RUGBYYour FREE guide to the 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP JAPAN 20 SEPTEMBER–2 NOVEMBER 2019 oliverlee.co.nz FRONT ROW CLASH $89.99 Limited time. Spark Sport account required. Compatible devices only. Terms apply. TM © Rugby World Cup Limited 2015. All rights reserved. SPP0071 Rugby Magazine DPS_410x275mm.indd 1 4/09/19 10:57 AM FRONT ROW CLASH $89.99 Limited time. Spark Sport account required. Compatible devices only. Terms apply. TM © Rugby World Cup Limited 2015. All rights reserved. SPP0071 Rugby Magazine DPS_410x275mm.indd 1 4/09/19 10:57 AM WE WANT YOU What do you love doing most? Helping people, having an active lifestyle or leading a team? How about sports, travel, adventure, fi xing stu , or learning about technology? Whatever you’re into, there’s a role in the New Zealand Defence Force to suit. Match your passion at mypurpose.mil.nz, search NZDF Defence Careers on Facebook or call 0800 1 FORCE now. RUGBY2019 CONTENTS RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019: TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL B 6 TOURNAMENT REVIEW 30 Get to grips with the teams from A preview of the upcoming South Africa and Italy. tournament and the factors likely to predict success. TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL B RUGBY WORLD CUP 1987. MANAGING EDITOR: 33 See how Namibia and Canada have Oliver Lee ALL BLACKS CAPTAIN: been preparing for the tournament. 9 KIERAN READ EDITOR: From humble beginnings to All Blacks TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL C Peter White captain at the Rugby World Cup. 34 Both England and France have the Webb Ellis Cup in their sights. SUB-EDITOR: RUGBY WORLD CUP VENUES Elise McDowell 10 Facts and figures on the 12 stadiums TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL C where 48 Rugby World Cup games 37 Assess the Rugby World Cup PAGINATION: will be played. fortunes of the teams from HNZL Limited Argentina and the USA. FACTS AND FIGURES COVER: 12 Will this year’s Rugby World Cup TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL C ONTIME Associates improve on any of these statistics? 38 A preview of how the Tongan team RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011. is tracking. PHOTOGRAPHY: ALL BLACKS PROFILES 17 We profile the 31 All Blacks photosport.nz TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL D Getty Images selected to play for New Zealand 39 Are Australia likely to reach the @World Rugby at Rugby World Cup 2019. Rugby World Cup final? TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL A TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL D PRINTER: 23 A preview of the teams from Ireland Ovato Auckland 41 Have a look at the teams from and Scotland. Wales and Georgia. PUBLISHER: ALL BLACKS POSTER TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL D 24 Get ready to support the All Blacks 42 Fiji and Uruguay round-off the for Rugby World Cup 2019. team previews. Box 331-667, Takapuna, TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL A RUGBY WORLD CUP: RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015. 26 Get to know the teams from Japan Auckland 0740, 44 2019 MATCH SCHEDULE and Russia. New Zealand Your complete timetable to the T: 09 486 6966 TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL A 48 Rugby World Cup games. E: [email protected] 28 A look at Samoa’s squad and build-up to the tournament. KNOW A LOT ABOUT W: oliverlee.co.nz 46 RUGBY WORLD CUPS? TEAM PREVIEWS: POOL B Take this quiz and see if your 29 How are the All Blacks looking ahead knowledge of tournaments past of the Rugby World Cup? is up-to-scratch. NOTE: The TAB odds quoted throughout the magazine were correct on 4 September 2019. ISSN 2463-7041 (Print) COPYRIGHT: Reproduction in whole or in part by any means is prohibited. DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed ISSN 2463-705X (Online) in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any loss due to use of material in this magazine. WINNER 2019? the All Blacks managed to beat France 8–7 in the final to earn RUGBY WORLD CUP their second title. Four years ago in England, the All Blacks were far more dominant and thoroughly deserved their 34–17 victory over SET TO SPARKLE Australia in the final to claim title number three. Now attention falls on Japan. The 2019 Rugby World Cup is likely IN JAPAN to be the most difficult of all the tournaments since 1987 to by PETER WHITE pick a winner. Gone is the dominance of the All Blacks. Ireland, South Africa When organisers put together the hastily and Australia have all enjoyed victories over the world arranged opening ceremony for the 1987 champions in recent seasons. If a changing of the guard has happened in world rugby, it may be as much psychological as Rugby World Cup held in Auckland, no one anything else. could have envisaged just how quickly the The days when teams used to nervously front the All Blacks tournament would take hold. traditional pre-game haka are long gone. If the weather is kind in Japan at the knock-out stages, then Now we are awaiting the ninth version of Rugby World Cup, the ability to score points from long-range counter attacks which is being held in Japan over a seven-week period and will may well be the key factor in who wins this Rugby World Cup. attract the most coverage of a global sporting event behind the summer Olympics and the Football World Cup. The All Blacks have trialled playing champion first-five and 2016 and 2017 World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett New Zealand won that first event in 1987 after defeating France at fullback with this very factor in mind. in the final but any thoughts the All Blacks would have a mortgage on winning the golden Webb Ellis Cup were quickly dispelled. In Richie Mo’unga they have a younger first-five with an arsenal of world-class skills, so they can afford to make the switch. Australia (1991 and 1999) and South Africa (1995 and 2007) have won two tournaments each with England triumphant in Australia The introduction of new wingers George Bridge and Sevu in 2003. Reece against Australia in Auckland last month, at the expense of Rieko Ioane and Ben Smith who are both wonderful players, The pressure was ramped up on the perennial world number- was to generate more explosive speed. one team when Rugby World Cup returned to New Zealand in 2011. In what could hardly be called a convincing performance, “You need gas out wide,” as so famously said by former All Black Earle Kirton, and he is right. With top-class forward packs generally having parity at set pieces, it is the ability of teams to score tries from anywhere that wins matches. Playing Barrett and Mo’unga also gives the All Blacks two world- class goal-kickers on the pitch together, a luxury none of the other top six teams are likely to have. In such a closely contested tournament the importance of kicking goals is paramount. If not the All Blacks, then who wins? The TAB has England and South Africa as second-equal favourites, while Ireland, Wales and Australia fill the remaining top six positions. That is probably about right on form over the last 12 months. Fans of Six Nations’ powerhouses Wales, Ireland and England certainly have reason to believe that a Northern Hemisphere team may finally break the All Blacks’ winning sequence. What is certain is that Japan will run the most well-organised sporting event in living memory. The impact on the growing sport of rugby in the country will be immense with the positive increase in playing numbers likely to be seen for many years to come. It should be an unforgettable experience ahead. RICHIE McCAW holds aloft the Webb Ellis Cup after the 2015 final. 6 www.rugbyworldcup.com Driving the All Blacks for 25 years. ford.co.nz The Driving Force behind the All Blacks. FOR5811 All Blacks 275x205mm Ad.indd 1 29/08/19 12:12 PM OUR No.8 WILL ALWAYS BE No.1 When it comes to team players, Kieran Read is up there with the best. Whether he’s wearing the legendary black jersey or his Plumbing World T-shirt, he always gives 110%. So before you head off, Kieran, we just want to say thanks - we’re super proud of you. From your other team in black. So it was no easy task for a man like Read who at first was uneasy in the glare of FROM HUMBLE television cameras. But he has blossom- ed into a clear, precise speaker and one BEGINNINGS who can be relied on to give honest reactions in his post-match interviews. EMERGED A Read is also not one to shy away from important issues. He has used his status GREAT LEADER to support important causes such as men’s mental health. Kieran Read wants to finish On his Facebook page he posted a message his All Blacks career on a that has been shared widely to help en- courage men to open up about issues they high. by PETER WHITE may be going through. Kieran Read will lead the All Blacks in Japan “If only men weren’t so reluctant to talk in pursuit of a record third-consecutive to a good mate or family when they’re Rugby World Cup title. going through tough times. We certainly need to out on the paddock when things The 33-year-old No 8 typifies everything aren’t going so well, so the same rules New Zealanders like about their sports should apply off the field. C’mon men stars – being uncompromising, fearless, let’s start talking when times get tough.” humble, respectful of others and with good family values.