A balmy Sunday afternoon set the scene at Eden Park, only for the Blues and Western Force to dish up an underwhelming spectacle not befitting the summery vibes.
The 48-year-old was appointed following a robust interview process and will announce further key appointments to his coaching and management team in coming months before officially taking up his new role following the conclusion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
All Blacks and Crusaders prop Fletcher Newell will miss the rest of the Super Rugby Pacific season after requiring surgery for a toe injury sustained during the first-round clash against the Chiefs.
France kept alive its chances of retaining the Six Nations rugby title after a record, seven-try 53-10 humiliation of England at Twickenham fueled by two tries apiece by Damian Penaud, Thibaud Flament and Charles Ollivon this morning.
The Blues have recovered from last week’s loss to reestablish their place in the Super Rugby hierarchy, barely hanging on to beat the Hurricanes tonight.
All Blacks and Blues loose forward Akira Ioane will remain sidelined for at least another two weeks after suffering a medial ligament injury in Super Rugby Pacific’s opening round.
Steve Borthwick is expected to take the seismic decision to drop England captain Owen Farrell from the side to face France at Twickenham on Sunday, the first time the skipper has been omitted from a major test match on form since 2015.