The eight-season veteran knows more about coaching than most but has a daunting All Black record to repeat. My All Black memory is focusing on 2003 - although colleagues kindly suggest it struggles to recall what happened yester...

The inclusion of Samoan international Tusi Pisi and Brad Shields may on the surface appear to be squad rotation, but for the first time this season the changes are made from a position of strength.

World Cup winning All Black Brad Thorn, who is on the verge of adding yet another rugby trophy to his collection, has warned that Ireland could trouble New Zealand during the Steinlager Series.

Just weeks after the Reds had appeared to have lost high profile back and vice-captain Will Genia, it seems that the defending champions may be on the verge of losing arguably their most important forward.

Sonny Bill Williams has been seen in Sydney again this week, but again the true purpose of his visit was quickly overlooked by an Australian media that pounces on the All Blacks every move.

The victorious New Zealand Sevens’ team returned home yesterday, but while coach Gordon Tietjens and captain DJ Forbes had the content look of champions, the experienced campaigners had the knowing look that bigger assignments were still to come.

The Crusaders will play the Blues this Saturday night for the second time this season. They last played at Eden Park in the opening round of the Investec Super Rugby season and the Crusaders won by 19 points to 18. This time the Crusaders will host the Blues at the new AMI Stadium in Addington.

Wider Training Group lock / loose forward Steven Luatua will make his run-on debut for the Blues when they face the Crusaders in Christchurchon Saturday night (kick-off 7.35pm).

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset has hailed the global success of another record-breaking HSBC Sevens World Series.

Zack Holmes will make his run-on debut this Friday in Wellington when the West Australian flyer fills the No 10 jersey in his side’s clash with the Hurricanes.

Wallabies and Reds first five-eighth Quade Cooper will return to action for the first time since hobbling off the field in the 2011 Rugby World Cup bronze medal playoff match.

If asked three weeks ago, most would have picked one team to go into this Investec Super Rugby match on the back of an ugly loss and one with a tidy win under its belt, but few would have suggested the Blues would be the ones with the good win. And the Crusaders have heard all about it all week.

- Crowds up 37 per cent - TV audience up 33 per centNew Zealanders are continuing their love affair with rugby according to latest broadcast and game attendance figures released by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).

SANZAR has won its fight with the IRB to get the funding model for the next Rugby World Cup changed.The NZRU last year threatened to pull the All Blacks out of the next world cup in England in 2015 and highlighted the massive losses...

Coach Jamie Joseph is aware of the need for tight discipline when the Highlanders play the table-topping South African Bulls in the Investec Super Rugby match in Dunedin on Saturday night.