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Sevu Reece is set to make his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders, just five months after having his overseas contract torn up due to a court appearance on an assault charge. Reece, who had a stellar Mitre 10 Cup season with Waikato, had inked a two-year deal with Irish side Connacht, but it was ripped up in October, after his involvement in a domestic violence incident in July. Reece was seen grabbing his partner and pulling her down to the ground, after the pair got into an argument. The woman suffered injuries to her face and bruising to her waist and knee. The judge granted Reece a discharge without conviction and fined him $750. It was enough for Connacht to end their association with the Waikato winger, and initially, Reece was not named in any Super Rugby squads. However, Reece was called into the Crusaders' camp for pre-season training, and has now been named in the defending champions' starting lineup for their clash against the Chiefs on Saturday. He is also likely to be named a full-time replacement for Manasa Mataele, who is set to miss the entire season after suffering a knee injury against the Hurricanes. When Reece was called in for their pre-season training, Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar argued that while Reece had made a "serious mistake", he deserved a second chance. "We can see the genuine remorse and his acceptance that he's done wrong and is working to fix it. And improve as a person. "He's with his partner and he has great support from her." Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson spoke from a similar songsheet today. "I've never had any concerns. He's a quality young kid, he's gone through that process with the incident ... and he's come down here. He's a great human - I don't think there's a guy who has worked harder in our group. "[He's] extremely humble and I'm glad that we can play a part in his life and help him be the best he can." Reece's talent has never been in question, and he is likely to impress against a Chiefs side who never called him up despite his stellar showings for Waikato. "He's broken a few ankles at training, he can step, he can create. He asks a lot of questions, he's very diligent," said an enthused Robertson. Reece and Braydon Ennor will start on the wing this weekend for the Crusaders, with George Bridge on his manadatory All Blacks rest week, as are Owen Franks and Matt Todd. With Sam Whitelock and Kieran Read also still resting, the Crusaders forward pack looks weaker than their usual high standards, but Codie Taylor is set to make his return off the bench. Ryan Crotty also returns to the side, as captain, while halfback Ere Enari is set to make his first start. Crusaders: Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, Ryan Crotty (captain), Braydon Ennor, Richie Mo'unga, Ere Enari, Whetukamokamo Douglas, Billy Harmon, Jordan Taufua, Scott Barrett, Mitchell Dunshea, Michael Alaalatoa, Andrew Makalio, Joe Moody Reserves: Codie Taylor, Harry Allan, Giorgio Bower, Luke Romano, Ethan Blackadder, Bryn Hall, Brett Cameron, David Havili  

Robbie Manson will be the New Zealand men's single sculler this international rowing season. Manson was confirmed today for the two World Cups and world championships, following his convincing victory over two-time Olympic gold medallist Mahe Drysdale in the Rowing New Zealand trials at Lake Karapiro earlier this week. While appreciative of the challenge from Drysdale, the 29-year-old was looking forward to now being able to put his sole focus on the world championships. "It's been a good summer so it's nice to have that confirmation really just to be able to get on and focus on world champs this year and not have any distractions," Manson told Radio Sport. "In some ways it (the challenge from Drysdale) has I guess pushed me to be better. But in other ways it's sort of possibly distracted from the bigger picture for myself." Manson, who finished in a disappointing fifth the previous two times he held the seat at the world championships, said he has learnt a lot from the last couple of years and is excited to improve on those performances. "I feel like I learnt a lot last year and the year before so every year is a new opportunity to learn. And yeah practice what I've learnt from the year before and put it into practice. "I think it's just working with my coach Mike [Rodger] who I'm really excited to have and the physiologist. I really trust Mike's eye with the technique and really keeping them going right through. "I think also staying in Europe the whole time this year will make a significant difference. And yeah it's great to be able to stay there for the whole three months and prepare properly for the world champs." Manson was also not going to let the quickly approaching 2020 Tokyo Olympics from distracting him from the task ahead. "We'll see what happens next summer but I'm just really excited about the next six to eight months, however long it is until world champs and really getting that right and enjoying the process." Emma Twigg, who won gold at the 2014 world championships in Amsterdam, will race the women's single sculls seat.  

Kieran Read will walk away from the All Blacks after this year's World Cup, and take up a short stint in Japan. The All Blacks captain made the announcement today and will front a press conference in Christchurch. Read, 33, has played 118 tests in the black jersey and has captained the team in 49 tests. He was part of the victorious 2011 and 2015 teams and was named World Player of the Year in 2013. He will join Toyota Verblitz in Japan next year after reported interest from French side Racing 92 and at least one unnamed English club. That would mark the end of 13th season of professional rugby in New Zealand. "Every young rugby player in New Zealand dreams of the opportunities I have had to represent the All Blacks and the Crusaders, and I know I'll look back at the end of the year with a great deal of pride to have worn those jerseys for as long as I have," Read said. "My family and I are looking forward to an overseas experience and Japan presents an awesome opportunity to immerse ourselves in Japanese culture as part of the Toyota club. "I feel the time is right to make this announcement on my playing future, so that I can focus my efforts on the season ahead." The Herald first reported that Read would quit the All Blacks in November last year. NZ Rugby boss Steve Tew called Read one of the most influential players in the world and thanked him for his contribution. "We want to wish Kieran all the very best for his swansong season in New Zealand Rugby," Tew said. "He's been one of the most influential players in the world in his 13 years at the top of the professional game, an outstanding and hugely-respected All Blacks Captain, and an All Blacks centurion. "We owe 'Reado' and others like him, who have given so much to our teams, a huge debt of gratitude. We wish him, wife Bridget and his family all the best for their adventures next year." "On behalf of New Zealand Rugby and the All Blacks, I'd like to acknowledge the fantastic contribution that Reado has made to our game. His performances on the park speak for themselves: he's played 118 Tests and started 111 of them, which is an outstanding achievement. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen echoed Tew's sentiments and praised Read's leadership. "However, that is only part of the Kieran Read story," he said. "His contribution off the park has been just as impressive. He's developed into a fantastic leader, who has the utmost respect of all his peers. "What he has achieved has been remarkable, and its fair to say that he is one of the greats of our game who has enhanced the legacy of not only the All Blacks jersey but also the Crusaders jersey. We wish him, Bridget and the kids all the very best in their next rugby chapter."  

It will be a familiar side that runs out for the Hurricanes in Wellington against the Highlanders this weekend, with just two changes made. A week removed from their 43-13 battering of the Brumbies, the Hurricanes will welcome back utility Jordie Barrett and prop Jeff To'omaga-Allen to the starting side. Barrett will start on the wing against the Highlanders in place of Vince Aso, who moves back to the bench, with Chase Tiatia holding on to the No 15 jersey after an impressive outing against the Brumbies. "We were really pleased with most aspects of our game against the Brumbies and we are looking to build on that by making minimal changes," Hurricanes coach John Plumtree said. "There were obviously some tough calls when it came to selecting the side but we were really impressed with the way Chase handled his debut and he has been rewarded for that. "The Highlanders are going to be a massive challenge for us, like all New Zealand derbies are, but we are very keen on maintaining our proud record at Westpac Stadium in front of our home fans." On the bench, hooker Asafo Aumua and prop Fraser Armstrong will be in line of playing time for the first time this season. Hurricanes: Chase Tiatia, Jordie Barrett, Matt Proctor, Ngani Laumape, Ben Lam, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Vaea Fifita, Liam Mitchell, James Blackwell, Jeff To'omaga-Allen, Dane Coles (c), Chris Eves. Reserves: Asafo Aumua, Fraser Armstrong, Ben May, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Reed Prinsep, Richard Judd, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Vince Aso.  

Veteran Football Ferns defender Abby Erceg has opened up on her 'traumatic' time under former coach Andreas Heraf. Erceg came out of international retirement for the second time in January after taking a stand against the former Ferns coach and NZF Technical Director Heraf, who she labelled a 'bully'. The 29-year-old retired from international football in May after being left disillusioned with the team environment under Heraf, who resigned in July and was later found to have engaged in bullying behaviour while in charge. "I had really quite an emotional experience when I came back to work under Andreas, it was traumatic to be honest," Erceg told Radio Sport's D'Arcy Waldegrave. "I know it's a strong word but that's what it was. I can see how the public sided with the team on that one. "I think there's been a lot of speculation around retiring twice, but I'd like to clear it up. Rather than retiring, it was more of a refusal to play for a bully." An independent review into Heraf's tenure found the complaints raised by players were "genuine and largely substantiated" and that Heraf breached New Zealand Football's Code of Conduct, Human Resources policy on harassment, and Worksafe New Zealand bullying guidelines. "The report has come out and people have seen what the environment was like at that time and at this stage of my career. You get to a point where you've stood up for something for so long, that to come back into an environment like that just wasn't right. "It was important for me to keep my integrity not just as a player but as a person. "For someone like that to be in an environment that's so special to us, it's not just special to the team, it's special to the whole of New Zealand. The public were always going to take the teams side. We were in the right and he was in the wrong. Football Ferns Abby Erceg in action against Colombia. Photo / Photosport "My relationship with NZ football has been up and down over the past few years, but it's really good now. There was a bit of tension there but now we're both good at talking to each other, we've repaired that relationship and it's really good at the moment. "I don't have a problem with NZ Football. There were just a few things that we needed to tidy up and I think they've done a really good job of doing that. They're put processes in place to make sure this doesn't happen again." Erceg is with the Ferns in Melbourne as the side looks to finish the Cup of Nations on a high note. The World No 19 Ferns defeated Argentina 2-0 in Brisbane – thanks to a stunning goal from CJ Bott – and take on World No 14 the Korea Republic tomorrow afternoon at AAMI Park in Melbourne. The team travelled south to Melbourne full of confidence – the victory over Argentina was the first over non-Oceania opposition since the Ferns beat Thailand 5-0 in 2017. "I'd obviously done a lot of talking in the media prior to me coming back the first time and I just wanted to make sure that when I came back it was right," said Erceg. "I needed to step back again and make sure the environment was right, and the bonus from that is that it is now. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes to make sure that there are good solid processes in place to make sure things like that never happen again. "I love this team and I love playing for my country. As long as I can keep doing that I will."  

The Kiwis will get their long awaited re-match against Mate Ma'a Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium next June and will play the first of two home tests against Great Britain in a triple-header clash at Eden Park in November. New Zealand will face off against Tonga mid-season in the opening game of the inaugural Oceania Cup tournament on June 22, in the first meeting between the two sides since Tonga's upset quarter-final win over the Kiwis in Hamilton at the 2017 World Cup. The match will be a double-header with the Kiwi Ferns women's side also set to take on a yet to be confirmed Pacific Island team. Following the end of the NRL season, the Michael Maguire-coached Kiwis will head across to Australia to play the world champion Kangaroos at Wollongong's WIN Stadium on October 25. That test will be the first transtasman clash since New Zealand scored a boil-over victory against their green and gold rivals in Auckland last October. The double-header bill will also feature a test between the Kiwi Ferns and Australian Jillaroos. Kiwi-based Tongan fans will have a second chance to see their team in action when they play Great Britain at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on October 26, in the opening test of the Lions tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The Lions visit will be their first tour down under since 2006, with current England coach Wayne Bennett to also oversee the composite side. Eden Park will then host a triple-header on November 2, headlined by the Kiwis first encounter with Great Britain, following two Oceania Cup tests between Australia and Tonga - in a re-match of last November's sell-out match in Auckland - and Samoa lining up against Fiji. The Kiwis will then head to Christchurch Stadium a week later for their second and final test against the Lions, in another double-header that will also see Papua New Guinea face off against Fiji in their Oceania Cup clash. Confirmation of the Kiwis calendar addresses longstanding complaints from local fans that, outside of the 2017 World Cup, have only had one opportunity per year to see the national side in action on these shores since the 2014 Four Nations. "Our rugby league community in New Zealand has been hoping for more international and Kiwi fixtures in our backyard for a while now so I'm pleased we'll be able to deliver on this for them," said New Zealand Rugby League CEO Greg Peters. "The Kiwis versus Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium will be a blockbuster occasion to kick off a momentous year for international rugby league fans in New Zealand." The Lions will not meet the Kangaroos on this tour and instead will head to Papua New Guinea to play a one-off test in Port Moresby on November 16. "The return of the famous Great Britain jersey is something people have been talking about for a long time so this is an exciting announcement for us," said Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer. "It's 12 years since Great Britain last played a test, and 13 since they last travelled to the southern hemisphere, for the Tri-Nations series of 2006. "There is such history and tradition around that Great Britain shirt, it's great to have it back and we'll be committed to respecting and honouring that tradition." The Oceania Cup will see Pool A sides (New Zealand, Australia, and Tonga) compete for the Oceania Cup trophy, while Pool B teams (Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea) fight for promotion into Pool A in 2020. 2019 international rugby league schedule June 22: Mt Smart Stadium, AucklandKiwis v Tonga (Oceania Cup Pool A)Kiwi Ferns v TBC June 22: Campbelltown Stadium, SydneySamoa v PNG (Oceania Cup Pool B)Fiji v Cook Islands October 25: WIN Stadium, WollongongAustralia v Kiwis (Oceania Cup Pool B)Jillaroos v Kiwi Ferns October 26: Waikato Stadium, HamiltonTonga v Great Britain (Lions tour) November 2: Eden Park, AucklandKiwis v Great Britain first test (Lions tour)Australia v Tonga (Oceania Cup Pool A)Samoa v Fiji (Oceania Cup Pool B) November 9: Christchurch StadiumKiwis v Great Bri...

The USA is becoming a semifinal roadblock for the All Blacks Sevens this season. New Zealand squandered an early lead to lose to hosts 24-19 at the Las Vegas Sevens this morning, the third time they've been defeated by the USA at the semifinal stage this season. Sione Molia and Kurt Baker scored first half tries to put New Zealand 12-0 up as they dominated the opening five minutes of the semifinal. However Clark Laidlaw's side trailed 14-12 at the break when Folau Niua and then Carlin Isles both scored late in the first half. A second Isles try after halftime extend the USA's lead before New Zealand captain Tim Mikkelson levelled the scores at 19-19 with four minutes remaining following a classy lineout move. The USA controlled possession for the closing stages as New Zealand were consistently penalised giving away territory. The hosts turned down two penalty chances in the final minute close to the posts before Isles completed a hat-trick after the hooter. The victory will put USA at the top of the sevens series standings after sitting level with New Zealand going into the Las Vegas tournament. The USA will face Samoa for the title after they thrashed Argentina 33-19 in the other semi final. New Zealand will meet Argentina in the third and fourth place playoff.  

Listen to the audio above as Hurricanes hooker and captain Dane Coles speaks to D'Arcy and Goran After two unconvincing performances to kick off their season, the Hurricanes have brought reinforcements into the squad. Beauden Barrett will make his first appearance of the season, taking his regular spot in the No.10 jersey alongside halfback TJ Perenara, while younger brother Jordie has been left out of the squad. The Hurricanes have made seven changes in total after being humbled at the hands of the Crusaders last weekend, which sees Ngani Laumape and Chase Tiatia move into the starting squad. It's been a tough start to the year for the Hurricanes, who needed a late charge to beat the Waratahs in their opening fixture before being dealt to in Christchurch last time out. However, with the return of a number of veterans and All Blacks, the side head to Palmerston North to take on the Brumbies with a more experienced and stronger squad. Head coach John Plumtree said the squad was desperate to put in a better performance than the one against the Crusaders in what will be their first home match in 2019. "We want to improve a lot of aspects of our play and hopefully we can do that in front of what will be a great crowd in Palmy," Plumtree said. "We were really impressed with the performance the Brumbies put out last week so we know the scale of task ahead of us but it's a great challenge for the squad." Hurricanes: Chase Tiatia, Vince Aso, Matt Proctor, Ngani Laumape, Ben Lam, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Vaea Fifita, Liam Mitchell, James Blackwell, Ben May, Dane Coles (c), Chris Eves. Reserves: Ricky Riccitelli, Xavier Numia, Jeff To'omaga-Allen, Reed Prinsep, Richard Judd, Jackson Garden-Bachop, Wes Goosen.

Listen to the audio above as Black Caps wicket-keeper BJ Watling speaks to D'Arcy and Goran The Black Caps, newly promoted to second in test cricket's world rankings, don't have to look far to see the perils of their new position. It's been a summer of upsets in cricket's longest format – starting with the Black Caps toppling Pakistan overseas for the first time since 1969, and followed by the West Indies stunning England. But, the biggest surprise of them all came earlier this month, when Sri Lanka visited South Africa and shocked everyone to claim a 2-0 series win. At the risk of this becoming one of those bleedingly obvious "the Black Caps won't be taking [Weaker Opposition X] lightly" pieces that get penned far too often, when taking those recent results onboard, there is perhaps more merit than usual to the publicly-stated caution Black Caps captain Kane Williamson likes to administer. Black Caps captain Kane Williamson. Photo / Getty Considering how unappealing Sri Lanka looked on these shores, it's a reminder of how quickly things can change in cricket, and the demise of the for-so-long dominant at home South Africans – formerly world number two – could serve as a gentle warning. Surely though, Bangladesh can't produce the same shock? 34-1 outsiders to win the series, it would be one of the biggest upsets on these shores for years if they were to produce a test triumph, and with Shakib Al-Hasan out injured, and Mushfiqur Rahim likely to join him with a mixture of maladies, their top-heavy lineup is already in danger of toppling over. Coincidentally, those two are the players who put the Black Caps in trouble the last time these two sides met in a test series, in 2017. Al-Hasan and Rahim added a record 359 for the fifth wicket in Wellington as Bangladesh racked up 595-8, but somehow, all that was good for was to set the record for biggest total scored in a losing effort. If that pairing were fully fit, Bangladesh would be more of a threat to claim their first test win over New Zealand in 14 attempts. While Monimul Haque (test average of 44) is a classy operator, the visitors' other main weapons – their spin bowlers – are likely to be largely negated by seam-friendly wickets. The Black Caps will utilise just one spinner, as custom in New Zealand, with Todd Astle making his return to the test side as Matt Henry and Will Young miss out from the 13-man squad. He likely won't see too much time at the bowling crease, but could provide added value with the bat, with the Black Caps looking finely balanced as they attempt to kickstart their quest to win five straight test series with a victory at Hamilton's Seddon Park tomorrow. Of course – as is also custom – Williamson isn't looking that far ahead, and has taken note of test cricket's recent results. "Overseas there's been some upsets with some very strong teams, and every team in international cricket is a threat, they're all very talented. Anybody can beat anybody," Williamson warned. Two weeks ago, there'd be reason to quibble with that argument – and yes, it would still be stunning if Bangladesh won even a match in this series. But after what Sri Lanka managed to prove, a safe approach might also be a sound strategy for the Black Caps to continue their rise through the ranks.

Former Lions lock Andries Ferreira could be about to join the Hurricanes for the Super Rugby season. Ferreira took part in the Lions 2019 pre-season preparations. His contract ended last season and negotiations had stalled because of injury struggles. The 28-year-old was set to come to a new agreement with the Lions, but Hurricanes coach John Plumtree's inside knowledge of South African players might secure his signature in New Zealand, South African media are reporting. The Hurricanes locking stocks took a hit with the pre-season injury to Sam Lousi who suffered a pectoral injury. The 1.97m Ferreira has previously played for the Cheetahs along with brief stints in France, Italy and Japan. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ABOVE AS HURRICANES PLAYER GARETH EVANS SPEAKS TO D'ARCY AND GORAN

All Blacks first-five Beauden Barrett is back training with the Hurricanes and could be a surprise addition to the team who will face the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday. Barrett returned to the squad yesterday after an extended break following his wedding in Auckland last month and honeymoon overseas. As a senior All Black he has had a late start to this season written into his contract but he said it was touch and go as to whether he will play against younger brother Scott, who had a big game for the defending champions in round one against the Blues in Auckland. "I'm not sure if I'm playing this week – we're still going through that," Barrett told Radio Sport's D'Arcy Waldegrave. "I returned to training on Monday so I'm still pretty fresh. It has been a good time off." Barrett, facing up to a long and important season with the Hurricanes and All Blacks, will make the decision as to whether he is ready to play alongside head coach John Plumtree. Crusaders All Blacks Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read and Codie Taylor have similar clauses in their contracts and didn't play against the Blues at Eden Park. If Barrett does play – and an impact role off the bench seems the most likely given his lack of match fitness – he could negotiate another game off later in the season. The Hurricanes will be determined to continue their winning start to the season after they sneaked home 20-19 against the Waratahs in Sydney last weekend and derby wins are effectively worth double as they deny the opposition valuable points. Conference leaders at the end of the round-robin are guaranteed a place in the play-offs. Beauden Barrett could make an earlier than expected comeback for the Hurricanes against the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport Barrett said he was physically and mentally refreshed after his time away and had trained in an attempt to retain his fitness. "I did what I could – [the break] was good for balance," he said. "Obviously the seasons are getting long and I needed to refresh. I had to maintain and keep fit over that period." He said his side were pleased with their winning start against the Waratahs and had learned some important lessons. Fletcher Smith started at No10 in Barrett's absence, with TJ Perenara having to take over their late in the game following an injury to James Marshall. "We're pretty happy with the outcome," Barrett said. "Obviously we've learned a bit over these last few days and we're pretty excited about this weekend against the Crusaders. That Waratahs team on their day in Sydney can beat anyone so we'll certainly take that. Barrett, who said he was impressed with the Blues' performance in their narrow defeat to the Crusaders, said one of his major areas of improvement this season was his tactical awareness. "The Hurricanes have this tag of being a team of flair and X-factor... I'd like to control that and tactically improve. That comes with a lot of analysis and pretty much how you relate to your team." And he added the World Cup in Japan in September was far from this thoughts. "As players we're solely focused on the Super Rugby season. It's all the media noise that diverts us as players, to be honest." LISTEN ABOVE AS BEAUDEN BARRETT SPEAKS TO D'ARCY AND GORAN

Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson has confirmed his plans to remain in New Zealand, announcing he has re-committed to the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Robertson is now in his third season as Head Coach of the BNZ Crusaders, with a win-loss record of 35-3 since his first season in charge back in 2017. He secured back-to-back Investec Super Rugby titles in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The announcement comes after the defending Super Rugby champions opened the 2019 season with a 24-22 win over the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday."I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead a group of incredible players, alongside a coaching staff and management group who are passionate about what we do and the organisation we represent," Robertson said."My family and I are really settled here and when my wife Jane and I talked about it, this is ultimately where we wanted to be. I had already signalled my commitment to New Zealand Rugby and this 2019 campaign with the Crusaders, but this announcement ensures I can now focus on the task at hand and move forward with certainty around my coaching future."It's a huge honour to lead this team and I'm thankful for the support I have been shown by New Zealand Rugby, the Crusaders Board and the team, in extending my time with the club," Robertson said. Robertson has been tipped as a contender for the All Blacks head coaching role when Steve Hansen stands down following the Rugby World Cup later this year.New Zealand Rugby (NZR) CEO Steve Tew added: "The Crusaders have enjoyed a very successful period under Razor and their success has been good for rugby in New Zealand. Razor's recommitment to stay in New Zealand is one to be celebrated by Crusaders and New Zealand rugby fans. His energy and passion for rugby is relentless and his outstanding sense of humour is infectious. He doesn't miss an opportunity to tell me he is our best ever signing!"The Crusaders made history with their 2017 victory in Johannesburg, becoming the first team to travel to South Africa for a Final and return with the Super Rugby trophy. In guiding the team to that title, Robertson also became the first person to win a Super title as both a player and a coach.  

Hurricanes captain Dane Coles is gearing up for a new season underneath a new coach. Coles returns to the Super Rugby championship with a match against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday. It will be the first match with new coach John Plumtree. Plumtree, former assistant coach, succeeded Chris Boyd at the end of the last season. Coles told D'Arcy and Goran that Boyd was more laid back compared to Plumtree, who is more "intense". "On that field, he has expectation of us working hard, he's made that known during pre-season." At the same time, Coles says that Plumtree gives people the time of day and has done a good job of pitching the young and old players together. Coles is still hopeful to one day return to the All Blacks, describing it as a "good challenge" to prove himself. He is also looking at potential replacements for Sam Lousi. The lock has been ruled out of a large part of the Super Rugby season with a pectoral injury. Coles says Manawatu's Liam Mitchell has impressed him in the pre-season. "He's just got a big engine, a big kick on him. That old school mentality of running around trying to hurt people. He's been good lately, he's the guy that stood out for me." The Hurricanes start their campaign against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.  

After one of the most dramatic runnings of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild, Liam Lawson has won both a maiden NZGP crown, the rookie of the year title, and the 2019 Toyota Racing Series championship simultaneously. He's the first Kiwi to win the Grand Prix since Nick Cassidy in 2014, and the first to win the series since Cassidy again in 2013. It was a chaotic race packed with red-flag periods, and underlined by a critical penalty for Lawson's leading rival Marcus Armstrong. The penalty, a five-second time addition post-race, came after the title rivals made contact with each other while wrestling for first. Armstrong's penalty scored mixed reactions. It followed similar lines to the penalty Armstrong incurred in race two, but — ironically — Nick Cassidy was among those to think it was a harsh call at the end of the five-week series. Armstrong ended the race second but dejected for a second year running. After getting a few average race starts, Lawson made a cracking jump off the line to kick off the Grand Prix. Unfortunately for him, title rival Armstrong had an equally impressive start from the second row. By turn one, Armstrong was somehow alongside Lawson. The pair were millimetres from side contact — Armstrong getting past at turn three before immediately running wide and giving the lead back to Lawson. It was clear early that Lawson and Armstrong were the quickest drivers on track. Soon they had a gap of over three seconds over Auer, who also had a managable gap over Brendon Leitch in fourth (who himself soon lost his spot to an invigorated Esteban Muth). Lawson [left] consoles Armstrong at the end of the NZ Grand Prix. Photo / Matthew Hansen Before the race could get into a rhythm, a crash on lap nine brought out the red flag. The unlucky Petr Ptacek crashed out at the last corner, hopping out of his car under his own steam. After a few minutes of clean-up, the race was under way again; Lawson leading Armstrong, Auer, Muth, Cameron Das, and Raoul Hyman. But a six-car pile-up on lap 12 would bring out another red flag. It was triggered by a fierce battle for third between Muth and Auer — Muth making a superb move at turn one and then defending through turns two and three. This opened the door for Leitch to get by before turn four, and in turn Das thought he had a sniff until Auer closed the door at turn four. The Austrian and American made contact, Auer spun, and the long train of Hyman, Thomas Smith, Artem Petrov, and Calan Williams all piled in nose-to-tail. Petrov almost avoided the melee, but a glancing blow was enough to rip a corner off his M2 Competition FT-50. Photo / Matthew Hansen Another red flag ensued, as most of the crashed cars became retirements. Among the few to not simply retire was Hyman, who pulled into pit-lane for repairs. Another track recovery phase came and went, and the race was back under way with 21 laps still to go. And here the race's complexion changed. Armstrong made a strong restart, culminating in a dive on Lawson at turn one. As they've done numerous times this year they ran side-by-side until Lawson ran wide through turn three. The Turners driver tracked through the grass and dirt; somehow keeping straight and not spinning out. He kept his right foot planted, and rejoined the order fourth in the queue behind Leitch. Away from the coverage, the move was under investigation from officialdom. Despite the dramatic circumstances, Lawson didn't waste any time in trying to claw his way back. At the beginning of the next lap he launched inside Leitch at turn one, getting the move done without any trouble. He had started catching up to Muth, when another red flag stopped the action. Photo / Matthew Hansen This time it was for a frightening clash between Dev Gore and Jackson Walls on the back straight. The pair interlocked wheels at high speed, with both looping into the inside concrete wall. Both drivers luckily were able to get out of their cars — Walls in particular, given th...

It might not be the series win that New Zealand cricket fans were hoping for when India landed on these shores, but that doesn't make the Black Caps' Twenty20 triumph any less impressive. A four-run victory at Seddon Park in Hamilton tonight sealed a 2-1 series win, as New Zealand bounced back from their ODI humbling to become the first team to beat India in a Twenty20 series in 11 attempts. Yes, this was an achievement that no team had managed since 2017, and while India weren't at full strength, the destructive batting on show by some versatile players is something that should provide some confidence as the ODI World Cup looms. While neither will feature in the first two ODIs against Bangladesh this week, Colin Munro and Tim Seifert both made their cases as potentially devastating squad options to take to the World Cup, once again combining for an innings-defining stand at the top of the order. Considering the Black Caps can't buy an opening partnership in ODI cricket, it's curious, though likely coincidental, that they have twice now blazed dominant beginnings at the top of the order in Twenty20s. Seifert proved his innings in Wellington wasn't a fluke with a bold 43 from 25 balls, before he fell, stumped, and potentially victim to another controversial replay decision, with debate over whether his foot was planted behind the line. Was Tim Seifert out? Photo / SKY Regardless, it was still a splendid platform set when he departed at 80-1 in the eighth over, and while Kane Williamson's insistence on early strike rotation was completely unnecessary with nine wickets in hand, Munro again showed why he is such an alluring option in short formats, blasting 72 from 40 balls. Williamson did manage to pick things up, nursing some of his trademark classic fours in his knock of 27 from 21 balls, before handing over to the hitters to finish off the innings. They, too, did their job. Colin de Grandhomme made it back-to-back contributions with 30 from 16 balls, before Daryl Mitchell (19* from 11) and Ross Taylor (14* from seven) saw the hosts set 213 for victory. Colin de Grandhomme made another handy contribution. Photo / Photosport It seemed like enough – only four times had a total higher than 212 been chased down in a Twenty20 international – and when Shikhar Dhawan was caught in the deep off Mitchell Santner's bowling in the first over, India's task was made even tougher. However, first Vijay Shankar (43 from 28 balls), then Rishabh Pant (28 from 12) took a liking to the bowling of Ish Sodhi, as India rattled along at a fast rate. Crucially though, the required run rate never dropped below 10 an over, and some comparatively restrictive bowling from Mitchell and debutant Blair Tickner ensured the chase remained exceptionally challenging. The pair claimed a vital wicket apiece in the middle overs, with Rohit Sharma's struggles (38 off 32) ended by Mitchell, while Tickner removed Pant with a slower full toss, ensuring India could never get on top. Hardik Pandya briefly threatened, blasting 21 from 11 balls, but cameos weren't enough, and as the required run rate got higher, India were left needing 48 from 18 balls for victory. Three balls later, that equation was a much more manageable 33 from 15, and some further lusty blows from Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya produced a jittery finish, with 16 required from the final over. However, Tim Southee held his nerve at the death, to kill India's unbeaten run.  

Stephen Donald is back from the New Zealand rugby wilderness. The All Blacks folk hero has signed with the Chiefs as injury cover ahead of the 2019 Super Rugby season, returning to the franchise after two years away. Chiefs coach Colin Cooper confirmed the signing today, with Donald replacing young first-five Tiaan Falcon, who will miss the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. "We had a good look around and he was pretty keen, he was pretty keen last year too," said Cooper. "We felt with Tiaan going [down injured], one of our young 10s, that we needed a more experienced 10 so he was keen, and we were keen to bring him back. "He's like another coach. We will be managing [his workload], but with his knowledge, his mana that he has within the group, the passion that he has for the Chiefs, it was a no-brainer to bring him in." Donald, 35, said he was stoked to be returning. "There is a great group of lads to work alongside and I hope I can play my part in supporting the team both on and off the field." The man who struck the winning penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final had been playing in Japan recently, after nine games with Counties Manukau in the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup. He could add to his 104 games for the franchise, with Damian McKenzie and Jack Debreczeni the current first-five options in the squad, with Marty McKenzie set to miss the start of the season due to injury. Rising star Shaun Stevenson was pleased to have an experienced teammate back in the fold. "He's managed to get back on the payroll at New Zealand Rugby, I'm not too sure how," Stevenson told D'Arcy and Goran.  "I thought his movie would have got him a bit more coin, but obviously not, so he's come back for another rodeo. It's good to see him back in the environment." Stevenson said that Donald's knowledge will add plenty to what is a young Chiefs backline. "He's as sharp as ever. Maybe he's lost a touch of pace and a bit of muscle, but he's a World Cup champion. "I think the oldest player on our team was about 29, so he takes the average age up now since he's about 40. It's real good to have him back in the mix - our backline's pretty inexperienced, so he brings that leadership and that voice that we probably needed." The Chiefs get their campaign under way against the Highlanders on Friday night at Waikato Stadium.  

The White Ferns have caused a massive Indian collapse to claim a superb win in their Twenty20 series opener. Chasing 160 for victory, India were cruising at 102-1 halfway through the 12th over, but an Amelia Kerr breakthrough and a Lea Tahuhu barrage sparked a meltdown, and they were eventually rolled for 136. Kerr took the big wicket of Smriti Mandhana, the batswoman who had given New Zealand so many problems in the ODI series. She again was in excellent touch to begin India's chase, blasting ten boundaries in 58 off 34 balls, while fellow young star Jemimah Rodrigues compiled a 33-ball 39 as the pair added a record-tying 98 for the second wicket. However, just as all looked lost, Kerr had Mandhana caught in the deep; Hannah Rowe holding onto a smart catch, before Tahuhu drew three consecutive loose shots to rip through the middle order. Rodrigues flayed at a ball outside off and got an edge through to Katey Martin behind the stumps, and two overs later, two more wickets fell to the seamer, with Kerr claiming two catches. From 102-1, India were 111-5, and suddenly their chase looked daunting again, after the White Ferns had set a strong total. Sophie Devine led the way with 62 from 48 balls, getting support in a third-wicket partnership of 69 with captain Amy Satterthwaite, who made 33 off 27. However, when both departed in quick succession, the Ferns still needed some late firepower, and Martin provided it, smoking 27 off 14 balls to set up a quality chase. It looked all too easy for India, and even when Tahuhu put them in trouble, they still had Harmanpreet Kaur at the crease, and the White Ferns were well aware of what she could do. After all, she was the woman who practically doomed New Zealand's chances at the Twenty20 World Cup, cracking a record 103 from 51 balls in a win that left the Ferns eventually short of making the semifinals. However, Kerr lured her out of the crease, and Martin did the rest, taking off the bails to end India's chances.  

It may have been his ninth Twenty20 international, but Tim Seifert truly introduced himself on the world stage on Wednesday night. Seifert smacked a stellar 84 from 43 balls to lead the Black Caps to an 80-run victory — the largest defeat in India's Twenty20 history, and one that puts them on the precipice of a rare series defeat. Elevated to the top of the order, Seifert made the most of an opportunity he hadn't received in his international career to date. Of his seven Twenty20 knocks for the Black Caps before tonight, five saw him bat at seven or lower in the order, and he had compiled just 42 runs. On Wednesday night, he doubled that, in a splendid knock reminiscent of Brendon McCullum. It's somewhat an easy comparison – they're similar in stature, and both wicketkeepers, but Seifert was also just as aggressive, charging down the crease and flat-batting screaming sixes to all corners of Westpac Stadium. With support from Colin Munro (34 from 20 balls) and Kane Williamson (34 from 22), Seifert set a platform that allowed free reign for the hitters that followed to cash in, and they did, reaching 219-6 – the highest score at Westpac Stadium, and highest by any team against India since 2016. After New Zealand's opening struggles in ODIs – having not recorded a fifty partnership in over a year – Seifert and Munro came out and bashed 85 from the first eight overs in the first of three T20s. They had some luck – there's always some luck in this format – but Seifert was in fine form, picking up anything that drifted into his pads on his way to seven fours and six sixes. It was hardly a surprise that Seifert was capable of such destruction – he owns the fastest T20 century in New Zealand – but with the 24-year-old having an outside chance of making the ODI World Cup squad as keeping and batting cover, it was a timely reminder. So, too, was Tim Southee's bowling, after he sat out the last four one-dayers. With India chasing 220, they needed a fast start, but Southee remarkably went for just two runs from his first two overs, and picked up the key wicket of Rohit Sharma. Without two of the world's best Twenty20 batsmen – Virat Kohli (average of 49.2 at a strike rate of 136) and KL Rahul (43.4 at 148), India didn't have their usual firepower, and when Mitchell Santner took two wickets in three balls, they needed a miracle. They didn't get it, Southee finishing with 3-17, with India - who are unbeaten in their last 10 Twenty20 series' – now on the brink of their first series defeat since 2017.  

The Black Caps and White Ferns will wear their 'Te Reo' shirts in their Twenty20 series against India. Rather than having New Zealand emblazoned across their front, their shirts will instead say Aotearoa. Both teams will wear them tomorrow on Waitangi Day, as well as the other games in their respective series. The Black Caps previously wore shirts with Aotearoa across their front in their 2015 ODI series against Zimbabwe.

He has been a world endurance champion behind the wheel and now expat Whanganui driver Earl Bamber can add victorious team owner to his resume as Earl Bamber Motorsport won the Bathurst 12 Hour on Sunday evening. Bamber, 28, led the two-car operation that has given his Porsche factory one of the few endurance crowns the motorsport giant had yet to win. It was also the final race victory for this generation of Porsche GT3 R car, which the factory will soon replace, as Australian Matt Campbell drove the wheels off it in the last 30 minutes of the race to get up from fifth to first place. Campbell shared the podium with his EBM co-drivers Dennis Olsen and Dirk Werner, as the 2019 edition of the Bathurst race will go down as one of the most exciting. The distance record was smashed due to long green flag runs earlier in the day, while the late race restart meant there were seven cars on the lead lap, respresenting six different brands, when the time limit expired and it was time to race for the checkered flag. Porche's 912 car started from sixth on the grid while the other 911 car was 10th, and ultimately had to retire after 234 laps due to the loss of power steering. Both cars had been around the lead throughout the race as Bamber looked to employ a different fuel pit strategy from the other teams, while his drivers looked to stay out of trouble to take advantage when other cars pulled out with mechanical issues or after crashes. The 912 team stuck with their plan to take fresh tyres as well as more fuel on their last pit stop, which the trailing cars did not do as their crews just added fuel quickly to get out ahead of Campbell for the anchor laps. In the leading Aston Martin, British driver Jake Dennis had a good restart and managed to pull away from the pack briefly. However, on fresh tyres, Campbell was going gangbusters and made an aggressive push to get past the other Mercedes of pole sitter Raffaele Mariello with 17 minutes left. The young Australian then caught up with Dennis with 11 minutes remaining, and drove the nose of his Porsche on the inside line at the famous Elbow turn which leads down to The Chase – the long straight heading to the finishline. Campbell forced his way through and then defended his lead on the dash down The Chase, with Dennis trying to get alongside him but being unable to pull him back. The Porsche, emblazoned in New Zealand colours with black and the silver fern, went on to claim victory by 3.4 seconds. Matt Campbell drives the Porsche 912 to claim the checkered flag. Photo / Getty Images "We wanted it badly. You see the guys celebrating here," said a delighted Bamber in his televised pitlane interview. "It was a crazy one month to be able to try and pull this off, I have to thank everyone in the team. "We worked flat out, days and nights. I mean, I think I slept three hours every night this week, prepping everything." Bamber singled out team manager Greg Wooster and his younger brother Will Bamber, who moved from Whanganui to join him in Kuala Lumpur as they set up this new racing organisation. "These guys, this team, is just a monster, and this is just the first one for us," Earl Bamber said. "Matty Campbell, incredible drive. Amazing, didn't put a foot wrong, he was absolutely perfect. "That was a proper motor race, that was absolutely incredible, nail-biting. "We're going to celebrate a lot tonight." There was a mild controversy as EBM had to wait for the result of a post-race investigation which cleared Campbell of any infringement in his 'bump and run' pass of the BMW driven by former Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert. The two drivers clashed in The Chase with 30 minutes left as Campbell made contact with Mostert coming into the left-hand part of the corner after he followed the BMW on the slipstream through the right-hander side. That pass put Campbell into third with enough time left to go chase down the Mercedes cars. The stewards reviewed the footage and determined that the p...