Stefan Ratchford’s horrific facial injury left him unable to talk, eat or brush his teeth properly for over a month.The Warrington Wolves captain suffered 11 fractures in a collision with St Helens player James Bell as Wire beat their old rivals 24-10 on July 19.Bell accidentally caught the England international with his elbow causing serious damage to Ratchford’s face, which required surgery and needed bars and braces fitted to his teeth to correct his jaw.The injury forced Ratchford out of Warrington’s push for the League Leaders’ Shield in Super League, although he is still hoping to play a part in…

Recovery, reflection and renewal will be on the minds of the All Blacks as they arrive home from their Lipovitan D Rugby Championship Tests against South Africa for a few days off before getting back together to prepare to play Australia. It was another case of missed opportunities in Saturday’s 12-18 loss in the second Test. No 8 Ardie Savea said that while his body was sore after the game, he was more disappointed with the result. “We gave ourselves opportunities to close that out and finish it. It’s a testament to the Springboks and what they can do.” Searching…

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson threw down the gauntlet to the side after their 12-18 Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship loss to South Africa in Cape Town at the weekend. After consecutive losses to the world champions and in the Championship’s last four games, the All Blacks haven’t scored points in the final quarter. Robertson said, “Test matches are about finishing on top and finding a way to do it. “Our next step is to find a way and win the line in front of us. That’s our focus. “It’s something we’re addressing constantly. It’s in the front of mind and we…

Final quarter frustrations cost the All Blacks dearly as they faltered again in the face of South African pressure to lose the second Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship Test in Cape Town on Sunday (NZT). Again, it was the super sub hooker Malcolm Marx who punished All Blacks’ indiscipline which saw prop Tyrel Lomax mar an otherwise fine performance by a late charge on Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe as he attempted to follow through a kick to the All Blacks’ line. From the resulting penalty kick to the corner, real estate South Africa used to pressure the New Zealanders throughout the second…

Siya Kolisi underlined that the Springboks are solely focused on claiming the Freedom Cup when they face the All Blacks in Cape Town this weekend. The Springboks last won the Freedom Cup in 2009 with the All Blacks dominating the trophy since then. However, this year the hosts are in prime position to push for the trophy after beating the All Blacks 31-27 in an enthralling Ellis Park Test. Ready to play It was that same game where Kolisi copped a nasty blow to the face breaking his nose in the process throwing his involvement in the second Test in…

All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson and his co-selectors, Assistant Coaches Scott Hansen, Jason Holland, Jason Ryan and Tamati Ellison have named their All Blacks team to play South Africa in the fourth round of the 2024 Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship at DHL Stadium in Cape Town. LIVE on Sky Sport: Sunday 8 September: All Blacks vs South Africa, 3.00AM (NZST). All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets) 1. Tamaiti Williams (10) 2. Codie Taylor (90) 3. Tyrel Lomax (37) 4. Scott Barrett (73) (Captain) 5. Tupou Vaa’i (31) 6. Wallace Sititi (2) 7. Sam Cane (97) 8. Ardie Savea (87) (Vice Captain) 9. Cortez Ratima (5) 10. Damian McKenzie (53) 11. Mark Tele’a (14) 12. Jordie Barrett…

Kicking strategies to better exploit their attacking prowess are occupying the All Blacks’ preparation for Sunday’s (NZT) second Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Assistant coach Scott Hansen said all aspects of that side of their game have been examined in the review, especially the ability to adapt and adjust to better match circumstances. Hansen said that while proud of their effort, the All Blacks were disappointed that they didn’t finish off what they felt was an opportunity to win a Test at Ellis Park against the world champions. Having a second chance to play the…

A scintillating five-try effort through the opening half hour of the match set the Knights up for a 34-6 home victory over the Wests Tigers on Sunday afternoon. After racing the clock in terms of their scoring output through the first 15 minutes, Newcastle ensured the result was all but settled by the break by running out to a 26-0 lead. But while coach Ben Jeffries was likely delighted with his side’s opening stanza, their inability to keep the foot down after the break will have been disappointing, while the Knights also face a nervous wait now to find out…

Tohu Harris and his Warrior teammates during their match against the Melbourne Storm in March. Photo: Photosport It all started with so much hope. Riding the high of 2023, the ‘Wahs’ bandwagon was overflowing. But the wheels fell off early and the campaign couldn’t get back on track. From fourth to 14th, the fall from grace was a long one. RNZ looks back at the rollercoaster run. Injuries Webster was surely wondering what he did to upset the rugby league gods as his side was struck with a horrendous and constant run of injuries. Tohu Harris, Shaun Johnson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck,…

There are many great match-ups in rugby but nothing quite gets the pulses racing than this encounter between two absolute behemoths of the sport. It is a rivalry which stretches back over a century with New Zealand edging the contest, claiming 62 wins to their opponents’ 40. It shows that in a sport in which the All Blacks have dominated over the years, the Springboks have been their closest rivals. Between them they have won seven of the 10 Rugby World Cups – New Zealand three and South Africa four – and of course their last confrontation came in that…