3 (Tight head prop): Frans Malherbe (Stormers)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Eben Etzebeth (Sharks)

5 (No.5 lock): Franco Mostert (Mie Honda Heat)

LOOSE FORWARDS

7 (Blind side flanker): Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)

6 (Open side flanker): Siya Kolisi (Captain, Racing 92)

8 (Number 8): Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Faf de Klerk (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Manie Libbok (Stormers)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Damian de Allende (Saitama Wild Knights)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath)

14 (Right wing): Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls)

& 15 (Fullback): Damian Willemse (Stormers)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Deon Fourie

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Ox Nche

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Trevor Nyakane

19 (Reserve lock): Jean Kleyn

20 (Reserve lock): RG Snyman

21 (Reserve loose forward): Marco van Staden

22 (Reserve loose forward): Kwagga Smith

& 23 (Reserve half-back/scrum-half): Cobus Reinach

And Ireland (Who have never lost a test match since July last year against the All Blacks at the garden of Eden at Eden Park in Auckland compared to the Springboks whose last defeat came against New Zealand as well during an epic Rugby Championship test at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland in July this year, in which the AB's had retained the Freedom Cup) led by their ever-impressive veteran Johnny Sexton (Who is in his last ever Rugby World Cup as he already announces his intentions to retire from all forms of rugby until after the tournament as his rugby career is winding down so he wants to end his career on a high as the Rugby World Cup winning skipper just like Lionel Messi did last year when Argentina won their 3rd Football World Cup championship last year in Qatar) have named their team so here is the starting lineup according to English born coach Andy Farrell:

STARTING XV

FORWARD PACK

FRONT ROW

1 (Loose head prop): Andrew Porter (Leinster)

2 (Hooker): Ronan Kelleher (Leinster)

3 (Tight head prop): Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)

SECOND ROW

4 (No.4 lock): Tadhg Beirne (Munster)

5 (No.5 lock): James Ryan (Leinster)

LOOSE FORWARDS

6 (Blind side flanker): Peter O'Mahony (Munster)

7 (Open side flanker): Josh van der Flier (Leinster)

8 (Number 8): Caelan Doris (Leinster)

BACK LINE

HALVES

9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)

10 (First five-eighth/Fly-half): Johnny Sexton (Captain, Unattached)

MIDFIELD

12 (Second five-eighth/Inside centre): Bundee Aki (Connacht)

13 (Centre/Outside centre): Garry Ringrose (Leinster)

OUTSIDE BACKS

11 (Left wing): James Lowe (Leinster)

14 (Right wing): Mack Hansen (Connacht)

& 15 (Fullback): Hugo Keenan (Leinster)

& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS

16 (Reserve hooker): Dan Sheehan

17 (Reserve loose head prop): Dave Kilcoyne

18 (Reserve tight head prop): Finlay Bealham

19 (Reserve lock): Iain Henderson

20 (Reserve loose forward): Ryan Baird

21 (Reserve half-back/scrum-half): Conor Murray

22 (Reserve first five-eighth/fly-half): Jack Crowley

& 23 (Reserve back): Robbie Henshaw.