Category Archives: New Zealand

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Donna Craig-Brown holds a large potato dug from her garden at her home near Hamilton, New Zealand Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. A New Zealand couple dug up a potato the size of a small dog in their backyard and have applied for recognition from Guinness World Records. They say it weighed in at 7.9 kilograms (17 pounds), well above the current record of just under 5 kg. They've named the potato Doug, because they dug it up. (Colin Craig-Brown via AP)

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Donna Craig-Brown holds a large potato dug from her garden at her home near Hamilton, New Zealand Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. A New Zealand couple dug up a potato the size of a small dog in their backyard and have applied for recognition from Guinness World Records. They say it weighed in at 7.9 kilograms (17 pounds), well above the current record of just under 5 kg. They've named the potato Doug, because they dug it up. (Colin Craig-Brown via AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Colin and Donna Craig-Brown were weeding their garden in New Zealand when Colins hoe struck something huge just beneath the soils surface.

As the couple knelt down and began digging around the object, Colin wondered if it was some kind of strange fungal growth, a giant puffball. After Colin pried it out with his garden fork, he scratched away a bit of the skin and tasted it.

A potato.

We couldnt believe it, Donna said. It was just huge.

And not exactly pretty. Donna describes its appearance as more of an ugly, mutant look.

But its quite possibly the largest potato on record. When the couple lugged it into their garage and put it on their old set of scales, it weighed in at a remarkable 7.9 kilograms (17.4 pounds). Thats equal to a couple of sacks of regular potatoes, or one small dog.

In the weeks since their unusual find on Aug. 30, the couples potato has become something of a celebrity around their small farm near Hamilton. Theyve named the potato Doug, after the way it was unearthed, and Colin even built a small cart to tow Doug around.

We put a hat on him. We put him on Facebook, taking him for a walk, giving him some sunshine, Colin said. Its all a bit of fun. Its amazing what entertains people.

A more official weigh-in at a local farming store put Doug at 7.8 kg. The Guinness World Records entry for the heaviest potato is a 2011 monster from Britain that weighed in at just under 5 kg. The couple say theyve applied to Guinness to have Doug recognized and are waiting to hear back.

Guinness said it couldnt share information on the application and that the British potato remained the record-holder, for now at least.

Colin said he doesnt have any secret gardening tips. Usually they throw a bunch of cow manure and straw onto their garden and see what happens. He said theyd been growing cucumbers in that area of their garden before the weeds took over and hadnt planted any potatoes. Doug must have been self-sown, and quite possibly growing for a couple of years or more.

Its a mystery to me, Colin said. Its one of natures little pleasant surprises.

But Doug hasnt proved an easy charge to look after. As the couple showed the potato off, it began drying out and losing weight. Mold started growing from its wounds.

He was getting a bit pongy, said Colin, referring to the potatos smell.

So Colin cleaned up Doug as best he could and put the potato in the freezer, where it remains.

But Colin may not be done with Doug yet. An amateur brewer, Colin said hes keen to turn Doug into a nice drop of potato vodka.

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Doug the ugly New Zealand potato could be world's biggest - Associated Press

It is the morning after New Zealand qualified for the T20 World Cup semi-finals by pipping the pre-tournament favourites, India, to second spot in their Super 12s group, and Mitchell Santner is heading out to play golf. This will surprise nobody who knows him after all, he describes himself in his Instagram bio as a part-time cricketer and full-time golfer but perhaps his ability to turn off and switch his attention to a different kind of white ball at this of all moments illustrates how comfortable his team have become with major-tournament success.

They are making a habit of playing their way into the serious end of the sports most important competitions. New Zealand have reached the last four of the last four 50-over World Cups and the last two finals were 2016 Twenty20 semi-finalists, 2021 World Test champions, and are continuing their run of multiformat form by shining once again in the United Arab Emirates.

To win the Test stuff was pretty special, our first major trophy, but obviously we dont want to stop there, Santner says. With the current setup and the current team, everyones got that belief that we can beat anyone on our day and weve shown that.

Obviously I think we always go into these tournaments kind of as the underdogs, but we can bank those experiences, keep doing the little things and think about that stuff down the road. We cant get caught up in that during the tournament, but maybe at some point well think: Shit, that was a pretty good effort, lads. The last few years have been pretty good for us in terms of beating big teams in big events so we just keep doing what were doing and not try to change a hell of a lot.

At the last 20-over World Cup, in 2016, Santner had just turned 24 and was new to the New Zealand side: their opening game against India in Nagpur was just his sixth T20 international. He marked it with what remains his finest bowling performance in the format, taking four wickets for just 11 runs with Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni among his victims. The Black Caps went on to lose to England in the last four, and the theme of beating India before losing to England continued at the 50-over World Cup in 2019. They will attempt another repeat when they face Eoin Morgans side in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

I dont think 2019 will come up much, he says of the ludicrously dramatic ODI World Cup final at Lords. Obviously it was pretty heartbreaking at the time. Everyone played it pretty well, but inside they were probably feeling different, wanting to show some emotion. In terms of the game itself it was pretty special. We were unfortunate to be on the losing side but we hadnt made a lot of finals before so it was all new.

This is a different challenge, a different format, and we bank those experiences and try to be one better. Well do our scouting, put all the plans in place, and then just try to execute that as best we can on the day. If it works, outstanding, and if it doesnt, it is what it is. I think we cant look too much into the past. This is a different English side on a different surface.

It is a more different English side than they might have anticipated, with Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Jason Roy, who all started that 2019 final, among a string of key players ruled out through injury. Theyll still be a very good side and tough to beat, no doubt, Santner says. Even without some of those guys theyve come out flying and played some very good cricket. Tymal Mills and now Roys a pretty big blow, but theyll probably just send Jonny Bairstow to the top and look as strong as ever. I think the balance of the English squad at the moment is massive, they bat all the way down and theyve got the firepower with the bowlers as well. The wicket looks pretty good, so its going to be tough.

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Santner was part of the Chennai Super Kings side that won the Indian Premier League in the UAE just before the World Cup started, though he never actually got a game and New Zealands final group match, against Afghanistan, was the first time he had played in Abu Dhabi. His two overs cost 27 runs another experience to bank. I guess you try to leave it behind and move on, he says. I think length is very important in Abu Dhabi, with it skidding on and not being a lot of turn, so as a spin unit you have to be on.

Right now, however, he is very much off. Getting away from the game is important, he says. Then when its time to turn on for the semi-final you can switch on easily. If youre not up for an ICC world event, well I guess this is the pinnacle.

It is one his side have got used to climbing, and they have new peaks in their sights.

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New Zealands Mitchell Santner: I dont think 2019 will come up much - The Guardian

As world leaders continue negotiations at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, several agreements reached so far have acknowledged the connection between climate change and the global loss of biodiversity.

Half a world away, we might feel somewhat smug. Almost a third of Aotearoa New Zealand is protected as conservation land, but we nevertheless have the highest number of threatened species worldwide, with 79% of birds, bats, reptiles and frogs at risk of or threatened with extinction.

The threat to wildlife is entirely due to human impacts, including the introduction of mammal predators and land-use practices that threaten Indigenous biodiversity.

Despite more than 40,000 people in 600 community conservation groups working throughout the country, these efforts and gains are tenuous, not yet arresting the decline in biodiversity.

Surveys show New Zealanders are increasingly aware of the state of our environment, but knowledge on its own does not spur action.

We suggest mtauranga Mori, a traditional system of understanding the natural world, could help take people from awareness to action.

Te Mana o te Taiao is New Zealands national biodiversity strategy and lays out conservation priorities for the next three decades. It promotes the braiding of Western science and mtauranga Mori and emphasises a focus on people as much as the environment.

Regular surveys show a marked shift in public perception of the state of New Zealands environment. Twenty years ago, a majority believed the environment was in good health, but today, most people believe it is in poor health.

The survey also asks if respondents had participated in environmental advocacy or volunteer work, but the percentage of people who have has remained steady over two decades.

Read more: Why Indigenous knowledge should be an essential part of how we govern the world's oceans

People feel increasingly disconnected from the natural world for a few key reasons, including:

a rise of individualism and the erosion of community

distraction by technology and entertainment

increasing urbanisation and inequality leading to an extinction of experience

poorer urban populations with fewer opportunities to connect with nature.

Awareness alone does not spur action, but research shows people who feel more connected with nature have a stronger sense of environmental responsibility.

If we wish to ensure the survival of our Indigenous biodiversity, we need to ask how we get from awareness to action. Indigenous peoples have played a strong role in conserving biodiversity over many centuries, and mtauranga Mori could hold some answers.

Read more: Indigenous knowledge and the persistence of the 'wilderness' myth

There are three main strands to how mtauranga Mori can turn knowledge into action.

Ecological science has increased our understanding of the inter-connectedness of ecosystems and has brought us closer to a mtauranga Mori concept of human relationships with the natural world. Within this concept, if the environment is not in good health, people cant be in good health either. Seeing ourselves as inter-connected and inter-dependent with the natural world engenders reciprocity and care for the natural world.

By embedding values and beliefs into facts, knowledge becomes more memorable, meaningful and relatable. This helps people to form an identity of belonging within the natural world and a connection to place. We are far more likely to care for a place if we feel a connection to it.

Awareness of our inter-connections and dependence on the natural world helps us see the dissonance between stewardship and practices that threaten other species.

Community conservation groups could play a central role in achieving New Zealands national biodiversity strategy through use of mtauranga Mori concepts.

Ecosanctuaries like Zealandia already provide opportunities to connect with the natural world, through education and volunteering. There are more than 80 sanctuaries throughout the country, providing opportunities for people to acquaint themselves with the natural world and become involved in conservation activities.

Ecosanctuaries demonstrate environmental restoration is possible and conservation is everyones responsibility, not just the role of the state. They effectively build a constituency for conservation within the community.

Zealandia identifies its role as an enabler of transformation in the way people engage with the natural world. Their 20-year strategy emphasises mtauranga Mori and inspiring change through shared passion.

The biodiversity strategy is fundamentally about people [] the task that we have in front of us is fundamentally about changing the way people value the natural world.

Mori continually straddle two worlds, navigating the Mori world view and the Tauiwi (Western) world. Non-Mori rarely step into the Mori world, and its unfamiliarity can cause discomfort.

Incorporating mtauranga Mori should not mean appropriating knowledge from Mori or glossing over legitimate Mori grievances. Instead, being able to hold two world views can be likened to gaining binocular vision people discern more depth and detail than by seeing the world through a single lens.

To maintain and improve our biodiversity, we need to practise conservation everywhere rather than only in conservation spaces. Embracing mtauranga Mori concepts could help New Zealanders to develop an identity of ecological belonging to become better kaitiaki (guardians) of our biodiversity.

This article is based on a presentation given at a Sanctuaries of New Zealand workshop earlier this year on the theme of iwi and conservation.

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How Mori knowledge could help New Zealanders turn their concern for the environment into action - The Conversation AU

Pro-democracy protesters seen supporting Myanmar in London. Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

An asylum seeker from Myanmar was rescued after spending 23 hours in the waters around New Zealand.

Min Naing, 27, took a survival suit from the boat he worked on, local media reported.

Many people have been persecuted in Myanmar since the military seized control in February.

A asylum seeker from Myanmar was rescued off the coast of New Zealand after he managed to survive for 23 hours in the freezing waters.

The 27-year-old man, identified by local media as Min Naing, was spotted by port workers patrolling New Zealand's northwest coast on November 2, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Min Naing, who was working on a logging ship that was passing close to New Zealand, told the Herald that he put on an immersion survival suit and descended a rope to get into the sea.

The case is extremely rare as asylum seekers almost never arrive in New Zealand by sea, given that the country is many hundreds of miles from its nearest neighbors.

However, after floating in the sea for hours, Min Naing told the Herald he gave up hope of being rescued and just waited to die.

He told the Herald that he was set to return to Myanmar in two months' time when his contract on the boat ended, but that death would be no worse than returning as he felt he would be arrested by the military.

Myanmar has been controlled by the country's military since it seized power from the government in February. More than 223,000 people have been displaced from their homes as a result of the coup, according to the UN.

Min Naing said he also feared retribution because his family, who are in hiding in Myanmar, are Hindu, and because they took part in the pro-democracy uprising that followed the coup.

"They can come and arrest us at any time, we never know when. Everyone is afraid. Life in Myanmar is dangerous for all Myanmar people," he told the Herald.

Despite enduring harsh conditions in the water, Min Naing is in good health, Darren Paki, an area crime prevention manager with the New Zealand police, told the Herald.

Story continues

"This really was an extraordinary survival story," Paki said.

On Monday, Simon Lamain, an attorney for Min Naing, told the Herald that his client was now going through "immigration procedures" to claim asylum, which could take as long as 12 months. Lamin added that his client is allowed to stay in New Zealand during that process.

Paki previously told the Herald that Min Naing would not face any charges in relation to his actions.

Min Naing tested negative for COVID-19 after he was rescued, but he is being made to isolate at a hospital in the nearby town of Gisborne until November 10, the Herald said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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An asylum seeker from Myanmar was rescued by New Zealand after jumping from a cargo ship and surviving 23 hours in the freezing ocean - Yahoo News

North Island raider Copy That and its 73-year-old trainer Ray Green toppled the favourite Self Assured to win the $600,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup in Christchurch on Tuesday.

Driven by Blair Orange, the Auckland-trained Copy That led most of the way in the 3200m race and sprinted clear up the straight at a largely empty Addington Raceway.

The second-favourite, Copy That paid $4.40 on the tote in a two-and-a-half-length win over $2.20 favourite Self Assured, trained and driven by champion horseman Mark Purdon. South Coast Arden was third.

Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

Driver Blair Orange shoots clear with Copy That to win the NZ Trotting Cup at Addington.

An emotional Green remained at home at his Lincoln Farm base in Pukekohe amid Aucklands Covid alert level 3 and roared his prized pacer home with his staff.

READ MORE:* New Zealand Trotting Cup 2021: All you need to know about Christchurch's big race day* New Zealand Trotting Cup fan will miss race for first time since 1972* Cantabrians encouraged to 'make the most' of Cup and Show week, just not in person

I couldnt fault that. It worked out how Id hoped it would, but I didnt expect it. It was a brilliant win, he won easily, and so he should have with the trip he got, Green told Trackside TV.

He was doing whatever he had to do, nobody challenged him early. I was expecting some company but it never arrived...

Purdon was chasing back-to-back cup wins with Self Assured which won in 2020 after Copy That was involved a tangle at the standing start.

This time Copy That shot out as the tapes flew and Orange had the four-year-old sired by American Ideal in front before the winning post the first time.

Orange stepped up the pace at the bell as Self Assured roared forward three-wide, and remained in control down the straight as it never looked like being headed.

It was Oranges second cup win as a driver, after Cruz Bromac in 2019.

Trevor Casey holds up the NZ Cup on behalf of owners Mel and Meg Butterworth, with Copy That and winning driver Blair Orange.

These are races we all target and love to win, its just such a shame the owners and Ray and his team cant be here. Im sure theyre enjoying it somewhere, Orange said.

Purdon was chasing a seventh win in the cup as a driver, which would have equalled Ricky Mays record.

Remarkably, Purdon had already driven six winners on the undercard on Tuesday, five of them trained in partnership with Hayden Cullen.

That included two group one support races: Oscar Bonavena in the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All and Franco Indie in the Sires Stakes Final for three-year-olds.

The latter was a red-hot favourite at $1.40 and held off a late finish from Purdon-Cullen stablemate Franco Mac, driven by Purdons partner Natalie Rasmussen.

Cup day opened just after midday amid eerie scenes, with no members of the public allowed on course at Addington for the first time in the races 117-year history.

Covid-19 alert level 2 restrictions saw the club make the difficult decision last month to close the race day to all except owners, members, corporate partners and workers.

It meant instead of the usual crowd of 20,000 crammed into every vantage point, the main lawn in the home straight was deserted as the horses thundered to the finish with punters watching on television.

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New Zealand Trotting Cup: Copy That topples favourite Self Assured at Addington - Stuff.co.nz

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The New Zealand Government has said that it has always welcomed nations willing to abide by the rules of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said via a written statement to CNA that New Zealand has always supported including economies willing to meet the high standards of the CPTPP. After Taiwan submits its application, the next step is for member states to decide whether to officially invite it into the trade partnership.

After Taiwan filed its CPTPP application on Sept. 22, the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei also issued a statement declaring that Singapore welcomes all parties willing and capable of meeting the high standards of CPTPP, per CNA.

The Singapore Trade Office said that once CPTPP member states reach a consensus, an applicant can finally join. Additionally, any country intending to join must conduct bilateral consultations with all current members to resolve any concerns and persuade member states that it meets all the criteria for joining the trade agreement.

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New Zealand supports Taiwan's inclusion in CPTPP - Taiwan News

The World Health Organization has warned there could be shortfall of up to two billion syringes in 2022, which threatens to hamper vaccine efforts globally if production does not improve.

The shortages are the result of Covid-19 vaccine campaigns, with billions more syringes than normal being used worldwide, badly denting global supplies.

Lisa Hedman, the WHO's senior advisor on access to medicines and health products, said as the supply of Covid-19 vaccine doses increases, the supply of syringes needs to keep pace.

"We are raising the real concern that we could have a shortage of immunisation syringes, which would in turn lead to serious problems, such as slowing down immunisation efforts," she told reporters.

"Depending on how the vaccine uptake goes, it could be a deficit of anywhere from one billion to two billion."

More than 7.25 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally, according to an AFP tally.

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That's nearly double the number of routine vaccinations given per year - and twice the number of syringes required.

Ms Hedman said one serious result of a shortage could be delays in routine vaccinations, which could have a public health impact "for years to come" if a generation of youngsters miss out on normal childhood vaccinations.

Shortages could also lead to the unsafe practice of reusing syringes and needles.

Hedman said any constraint on syringe supply could only be worsened by export restrictions and transportation problems.

She urged countries to plan syringe needs well in advance to avoid hoarding and panic buying situations.

Ms Hedman said "efforts are being made to reduce that risk to zero in terms of the actual number that we could be short".

Thousands protest over Covid restrictions in New Zealand

Thousands of demonstrators marched on the New Zealand parliament to protest against Covid-19 restrictions, prompting a major police deployment at the Wellington building known as the Beehive.

About 3,000 people, most not wearing masks, made their way through the capital's city centre, including dozens of motorcyclists in biker gang regalia performing burnouts.

Some attendees carried "Trump 2020" flags, while others bore signs carrying messages from Maori groups, those impacted by lockdowns, and teachers who face losing their jobs if they refuse vaccination.

Others targeted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with slogans such as "Pro Choice, Anti Jacinda", with "Media Lies" and "Media Treason" also prominent.

The protest was peaceful, with demonstrators dispersing after performing a massed haka on the grounds of parliament. The traditional Maori haka is used in a variety of ways - to intimidate rivals, to celebrate, but also to mourn.

Police said there were no arrests in Wellington, although they expressed disappointment over so many participants flouting coronavirus restrictions.

They said one officer was bitten at a separate small protest just outside Auckland when police were physically removing a demonstrator from the road.

Ms Ardern said most New Zealanders supported her government's virus response, citing figures showing almost 90% of the population had received their first vaccination dose.

"What we saw today was not representative of the vast bulk of New Zealanders," she told reporters.

Her government has adopted a tough Covid-19 response, including hard lockdowns and tight border restrictions, which has seen New Zealand record only 31 virus deaths in a population of five million.

Residents of the country's largest city, Auckland, have been subject to stay-at-home orders since mid-August and Ms Ardern this week indicated the restrictions would remain until the end of November.

She has promised to introduce more freedoms, including an end to lockdowns, once 90% of the population is fully vaccinated.

However, those who remain unvaccinated will still face curbs on their employment, travel and entertainment options.

Chinese city offers cash for clues in Covid 'people's war'

A Covid-hit Chinese city is offering thousands of dollars for anyone giving clues in tracing the source of its latest outbreak, as part of a "people's war" to stamp out one of the country's largest resurgences in months.

China reported 43 local cases today in a Delta-driven surge that has fanned out to 20 provinces and regions, keeping new case numbers in the double-digits over the past three weeks.

As more countries lift Covid measures, Beijing officials have stuck stubbornly to a zero-Covid strategy that has maintained low infection numbers due to strict border closures, targeted lockdowns and long quarantines.

But the current outbreak has hit more than 40 cities, and officials in Heihe - a northern city on the border with Russia - said they would offer 100,000 yuan (13,390) as a reward for information.

"In order to uncover the source of this virus outbreak as soon as possible and find out the chain of transmission, it is necessary to wage a people's war of epidemic prevention and control," the city government said in a notice.

Officials said cases of smuggling, illegal hunting and cross-border fishing should be reported immediately, adding that those who have bought imported goods online ought to "immediately sterilise" them and send them for tests.

The latest wave has seen millions put under lockdown and domestic travel rules tightened, with many planes and trains cancelled.

A cluster in central Henan province has been linked to schools, as health authorities urged more rapid vaccination of children.

Over 3.5 million vaccine doses have been given to children aged between three and 11, according to official data.

The country has five conditionally approved vaccines, but their published efficacy rates - varying between around 50 and 82% - lag behind rival jabs from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

The official Xinhua news agency has lashed out against critics of China's approach, saying "strict containment measures are still the best way to save lives" and calling Beijing's efforts "unquestionable".

Global Covid infections pass 250 million - AFP

More than 250 million Covid-19 infections have been recorded worldwide since the start of the pandemic, according to an AFP count compiled from official reports at 9pm last night.

Globally, more than five million deaths from Covid-19 have been recorded so far, but the vast majority of those infected have recovered. Some, however, have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later.

The figures are based on daily reports provided by health authorities in each country.

A significant proportion of the less severe or asymptomatic cases remain undetected despite increased screening in many countries since the start of the pandemic. In addition, testing policies differ from country to country.

Europe is the region with the highest number of infections, registering more than 76 million Covid-19 cases since the start of the outbreak in China in December 2019.

Asia is the second most affected with 56,201,653 cases, followed by the United States and Canada (48,290,522 infections) and Latin America and the Caribbean (46,107,131).

The number of new cases around the world has been slowly increasing over the past few weeks.

Nearly 449,000 new daily infections have been recorded on average over the past seven days, against just over 400,000 in mid-October.

Of the new infections recorded worldwide, more than 60% are in Europe, which has seen an average of 279,000 cases a day over the past seven days.

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WHO warns of massive syringe shortfall in 2022 - RTE.ie

Not too many teams will put Japan to the (samurai) sword the way Ireland did on Saturday afternoon.

The cohesion of Andy Farrell's troops was in full view after a couple of weeks together in camp. They treated the supporters at the Aviva to a free-flowing, progressive, attacking performance.

Japan werent at their usual exciting best, which would happen to any team that throw away five of their own lineouts, while losing out on three other potential set pieces by not finding touch from a penalty kick. Most teams with that kind of return from their set piece would find it hard to get a foothold on the game.

And thats what happened, Japan had little possession and territory in the first half, while Sexton marshalled his players into great attacking positions to put the fixture to bed at half-time on his 100th appearance.

Its not to take away from the Irish performance, this is a Japanese team that we felt would challenge Ireland and potentially cause an upset, or at the very least make it a frustrating test match for the home side, ahead of the visit of the All Blacks next Saturday afternoon.

The excitement and willingness to play was evident from the hosts after a sloppy opening two minutes. Ireland clearly worked on clearing the inside channels early, using one of their pods of three forwards as a decoy, while sweeping the pass out the back to Sexton who regularly ran into the pocket of space and played Josh Van Der Flier and the barnstorming Tadgh Furlong into holes down the middle of the pitch.

James Lowe offered his pace and power in these positions in the Irish half as well and had a handful of line breaks out of defence. It all looked a bit easy for Ireland if were being honest. It was a noticeable move away from the kick exits that weve become used to. Ireland were either conscious of not giving the Japanese attacking game plan the possession to play, or the big focus was on developing their own attacking game plan.

The Irish centre partnership was in fine form too. The return of Bundee Aki made a huge impact in the middle of the pitch, with some subtlety and fantastic decision making from Ringrose on both sides of the ball, it was always going to be challenging for Japan. It only took a few minutes for them to dictate the flow of the game.

Ringrose worked hard to get around the corner from a Gibson-Park pass, which caused the Japanese defender to stutter. Aki went through the hole, feeding Conan and Lowe scored in the corner. Lowe couldnt have asked for a better start to bring back the confidence that his play is synonymous with.

Gary Ringrose has huge rugby intelligence. He looks like he has more time to make decisions than others on the pitch. He regularly poked out of defence in a controlled manner to spook the Japanese attackers and pushed them back into where Ireland were strong. He also understands the attacking game well and opens spaces for others. He assisted Jamison Gibson-Park with an offload after carrying the ball through a quickly set ruck.

Anything Andrew Conway touched turned to gold and he finished off a hat-trick of tries late in the game, but he was doing a lot of the dirty work, winning possession in the air several times on the right flank and chasing every kick as if the fixture depended on him alone. He got the reward he deserved in the 73rd minute to finish off a day that will be hard to forget.

However, it wasnt all smooth sailing for Ireland either. There were a few mistakes early in the game and a top 3 team wouldnt have let them find their flow into the match. They may have been chasing a lead at that stage, had it been a more ruthless opposition with a stronger set piece. They certainly wouldnt have been afforded such easy territory and the same amount of possession.

When you think about it, Ireland were preparing for this game for two weeks. They looked as if they had something figured out with the Japanese defence, causing them to hit in from the outside by sweeping the pass into midfield from the edge of the pitch, through their forwards hands and Sexton delivered blow after blow to get Ireland on the front foot.

It showed as well when Keenan was able to catch and pass on the edge to put Conway over for a score. It was almost as if he knew the kind of pressure that Japan closed with on the edges in defence.

Japan had already lined out against Australia, which gave the Irish team something to analyse. Ireland hadnt played yet so Japan would have been making an educated guess, based on the way Ireland set up with a weakened team during the summer and during the last 6 Nations.

Andy Farrell's side will now have a much shorter turnaround before facing a much bigger task in taking on the All Blacks. With only the bare week between games, their preparation will have to be a lot different. They will need to review their performance against Japan very early in the week, they may have even done it straight away on Sunday to have a fresh start at previewing the All Blacks for the week.

Even in the week of training, some of the session must be spent reviewing or correcting some plays from the week before, whether it is their breakdown accuracy, set pieces or general flow in attack, but the time spent in training either has to double up as a review and preview or else youre wasting time in preparation for the team that is coming next.

The All Blacks had the luxury of resting a few guys who are likely to be involved this coming weekend in Dublin. The likes of Perenara and Beaudan Barrett might have had a bit more time to prepare in the background for the Irish game and they rested some of their forward pack to be fresh for the challenge in Dublin.

The All Blacks will remember losing in Dublin during their last visit and will no doubt use it in the week ahead. For Irish rugby, I hope for their own sake that they can back up last weekends surprise 55-point win with another positive showing. They dont need to win the game, but a positive performance is much needed.

It doesnt take much for the Irish public to jump down the throats of Irish rugby. Whether its ticket prices, the colour of the jersey, the provincial split or the age of their players, the players have been criticised quite heavily since the last disappointing World Cup display.

To win back the fringe supporters and to keep building their confidence and momentum, its imperative that Ireland put it up to the All Blacks, and our more experienced players need to drive the standards even higher

Follow Ireland's November internationals v New Zealand and Argentina via our live blogs on RT.ie/sport or the RT News app, or watch live on RT2 and RT Player. Live commentary on RT Radio 1.

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Experienced heads need to drive it against New Zealand - RTE.ie

The Warriors will play their first game in New Zealand next year against the Panthers on June 18.

The NRL released the draw for next season on Tuesday and the Warriors have been confirmed for five games at Mt Smart Stadium, all over the back end of the season.

The Warriors other games in Auckland are against Wests Tigers on July 3, the Storm on July 29, the Bulldogs on August 12 and they will be home for the final round of the season, hosting the Titans on September 3.

Their campaign begins with a home game against the Dragons at Sunshine Coast Stadium on March 12. They will play five other home games at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe, while on May 14 will play against the Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium for Magic Round.

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The Warriors last NRL game in New Zealand was the 31-10 loss to the Rabbitohs on August 30, 2019. However, they did play a trial against the Storm in Palmerston North in February 2020, just a few weeks before Australia and New Zealand went into lockdown.

The Warriors will base themselves in Redcliffe, northern Brisbane, next season and plan to make hit and run trips to New Zealand for games.

Marc Shannon/Phototek

The Warriors will at last be able to call Mt Smart Stadium home next year.

Under the current border restrictions, NRL games wouldnt be possible in New Zealand, but the NRL have done the draw in the hope that by June, those restrictions will have eased and travel across the Tasman will be back to normal, especially for those vaccinated.

Warriors CEO Cameron George said hes looking forward to the team playing in New Zealand again next year.

It was always our plan and hopefully we can get back and play, George said.

Its exciting for the fans and just as important, the players, to go back to our home and play.

So fingers crossed everything works out and we can make it happen.

The Warriors had been planning to play against the Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium this year, but that all went out of the window when Australian states and New Zealand went into a second wave of lockdowns.

Now that next years draw is out, George said theyll start putting plans in place for their members, fans and sponsors.

Weve got meetings starting today regarding what those plans will look like, George said.

Until we got the draw, we didnt really know the exact dates or rounds that we could go back to Mt Smart. But now weve got that, well make some announcements over the next week for our members and what this means, but its very exciting for everyone.

The Panthers game is sure to be a sell out, with the league fans desperate to see the team play again on home soil for the first time in 1023 days.

But George wants the Warriors to be flying high on the ladder when they come to New Zealand to host the reigning Premiers.

We need to start the season well, but it will be good to play first [in Auckland] against a team in New Zealand thats coached by Ivan Cleary and Andrew Webster, two former Warriors staff, he said.

We want to be up the top of the ladder at the start of the season, but this is going to be a big game and we want to go to Auckland with a good number of successful games under our belts.

I want to make sure we go home and put a big show on for our fans, but first and foremost weve got to train hard over the preseason and start the season well.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Government has announced unvaccinated people wont be able to enter sporting venues once 80 per cent of the state is double jabbed.

That milestone is expected to be reached on December 17, which will mean unvaccinated athletes wont be able to enter any stadium where NRL is played.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says 95 per cent of players are vaccinated and at some clubs everyone is jabbed.

Any Warriors player that isnt vaccinated wouldnt be able to play games in Queensland or against the Storm in Melbourne and it would seem unlikely theyd also be allowed to travel across the Tasman for games in New Zealand.

AT A GLANCE

WARRIORS 2022 NRL DRAW

(Local kick-off times listed)

1 Sat March 12 4.30pm v Dragons, Sunshine Coast Stadium, Bokina

2 Sat March 19 2.00pm v Titans, Cbus Super Stadium, Robina

3 Fri March 25 6.00pm v Wests Tigers, Campbelltown Stadium, Campbelltown

4 Sat April 2 2.00pm v Broncos, Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe

5 Fri April 8 6.00pm v Cowboys, Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe

6 Sun April 17 2.00pm v Roosters, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

7 Mon April 25 7.00pm v Storm, AAMI Park, Melbourne

8 Sat April 30 3.00pm v Raiders, Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe

9 Sun May 8 4.05pm v Sharks, PointsBet Stadium, Cronulla

10 Sat May 14 3.00pm v Rabbitohs, Suncorp Stadium (Magic Round)

11 Sat May 21 3.00pm v Dragons, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah

12 Sat May 28 3.00pm v Knights, Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe

13 Sat Jun 4 7.35pm v Sea Eagles, 4 Pines Park, Manly

14 Sun June 12 6.15pm v Sharks, Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe

15 Sat June 18 7.30pm v Panthers, Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

16 Sun July 3 4.00pm v Wests Tigers, Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

17 Bye

18 Fri July 15 7.55pm v Eels, Commonwealth Bank Stadium, Parramatta

19 Sat July 23 3.00pm v Raiders, GIO Stadium, Canberra

20 Fri July 29 8.00pm v Storm, Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

21 Sat August 6 3.00pm v Rabbitohs, Sunshine Coast Stadium, Bokina

22 Fri August 12 8.00pm v Bulldogs, Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

23 Fri August 19 6.00pm v Cowboys, QCB Stadium, Townsville

24 Fri August 26 6.00pm v Panthers, BlueBet Stadium, Penrith

25 Sat Sept 3 5.00pm v Titans, Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland

Original post:

Warriors confirmed for five NRL games in New Zealand in 2022 - Stuff.co.nz

New Zealand set world records for the most test points and tries scored in a calendar year as a second-string All Blacks team crossed the line seven times in a 47-9 win over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Ian Foster's side, who play Ireland next weekend, have scored 96 tries in 2021, breaking Argentinas record of 92 set in 2003, while their total points tally now stands at 675, eclipsing South Africas 658-point haul from 2007.

Finlay Christie crossed first before man of the match Dane Coles scored twice in an error-strewn first-half performance from the visitors.

Paolo Garbisis boot kept the Azzurri in touch until the All Blacks pulled clear in the final quarter, when Sevu Reece crossed and replacement hooker Asafo Aumua scored twice, either side of a Hoskins Sotutu try.

Former All Black Kieran Crowley was making his debut as Italy head coach, while his New Zealand counterpart Foster named a new line-up after last weeks 54-16 win in Wales.

The lack of continuity showed in an error-plagued opening quarter as the All Blacks made nine handling errors and conceded six penalties in 20 minutes, but Italy could not punish them as they opted to send two kickable penalties to the corner without reward.

New Zealand broke through after 28 minutes when they dominated a five-metre Italian scrum and replacement scrumhalf Christie, on for the injured Brad Weber, stretched over the line.

Dane Coles extended their advantage three minutes later, charging over from the back of a driving line out.

The hooker repeated the trick a second time before halftime between two Garbisi penalties, with Richie Mounga adding the extras from the tee for a third time, as the All Blacks went in 21-6 up at the break.

Garbisi reduced the deficit to 12 points as the clock approached the hour mark, but New Zealand pulled away as their replacements provided fresh impetus.

A clever Ofa Tuungafasi offload sent Christie clear into the Italian 22, and he offloaded to Reece who sprinted over the line.

Italys resistance crumbled when Aumua scored his first try from the back of a maul and George Bridge broke the line to set up Sotutu for a simple finish in the space of two minutes.

Aumua got his second of the day with four minutes left on the clock as the All Blacks recorded a third straight win of their autumn tour ahead of the remaining Tests against Ireland and France.

Read the original here:

New Zealand romp to record-breaking win over Italy - RTE.ie