Well, hi everybody, & welcome back to another blog, I'm Whetu Ngapo & you're tuning in to my KiwiAvenger blog here on blogger, but first that I fear it might be a likelihood of current Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus who is attempting to become the first head coach in history to win a 2nd men's Rugby World Cup, surely not while the All Blacks tried & failed back in 2019 that the Springboks are trying to win 3 men's Rugby World Cups in a row to continue their dynasty (Just like Emirates Team New Zealand did last year against INEOS Britannia (Now renamed Athena Racing Limited) in Barcelona, Spain where our country was still the giants of world sailing, but our dominance began in Bermuda back in 2017 against the all-Aussie crew of Oracle Team USA, before we had our 2nd successful defence of the Auld Mug against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli co-led by Aussie Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni, & the aforementioned one from last year that I already did), damn that (And if Damian Willemse (Who was one of the 25 Springbok players along with the 14 All Blacks & 5 Wallabies that have won the World Cup twice) is fit & available that he's also attempting to become the first player to win 3 men's Rugby World Cups, unlike Sam Whitelock tried & failed in 2023), because I always wanted the AB's to win in Australia 2027 (But we are facing stiff competition from South Africa as well as Argentina, France, & the hosts of the Wallabies), that is my pledge to end our country's drought that stretches back to 2015 which was a decade ago, in which the last time New Zealand had won rugby's global showpiece event, even before the Springbok dominance began back in 2019, & continued on in 2023 when they became the 2nd team to defend it meaning that South Africa has always been the tougher side in the international game according to Pops who told me before (And our next meeting against the Springboks (Who have selected a squad as part of their training camp with Evan Roos being left out of the team while Faf de Klerk (One of Pops fave Springbok players compared to Siya Kolisi being my favourite rugby player from the South African team) returns to the squad while Ntokozo Makhaza is one of the fresh new faces in the Springbok squad (Although they have included a Northampton Saints player of Juarno Augustus who is one of the uncapped players in the team as well as young Sascha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who remains with the squad) is round 3 of the final ever Rugby Championship this year, where South Africa are willing to become the first team since France (Who'll send a full strength team (But not as they're going to send a B team instead) for the 3 match test series against us in July this year as they attempt to become the 2nd team after Ireland to beat the All Blacks in a test series during the professional era (Including the 3rd & final test in Hamilton has been sold out on that occasion because tickets were ever popular on demand), in which the French haven't done that since 1994, 2 years even before the professional era began) way, way back in 1994, to win against the All Blacks at Eden Park as well as the city of Auckland).
And secondly that Pops alluded to me that 220 had turned out to attend the funeral service of 'Wally Wal' Ngapo (First Andy Ngapo, then him, now that our Ngapo whanau born during the baby boomer era such as Pops & Kathryn are down to both survivors (Just like the Beatles had lost both John Lennon due to an assassination from a gunman, & George Harrison as a result of a terminal illness way back in 2001 (Same year that the late Sir Peter Blake was gunned down by those pretty filthy Brazilian pirates), & the reason why? That both Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr are the remaining Beatles members that are still alive as of today), including Kathryn, Ken, Ben, Huia, Gemma, Rosalie, Narlea, Steven, Euyfemya, Di, Che & others like Lenny, but when Pops went home back to Whanganui, his car went flat as he left the lights on so he has to tell the guys to get his car running (And Dad called me about the situation, so too is Carole), & it worked well when the batteries had been plugged in which cost about $30, but he was home safe & sound.
And thirdly that I went to bed at quarter past 7 on the 28th of May, & had a massive dream about me wanting to, or I should say requesting a move to Wellington with Dad (Who alluded to me on the phone before that he has zero interest of moving to Wellington after Pops passes away due to possibly old age because of Whanganui being preferred his hometown), Raewyn & Raewyn's daughter (And I wanted a house with a flat) once Pops passes away due to old age (Although he once said to me on May 29th that the late Nana Minnie lived to be 95 so Pops wants to live until he is in his 90's just like the famous American professor Noam Chomsky) so that our whanau could catch up with Cathey, Paige & Norah in the future one day, hopefully (And I'll call Dad about it, because it will have to be after school) if we get enough money to buy a cheap property like in Petone for example, even if Dad acquires a fortune from Pops once he passes away if we have enough money to sell both Pops & Dad's places here in Whanganui.
And finally the AB's have named their team to play against France for our first test match in 224 days, as well as our highly anticipated first test match of the year at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin (Our last meeting between the 2 sides was last year in which in fact we lost the test by a single point at the Stade de France (Venue for much of the Paris Summer Games there) in Paris, but the last time the French beat us on NZ soil was in 2009 at the old Carisbrook where they opened the test season in style with Sebastien Chabal providing the starring role) which happens on the 5th of July which is Pops birthday so here is the team naming in full:
STARTING XV (RUN ON)
FORWARD PACK
FRONT ROW
1 (Loose head prop): Ethan de Groot (Highlanders/Southland)
2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)
3 (Tight head prop): Fletcher Newell (Crusaders/Canterbury)
SECOND ROW
4 (No.4 lock): Scott Barrett (Captain, Crusaders/Taranaki)
5 (No.5 lock): Fabian Holland (Highlanders/Otago)
LOOSE FORWARDS
6 (Blind side flanker): Tupou Vaa'i (Chiefs/Taranaki)
7 (Open side flanker): Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika/Wellington)
8 (Number 8): Christian Lio-Willie (Crusaders/Otago)
BACK LINE
HALVES
9 (Half-back): Cam Roigard (Hurricanes/Counties Manukau)
10 (First five-eighth): Beauden Barrett (Blues/Taranaki)
MIDFIELD
12 (Second five-eighth): Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)
13 (Centre): Billy Proctor (Blues/Auckland)
OUTSIDE BACKS
11 (Left wing): Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)
14 (Right wing): Sevu Reece (Crusaders/Southland)
& 15 (Fullback): Will Jordan (Crusaders/Tasman)
& REPLACEMENT PLAYERS (IMPACT)
16 (Reserve hooker): Samisoni Taukei'aho
17 (Reserve loose head prop): Ollie Norris
18 (Reserve tight head prop): Pasilio Tosi
19 (Reserve loose forward): Samipeni Finau
20 (Reserve loose forward): Du'Plessis Kirifi
21 (Reserve half-back): Cortez Ratima
22 (Reserve midfielder): Quinn Tupaea
& 23 (Reserve back): Damian McKenzie
So that is my 619th blog of the year 2025 (MMXXV) & my 43rd of this year, viva Ukraine & Palestine.
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