All Blacks

Retallick to captain All Blacks as Foster makes changes for Argentina

Retallick takes over from No.8 Ardie Savea, who suffered a head knock in last week's win over the Wallabies in Perth and was replaced after failing a head injury assessment (HIA).

Retallick, who has 86 test caps, is the fifth All Blacks captain this year.

In the forwards, hooker Asafo Aumua will be making his first test start, replacing Codie Taylor, who also failed an HIA in last weekend's Bledisloe Cup victory.

Jordie Barrett 'rapt' after Bledisloe Cup red card dismissed

Barrett was given a red card in the first half of the final Bledisloe Cup test when his boot made contact with the face of Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete after jumping in the air to catch a high kick.

But he would be free to play in Sunday's Rugby Championship test against Argentina on the Gold Coast after a Sanzaar judiciary on Tuesday night found the fullback not guilty of dangerous or foul play.

Barrett said he was grateful to avoid further sanction.

"It was a long process, very thorough and [the panel] handled it very well ... I'm rapt with the outcome.

Lomu, Williams, Cullen final inductees in Greatest All Blacks XV

In the final instalment of Sky Sport’s quest to find New Zealand’s Greatest XV, a panel of leading journalists and broadcasters – Grant Nisbett, Ken Laban, Rikki Swannell and Phil Gifford – were last week asked by The Breakdown who they thought were the country’s best-ever outside backs.

The panel were unanimous in their verdict that Lomu, the game’s first and only global superstar, and Cullen, the 60-test veteran who played for the All Blacks between 1996 and 2002, were New Zealand’s greatest left wing and fullback.

All Blacks banish Perth demons

They have beaten Australia 38-21 after leading 18-0 at halftime to move atop the Rugby Championship standings after two of six rounds.

The All Blacks completed the sweep without new captain Ardie Savea, who along with hooker Codie Taylor was unable to play any part in the second-half after they failed head injury assessments at halftime.

The Wallabies won 47-26 the last time the two sides met in Perth, where lock Scott Barrett was red carded.

All Blacks would be 'silly' to make big changes for Perth

Ian Foster's side will have a new captain in Ardie Savea and a fresh halves duo, with a trio of first-choice players staying home for the births of their children.

Apart from those forced changes, selectors are wary of unsettling the side with too many new combinations, assistant coach John Plumtree said on Wednesday.

"We've had a couple of weeks break so we'd be silly to make wholesale changes because some of our players haven't had a lot of rugby," Plumtree told reporters on a video call.

Former All Blacks skipper urges Australian sides to step up

Governing body SANZAAR has confirmed the 12-team tournament would kick off in 2022, bringing Pacific islands teams into the southern hemisphere provincial competition for the first time.

New Zealand's teams won 23 of 25 games against their Australian opponents in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in May and June, underlining the gulf between the nations' rugby programmes.

"I think if you look across the board at the competition next year, you're going to probably look at a 90%, 80% win rate for New Zealand teams," Read told Sky Sport.

Chiefs confirm departure of All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie

  McKenzie, whose contract with New Zealand Rugby is due to finish at the end of the year, played 95 times for the Chiefs and is reportedly set for a lucrative move to Japan.

"All I know is Damian is not going to be with us, at the moment that's all I can sort of comment on," the Chiefs chief executive Michael Collins told Stuff.

"I think Damian McKenzie's probably irreplaceable. He's one of the Chiefs' favourite sons, done a great job for us over many years."

The Chiefs on Tuesday welcomed the arrival of Māori All Blacks first-five Josh Ioane from the Highlanders.

The 'very different' leadership style that Savea will bring All Blacks

Savea, who is set to make his 53rd appearance for New Zealand, will take on the role after stand-in skipper Sam Whitelock and first-choice halves Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith were left out of the squad with the players expecting babies.

Regular captain Sam Cane is currently sidelined due to injury while Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett have been named vice-captains.

“Ardie has been a key part of our leadership group and I love that he has a very different style of leadership,” All Blacks head coach Ian Foster told Newstalk ZB.

All Blacks reveal their new leaders

Sam Whitelock, who led the side in the first two Bledisloe Cup tests, didn't travel to Perth on Thursday, as he's remaining in New Zealand for the birth of the newest addition to his family.

Veteran halfback Aaron Smith, who captained the All Blacks in the first test against Fiji last month, also didn't make the trip.

Savea led the Hurricanes in Super Rugby this year in the absence of TJ Perenara.

He has played 52 tests since making his debut in 2016 and came off the bench in the All Blacks' first Rugby Championship test at Eden Park earlier this month.

Aaron Smith and Dan Carter named greatest All Blacks No 9 and 10

As part of Sky Sport’s quest to find New Zealand’s Greatest XV, a panel of leading journalists and broadcasters – Grant Nisbett, Ken Laban, Rikki Swannell and Phil Gifford – were last week asked by The Breakdown who they thought were the country’s best-ever halfback and first-five.

The panel were unanimous in their verdict that Smith, the current All Blacks No 9, and Carter, the two-time World Cup-winning No 10, were New Zealand’s greatest halves pairing.