All Blacks

New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew revealed details of the additional Test match fixture on the All Blacks' 2019 calendar. The match will be played at FMG Stadium, Waikato, on Saturday 7 September. It will be a hit-out for the Rugby World Cup 2019 squad, and it will be the first All Blacks Test match in Hamilton since 2016.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Test against Italy in Rome, Hansen hit out at reports suggesting the 33-year-old loose forward may no longer be good enough for the test arena.

"Some of those articles are ridiculous and been written by people that have never been in our environment, we've never seen them at a rugby game. He's going well. He's in the best shape he's been all year," Hansen said of Read, who had back surgery earlier this year.

"He's had some tough moments during the course of the year, which I think have been great for him.

The All Blacks lacked accuracy, especially on attack, in their loss to Ireland at the weekend and have scored just one try in their last two Tests in the northern hemisphere.

Speaking in Rome ahead of this weekend's game against Italy, Foster says coaches are always a bit impatient when trying to implement change.

"We've been round long enough to know that some of the things you've just got to keep chipping away at and overall when you look through the flow of the year, we've actually been pretty happy with where we've got to."

The eagerly-anticipated clash at the Aviva Stadium pits the top two teams in the world against one another, with no less of an intriguing sideshow the battle between Hansen and Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, tipped as his possible successor when he leaves his post at the end of the next World Cup.

Hansen said earlier in the week that the winner of this match could call themselves the best team in the world and he expects Six Nations champions Ireland's eagerness to claim a first ever victory over New Zealand in Dublin to translate into an intense battle on the pitch.

The hype surrounding the clash between Hansen's World Cup winners and Joe Schmidt's Six Nations champions has been growing steadily for the past 12 months as the consistent Irish have risen to number two in the global rankings.

"It is one and two, so whoever wins will be the best side in the world regardless of rankings," Hansen said.

"They are the number two side in the world and you don't get to play one and two that often when they are in two separate hemispheres, so when they do come about, they become pretty big games.

Williams injured his shoulder in Sunday's 16-15 win over England at Twickenham.

Laumape was in the second string All Blacks side that beat Japan in Tokyo earlier this month.

All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen says Williams will stay with the squad but will be unavailable for this weekend's Irish Test.

Depending on his recovery, he is a chance for selection against Italy in the final match of the Northern Tour.

Carter featured in four World Cups for the All Blacks, winning two of them in 2011 and 2015.

His last game for New Zealand was in the 2015 World Cup final at Twickenham when New Zealand beat Australia 34-17.

Sunday's clash will be the first time since the final that the All Blacks have played in England, and the first time taking on the Red Roses since 2014.

Carter feels the All Blacks' fast-paced game has taken them to greater heights and will trouble England when the two teams face off for the first time since 2014.

Centre Goodhue has recovered from illness and will start alongside Sonny Bill Williams on Saturday, with Ryan Crotty dropping to the bench.

Moody was ruled out due to a split eyelid suffering in training this week and the prop, who has been recommended to have plastic surgery, is set to be sidelined for six weeks.

Karl Tu'inukuafe gets the nod in the absence of Moody, while Steve Hansen has named two playmakers in his starting line-up: Beauden Barrett at fly-half and Damian McKenzie at full-back.

Citing commissioner Keith Brown had until today to make a decision but the New Zealander elected not to take action against the England co-captain.

If Brown had decided the shuddering hit was worthy of a red card, it would have triggered a citing that could have prevented Farrell playing in England's highly anticipated match against the world champions.

The clock had ticked past the 80-minute mark at Twickenham with England desperately trying to keep the Springboks at bay when Farrell smashed into replacement Andre Esterhuizen, knocking him back and dislodging the ball.

He has been named to play openside flanker for the All Blacks in their test against Japan on Saturday - one of two new players, along with Wellington captain Matt Proctor, to start the test and with a further six making their debut off the bench.

He was also the only uncapped player named by coach Steve Hansen among the 32 players for the All Blacks' northern tour; a further 19 players are part of an expanded team to take on Japan.