Rumours are starting to fly that former All Black Carl Hayman is wanting to return to New Zealand to play his rugby, after departing for Newcastle at the end of last year.

Hayman has been out of action in the English Premiership for the last month due to injury, and has been spending his time here in New Zealand - and it seems he's been bitten by the New Zealand bug, and a return down under may not be too far away.

At this stage it's all rumours, so no one really knows where he plans to play over the next year or two. But if he is indeed planning to return to New Zealand it's great news for the All Blacks, and New Zealand rugby in general.

Hayman is without doubt the best prop in the game at the moment, and while the All Blacks have been able to continue their dominance in the front row, having a guy like Hayman available would be an added bonus for Henry's team. Front rowers around the world will be hoping he stays put in Newcastle, because there wouldn't be many who would want to face up against Hayman, Hore and Woodcock. New Zealand fans, on the other hand, will be praying the rumours turn into a reality.

Unfortunately for Otago fans (that's you, Israel) Hayman is reportedly interested in making a switch to Taranaki (obviously due to his fondness for farming), which of course would make him available for the Hurricanes.

Whether or not he moves to Taranaki or Otago the most important thing is that he does come home, because the All Blacks are a far better team with guys like Hayman involved.

The All Blacks will face their old World Cup nemesis, France, in pool play at the 2011 World Cup held here in New Zealand. It's no secret that the All Blacks don't have the best track record against France at the World Cup (although lets not forget we beat them in the final in 1987), but All Blacks fans can take comfort in the fact that the top two placed sides in each Pool will advance. So, even if we succumb to the French again, we're unlikely to lose to the Tongans, or one of the other two minnows yet to be named.

England, Argentina and Scotland make up the heavyweights in Pool B, and the two winners from this group will face either the All Blacks or France, depending on results. Based on last year's World Cup, Argentina must be considered the top dog in Pool B, especially when you consider England's poor form - although there's still a long way to go before 2011, so we might just be getting ahead of ourselves.

Australia will face Ireland and Italy in Pool C, while the Springboks will look to defend the 2007 title against Wales and Fiji in Pool D. The rest of the nations are yet to sort themselves out, but at this stage it looks like Canada and Japan will join Pool A, Romania and a play-off winner (most likely Portugal) in Pool B, Georgia and the USA in Pool C, and Samoa and Namibia in Pool D - these predictions are based on the teams playing in the 2007 World Cup, though, so the actual teams may vary.

The All Blacks may be known for choking at World Cups, but this time we'll be on home soil where we have a brilliant record - only losing to South Africa in Dunedin after an unbeaten record spanning the last few years.

Let's just say, we're already quietly optimistic...

It's been a fantastic year for the All Blacks, as they have looked to erase the memories of last years early exit from the World Cup.

And erase them they have.

Out of the fifteen games they've played (14 Tests and the game against Munster) they've won thirteen, which is an impressive result for a team that many people thought would struggle after Graham Henry was re-appointed as coach.

Henry, along with Steve Hanson and Wayne Smith, has moulded this All Blacks side into a very well drilled unit, and they've built up a squad capable of going through to the 2011 World Cup. Henry may have had his doubters, but no one can argue with the results he's helped produce on the field. The best thing about the way he's run this team is that he's abandoned his rotation policy, which was undoubtedly one of the main causes for the poor showing at the World Cup. Players are benefiting from regular game time, rather than being switched out every other week. We want to congratulate Henry, Smith and Hanson on their efforts this year - and it's nice to see that Smith has decided to stay on with the All Blacks, instead of taking the Ospreys job.

The only concern with this team is the lack of a genuine back-up for Richie McCaw and Dan Carter. Adam Thomson and Scott Waldrom are the two contenders as McCaw's understudy, but still have a long way to go before they're close to his level. They need more game time at the highest level, but it's not that easy to take McCaw off when he's such a vital part of the team. Stephen Donald has shown glimpses of brilliance, but was shown up for his lack of experience in the game against Munster. He too needs more time, but we feel he can get better over the next year.

Other than that, we feel the All Blacks are looking unstoppable right now - and that should be a worrying sign for all opposition.

Best Performance: vs Australia, Auckland 02/08/08: Only a week earlier they had put in their worst performance of the year, and many people thought the Wallabies would be too good in this Test. But the All Blacks were absolutely outstanding, and never looked like letting Australia into the game. Their kicking was spot on, and they attacked the Wallabies' lineouts causing many turnovers. The final score was 39-10, and most importantly it was the moment the All Blacks turned the corner and began to look unbeatable.

Worst Performance: vs Australia, Sydney 26/07/08: This was a shocking effort by the boys, who had gone down to the Springboks the week before. Australia weren't necessarily brilliant - rather, the All Blacks were bad, and thoroughly deserved to lose this one. Passes weren't sticking, and there were far too many turnovers - which the Wallabies were able to capitalise on. Not a game we remember fondly...

Newcomer of the Year: Richard Kahui: Many were surprised by his selection at the beginning of the year, but after his first Test against England there weren't many doubting him. He has shown he has the strength and speed to play at the highest level, and has put a lot of pressure on Conrad Smith for the center position. He is such a versatile player, and so long as he can remain injury free we expect to see a lot more of Kahui in the years to come.

Comeback of the Year: Ma'a Nonu: This was a hard one to choose when you consider the number of players who have fought their way back into the team. But Nonu has proven that he belongs in the All Blacks, and has cemented his spot at second-five. Many criticised him for being one dimensional, but this year he has developed his game to where he passes a lot more - which has made him a far tougher player than he was when he just ran it all the time. He may not be the greatest kicker, but his running game makes up for that by the bucket load. We have to give honourable mentions to Piri Weepu, Jerome Kaino and Isaia Toeava, all of whom have returned to the form we knew they were capable of.

Player of the Year: Mils Muliana: Another tough call, and we could quite easily have gone with McCaw or Carter - but we think this has been a standout year for Muliaina. He has developed his running game, and has shown many times throughout the year that he is a real handful on attack. He was as solid as a rock on defence, and very reliable at fullback under the high ball. Muliaina often gets overlooked for the likes of Carter and McCaw, but we certainly wouldn't be as good if he wasn't there. We really think he has been the standout of the All Blacks in 2008.

Now the countdown can begin until the 2009 All Black season begins - only 195 days to go.

The All Blacks have capped of their Grand Slam Tour in style, beating England 32-6 in what was another game of two different halves. The win gives them their third Grand Slam title, and ends the year in the best possible fashion.

England came out strong, just as Scotland, Ireland and Wales did, and just like those three England kept in the hunt in what was a first half of penalties. England's only downfall was their discipline, which proved costly - four players spent time in the sin bin during the game. That's a total of forty minutes without a player on the field - and at one point they were down to thirteen men. They were constantly infringing at the ruck, which left referee Alain Rolland with little option but to go to the yellow card.

The first half was dominated by penalties, and the game never really got into third gear - but with the All Black's recent efforts in the second half, you just got the feeling they would blow England off the park in that part of the game. And that's exactly what they did, running in three impressive trys, and most importantly keeping England from crossing the line.

The only consolation for England is that they were the only team to score against the All Blacks in the second fourty - although it was only one measly penalty.

The All Blacks looked as sharp as they have all year, and the second try to Mils Muliaina was something truly special. Dan Carter put in a little kick across the field, straight into the arms of Muliaina who ran away to score his second of the night. Ma'a Nonu scored the last try, which really caps off a fantastic year for him - he's fought back well to secure his spot in the team, after struggling to cement his place in recent years.

Aside from Carter's shots at goal, which were unusually bad, this was the best possible finish to the year. The All Blacks have won thirteen out of their fifteen games, and only dropped Tests to South Africa and Australia.

Australia, on the other hand, have not finished in the same impressive style, going down 21-18 to Wales - who managed to hold off a late run by the Wallabies. After all the talk about how Robbie Deans was going to be the saviour of Australian rugby, it's going to be interesting to see how they react to their year under Deans - which has been unspectacular, to say the least.

We said earlier in the year that it would take some time for Deans to start improving the Wallabies given their lack of depth in key positions, but the Australians have never been the most patient bunch when it comes to unsuccessful teams - and we can't wait to see what transpires over the next few months. We think he'll be safe for now, but he'll have to start showing some forward momentum next year or Deans may find himself on the growing pile of scraped Aussie coaches.

It's unfortunate that this is the end of the rugby year for us here in New Zealand - although it's not too long a wait for the Super 14 to begin next February. Stay tuned for our review of the 'year that was' for New Zealand rugby in the days to come.

For now, though, we can bask in the success of the All Blacks - and turn on the cricket.

The All Blacks proved too strong in the second half, as they defeated the Welsh 29-9 at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday. It's the fifth game of the end of year tour that the All Blacks have gone without having any points scored against them in the second fourty, which is an outstanding effort when you consider the caliber of teams they've faced.

Wales came out strong, much the same as Ireland did, but just couldn't match the All Black's intensity in the second half. They looked to attack early on, and led 9-6 at half time through the boot of Stephen Jones, but once the second half began they looked out of their depth. Their scrum was terrible throughout the game, as Tony Woodcock dominated Adam Jones up front, and without quality ball in the second fourty they never got a chance to get their wingers involved - although when they did they got shut down by the All Black's impressive defence.

The All Blacks completely dominated the second half, and played the game at a high tempo, which ground down the Welsh defence. Ma'a Nonu scored the first try in the second half after a good team drive forward, and some good attacking footy from the backs. Jerome Kaino scored right on full time, after being denied earlier in the game, pushing the All Blacks out to a twenty point win.

The All Blacks have been very good at nullifying the passion these teams bring in the first half, and then shutting them down completely late in the game. It would be good to see them score a few more points in the first half of their games, but it does illustrate the level of intensity that's brought to these Tests early on.

England will be the last stop on their Grand Slam Tour, and the way England has been playing it should be a walk in the park for the All Blacks - although England always save their best for these end of year tour clashes.

The All Blacks will be looking to stamp their authority on this game, and finish the year on a high. And, with rumours spreading that Wayne Smith will be leaving to coach the Welsh club, Ospreys, a solid win will be a good send off for him.

This will be the last game of rugby for the year - here's hoping it's an exciting end to whats been an outstanding year of rugby action.

Graham Henry has once again selected a full strength side for the Grand Slam tour, and this time the Welsh will feel the full force of the All Blacks. The only change from the side that played Ireland last weekend comes at center, where Richard Kahui replaces the injured Conrad Smith. Smith has been suffering from a groin injury for some time now, and will not be risked against Wales.

Kahui has been in outstanding form when given his opportunity's in the black jersey, so the All Blacks won't lose much with Kahui at 13. Many people doubted his selection at the beginning of the year, but the more Kahui plays the better he seems to get.

The only other selection concern comes from Tony Woodcock, who has been bracketed with John Afoa and Neemia Tialata, who could also miss the game due to illness. If Woodcock gets suspended, Afoa will move into the starting lineup, meaning either Ben Franks or Jaime Mackintosh will get a chance on the bench. There could be a possibility that both will get game time if Tialata succumbs to his illness before kickoff.

Both newcomers have a lot to learn at the highest level, but there's no better place to learn than being thrown into the lions den.

Based on the evidence we don't think Woodcock should be suspended (for what looks like a little push to the face rather than a punch), but then again we won't be surprised if the English board comes down hard on him.

Joe Rokocoko is certainly making up for lost time as he plays his third game in seven days, backing up from the clash with Munster on Wednesday. He is back to his best form, and deserves to be considered the best winger in the country at the moment. He makes a point of going hunting for work, and when he gets the ball in hand he poses a real threat for the opposition. Based on the Test against Ireland he also seems to be motivating his cousin, Sivivatu, to start finding the form we know he's capable of - which can't be a bad thing, if both of them are in good form.

Piri Weepu, Corey Flynn and Stephen Donald will also back up from Wednesday, but will start off the bench, while Kieran Read also retains his spot on the bench, alongside Isaia Toeava.

Like the game against Ireland, the All Blacks should be too strong for the Welsh - who were unimpressive against the Canadians last week. We expect them to come out fired up for the first twenty minutes, only to fade as the game goes on. This All Blacks side is one of the best we've seen for a while now, and are well on their way to securing another Grand Slam victory.

Here's the full team:

Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Richard Kahui, Ma'a Nonu, Sitvini Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Neemia Tialata/John Afoa, Kevin Mealamu, Tony Woodcock/John Afoa/Neemia Tialata.

Reserves: Corey Flynn, Anthony Boric, Kieran Read, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava (one to be added).

I spoke to a lot of people before the Test on Sunday morning (NZ time), and I was very surprised at how many people thought the All Blacks were in danger of losing to the Irish. So many people thought that this Irish side was going to be strong enough to out-play our strongest side, and that playing at the famous Croke Park in Dublin would give the Irish all the motivation they needed.

Well, I can honestly say that I was not surprised by what happened during the Test. The first half was always going to be tough, as they always are against the Irish. And if that penalty try had not been given, the scores would have been locked at three all - but I don't think anyone could argue that that wasn't the right call.

The All Blacks always save their best efforts against Ireland for the second half, and this game was no different. Joe Rokocoko set up Nonu for the first try after the break in what was a fantastic move, before Brad Thorn charged over for the second try.

It was inevitable that the All Blacks would push on in the second half, and the Irish would be left wondering what could have been. In all honesty, the All Blacks beat them without even getting out of cruise control - while the Irish never really looked like scoring against the solid defence of the All Blacks.

I like the Irish team, and think they have some really talented players, especially young Luke Fitzgerald - but I still feel they have a long way to go before they can beat the All Blacks. The problem is that they spend far too much time kicking the ball away, and when you're kicking to the likes of Muliaina and Rokocoko, even Sivivatu (who had one of his better games this year), you're always going to be on the back foot - and this Test was no different.

Ireland have the talent to run the ball a lot more, and would pose a greater threat if the did run it, but for some reason when they play the All Blacks they feel the need to kick the ball away - and unfortunately for them, they'll never win with that game plan.

And who ever believed that Ronan O'Gara is a class above Dan Carter? They only need to watch that Test to see the damage Carter can do when he runs the ball. It helps that Carter can tackle, too, while O'Gara is a definite weak point in the Irish defensive line. There are few who even come close to being in Carters league at the moment.

Brad Thorn and Ali Williams had outstanding performances (Williams was named Man of the Match, although I thought Thorn was the stronger of the two), and Ma'a Nonu continued to prove that he is the answer to New Zealand's second-five problem. Rokocoko, too, had a strong performance, and continued to go looking for work rather than staying out on the wing. That seemed to spark Sivivatu into action, as he made some of the strong runs that we've all been waiting for.

The next Test for the All Blacks is against Wales, who shouldn't pose too many issues for the All Blacks. It should be another case of too strong, too fit and too good for the Welsh boys to handle.

But, just before that we've got the game against Munster to look forward to, and it's no surprise that the side named has a few new players getting a run. Scott Waldrom, Jason Eaton and Ben Franks all get their first run of the tour, while Alby Mathewson and Hika Elliot will come off the bench. It's a relatively inexperienced side, but there's still plenty of talent there. Weepu will captain the side, which suggests he'll be rested for the Test against Wales.

Here's the side to play Munster:

Cory Jane, Hosea Gear, Anthony Tuitavake, Isaia Toeava, Joe Rokocoko, Stephen Donald, Piri Weepu (c), Liam Messam, Scott Waldrom, Adam Thomson, Jason Eaton, Ross Filipo, Ben Franks, Corey Flynn, Jaime Mackintosh.

Reserves: Hikawera Elliot, John Afoa, Brad Thorn, Kieran Read, Alby Mathewson, Richard Kahui, Mils Muliaina.

According to one Irish newspaper, the All Black's are the most hated side in rugby - and that the only people that love them are us New Zealanders. We're not sure about where they got their facts from, though, because the All Blacks are known for their wide appeal across the world, especially in the UK. Why else would they get 50,000 people to the game against Scotland?

It certainly wasn't just to watch the Scots.

The Irish may 'apparently' hate us (and chances are they won't like us much after the weekend, either), because they are about to face to the strongest possible All Blacks side - Henry has has chosen a full strength side for the second Test of the Grand Slam tour.

The Irish will definitely prove to be a tougher Test than the one against Scotland, but like the Scots they have yet to taste victory against the mighty All Blacks - and once again the All Blacks should prove to strong.

Mils Muliaina returns to the team after missing the first part of the tour to be at home with his new born son Max. Toeava has done a fantastic job filling in, but when Muliaina is available you pick him - after all he is, in our opinion, the best fullback in the world. Toeava will move to the bench, where he can cover a whole range of positions.

Joe Rokocoko has retained his place on the wing after an impressive return to Test rugby last week. He looked to get involved wherever he could, and it was certainly enough to secure one of the wing births. His cousin Sivivatu will return to the other wing after a week off - maybe the return of Joe can shake Sivivatu up a bit, and help him get back to the form we know he's capable of.

In the forwards Tony Woodcock, Brad Thorn, Rodney So'oialo and Jerome Kaino all make their way back to the team after resting against the Scots. Ali Williams will play his third game on tour, while Richie McCaw and Neemia Tialata return to the starting lineup.

It doesn't get much stronger than this, and the Irish will need to be on top of their game if they want to avoid a thrashing. They did perform well earlier in the year, but this is an All Blacks side that has grown since then, and should prove far too strong. It doesn't help that Ireland have only had a Test against Canada as a warm up to the main event...

This is one game where the Irish will need all the luck they can get.

Here are the full teams:

All Blacks: Mils Muliaina, Joe Rokocoko, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Sitivini Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (C), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Neemia Tialata, Kevin Mealamu, Tony Woodcock.

Reserves: Corey Flynn, John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Kieran Read, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava.

Ireland: Girvan Dempsey, Tommy Bowe, Brian O'Driscoll (C), Luke Fitzgerald, Robert Kearney, Ronan O'Gara, Thomas O'Leary, Jaime Heaslip, David Wallace, Alan Quinlan, Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, John Hayes, Rory Best, Marcus Horan.

Reserves: Jerry Flannery, Tony Buckley, Stephen Ferris, Shane Jennings, Eoin Reddan, Paddy Wallace, Kieth Earls.

There are changes-a-plenty for the All Blacks, as they get ready to face the Scots at Edinburgh this weekend. Only three of the players who started against the Wallabies last Saturday will start this weekend - Isaia Toeava, Ali Williams and Stephen Donald.

Before people start talking about "rotation" again, let's remember that Graham Henry purposely took a large squad so that he could give the new players an opportunity to play at the highest level, and Scotland will definitely be the easier of the four Tests - although that doesn't mean they'll be a walk-over.

Liam Messam and Kieran Read will debut in the loose forwards, while Jaime Mackintosh will make his debut in the front row. All three have earned their spot after consistent rugby over the past year.

The biggest news is that Kevin Mealamu will captain the side for the first time in his long career. With McCaw on the bench and Rodney So'oialo sitting the game out, Mealamu is the most experienced player in the team, and he has experience captaining with the Blues.

Joe Rokocoko makes his long awaited return to the All Blacks after missing virtually the whole year with various injuries. It's going to be interesting to see whether he can continue his good form that he was showing at the end of last season.

Here's the full lineup:

Isaia Toeava, Anthony Tuitavake, Richard Kahui, Ma'a Nonu, Joe Rokocoko, Stephen Donald, Piri Weepu, Liam Meesam, Adam Thomson, Kieran Read, Ali Williams, Antthony Boric, John Afoa, Kevin Mealamu (c), Jaime Mackintosh.

Reserves: Corey Flynn, Neemia Tialata, Ross Filipo, Richie McCaw, Andy Ellis, Dan Carter, Cory Jane.

The All Blacks had to fight hard to beat the Wallabies in Hong Kong on Saturday night, coming back from being 14-6 down to win 19-14 - in what really was a game of two halves.

The Aussies were definitely the better of the two sides in the first half, and didn't look to be affected by the long period off between Tests, whereas the All Blacks started off in less than ideal fashion.

The handling was poor, and there didn't seem to be any cohesion between the players - which seems strange, seeing that most of the players had some game time during the Air New Zealand Cup. The Aussies, on the other hand, were attacking out wide and making inroads against the All Black defensive line - which led to two trys, both scored by Drew Mitchell.

The only thing keeping the All Blacks in the game was the Wallabies poor discipline, which gave Dan Carter three penalty's to bring the score to 14-9 at half time.

However, the first half only got worse for the All Blacks as Andrew Hore went off injured with an ankle injury, forcing him out of the rest of the tour - he'll be replaced by Hika Elliot. This is a huge loss for the All Blacks, as Hore has started in every Test this year, and was putting a big gap between himself and the other hookers.

It's just fortunate that we have a handy backup in Kevin Mealamu - although his lineout throwing can be suspect at times.

The All Blacks got down to business in the second half, and started to play some enterprising rugby, which led to their first try scored by Sivivatu. Their passes started to stick, and they soon began to find holes in the Wallaby line.

Sivivatu had a hand in the second try, too, setting up Richie McCaw to give the All Blacks a 19-14 lead, which they would hold onto for the rest of the game.

The combination of Stephen Donald and Dan Carter did not work as well as it did in Brisbane, and for the first half it basically kept Carter out of the action. Donald was replaced by Ma'a Nonu in the second half, and Carter was back in the number 10 jersey (where he belongs). If they are to try this combination again, they have to put Donald at second five, leaving Carter to weave his magic at number 10.

Isaia Toeava had one of his best games for the All Blacks, and is starting to look more settled at Test level. He made some fantastic runs, including one where he broke through about five or six tackles. It's finally starting to look like Henry's persistence with Toeava is paying off.

The Wallabies will be disappointed that they couldn't push on in the second half, but they have nothing to blame but their own poor discipline. They were very lucky no one was sin binned, because there were times that someone should have been.

The All Blacks now head to Scotland, where they should have no trouble in maintaining their unbeaten run against the Scots. They have four Tests in four weeks, plus the midweek game against Munster - but for this squad that workload should be no issue.

As for the Test in Hong Kong, we think it was a complete success. They basically filled the stadium (there were only 300 seats left), and the players all seemed to enjoy mixing with the locals and helping to spread the game to Asia. Based on this game, there should be no reason why more Tests can't be played in Hong Kong.

If you haven't already heard, Dan Carter will line up against the Wallabies this Saturday in the number 12 jersey - which see's Stephen Donald move into first five for his first start as an All Black.

Carter and Donald combined well together in the last Test against Australia, but that was late in the game when Donald came on as a sub - not from the outset.

This is an interesting move by Graham Henry, who persisted with the dual pivots in last year's World Cup, playing Carter and Luke McAllister together. And, while it wasn't the reason we lost to France, it's clear that the combination of Carter and Ma'a Nonu has been working well - so why change it now?

Carter has played second five before - he actually began his Test career in the 12 jersey - but he is now established as the best first five in the world, and that's where he should be playing every game. Donald is a great player, and won't let the side down by any means, but when you've got the worlds best first five in your team you play him there.

The other strange selection is Greg Somerville, who is on the bench for this weekend's clash (he won't travel with the team to Britain). Somerville announced he was retiring from international rugby after the last Test in Brisbane, but has come to the aid of Henry as John Afoa and Ben Franks are carrying injuries, and are therefore unavailable.

Why isn't Jaime Mackintosh on the bench? He is obviously capable, otherwise they wouldn't have taken him on the tour - so bringing Somerville back for one Test seems like a waste of time, especially as the Test is a dead rubber in terms of the Bledisloe Cup.

It's not like the Aussie front row is anything to fear, either. To be honest, they've struggled to put a strong front row on the field for a few years now, and Mackintosh would have no trouble against them.

Hosea Gear is the only new comer to make his debut this week, and he will pair up with Sivivatu on the wing. Gear has been the best winger in the Air New Zealand Cup, and has deserved to be given his first start for the All Blacks. It's important that he doesn't get over-awed by the occasion, and that he sticks to what he does best - running through the opposition with ease.

Here's the full side:

Tony Woodcock, Andrew Hore, Neemia Tialata, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (c), Rodney So'oialo, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Hosea Gear, Sitivini Sivivatu, Mils Muliaina.

Reserves: Greg Somerville, Kevin Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu, Isaia Toeava.

Graham Henry and Co. have named their 35 man squad for the tour to Britain, which includes the Test against Australia in Hong Kong this Saturday.

The squad includes seven new comers, while Jason Eaton, Corey Flynn, Joe Rokocoko and Ross Filipo have all made a return to the All Blacks after absences.

The only concern with the squad is that John Afoa is carrying an injury, and could be in some doubt - which has prompted Greg Sommerville to make himself available if required for the Test against the Wallabies. This would suggest to us that Henry is not prepared to throw Jaime Mackintosh or Ben Franks (the two new props) into the mix first-up, which seems strange seeing as they have been selected. Who knows whats going on in Henry's mind...

The other new comer's include Scott Waldrom (who will most likely act as McCaw's understudy), Liam Meesam, Keiran Read (all loose forwards), while in the backs Hosea Gear and Cory Jane are rewarded for strong Air New Zealand Cup campaigns.

Andy Ellis returns to the squad after missing much of the Tri Nations through injury, but he will have to fight hard to get game time, as both Cowan and Weepu have proven themselves to be the best halfbacks in the country. And, with Brendon Leonard returning next year (depending on form, of course), Ellis may find himself slipping well down the pecking order.

Those unlucky to miss out include Jeremy Thrush, Thomas Waldrom, John Schwalger, Rudi Wulf and Hika Elliot (who will play for the Highlanders next year - a great purchase for them).

Tours to Britain are never easy, especially when you throw in a Test against Australia to begin with, but this is a strong squad capable of producing some good rugby.

It will be interesting to see how much game time the new boys get, but there will be no better time than now to give them some experience.

Here's the full squad:

Andrew Hore, Kevin Mealamu, Corey Flynn, John Afoa, Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, Jaime Mackintosh, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Anthony Boric, Jason Eaton, Ross Filipo, Richie McCaw (c), Rodney So'oialo, Jerome Kaino, Adam Thomson, Scott Waldrom, Keiran Read, Liam Meesam, Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan, Andy Ellis, Dan Carter, Stephen Donald, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Richard Kahui, Isaia Toeava, Hosea Gear, Joe Rokocoko, Sitivini Sivivatu, Anthony Tuitavake, Mils Muliana, Cory Jane.

The All Blacks training squad (minus Wellington and Canterbury players) had their last chance yesterday to impress the selectors before the actual squad is announced on Sunday.

They played a warm up match against a New Zealand Barbarian team, which was basically a Blues trial team - and for a lot of the guys in the squad this was their first bit of rugby action in six weeks.

While the scoreline for the match isn't important (56-10, for anyone interested) what is important is that we can get a fair idea of what the selectors are looking for when they finally name the squad in a few days.

Of most importance is the need to find a capable backup for Richie McCaw, and at this stage it's a two-horse race between Tanerau Latimer and Scott Waldrom. The other day, we said it would be unlikely that either would make the final cut - but we're prepared to say we got that one wrong, as it seems almost certain that one of the two will get their first chance to put on the All Black jersey at some stage soon.

We think of the two guys Scott Waldrom would be the better pick, as he is probably the closest thing we have to another McCaw. He is excellent around the breakdown, which is what the selectors will be looking for.

This may mean his brother Thomas (who we think should be given a place in the squad as well) may miss out, as Liam Meesam and Sione Luaki (why, oh why??) will probably have the edge at No8.

Keiran Reid is another player who seems destined to get a spot - at least if you listen to rugby journalists around the country. Personally we don't think he stands out as much as Meesam or T. Waldrom, and would prefer to see them get the nod.

The other concern that has emerged is the injury to John Afoa, who tweaked his knee in the warm up match. It's uncertain how bad the injury is at this stage, but with Neemia Tialata also under an injury cloud the All Blacks may have to rely on a few new comers in the propping department.

Jaime Mackintosh seems destined to get one of those spots, while Ben Franks is also in the mix, although he was the only player not to get a run in yesterday's game - if you can read anything into that..?

What is now becoming clear is that New Zealand does not have a player depth problem, as many people thought we did. The amount of players who are knocking on the door of selection is healthy, and things are looking very good for the years ahead.

The only thing lacking is a bit of experience for some of these guys, but what better place to get some experience than on a tour to Britain?

While this season has been about moving on from last year's World Cup loss, and replacing the players who have since left, we think we will now start to see the players emerge who will go through to the 2011 World Cup. It may be a long way away, but with so much pressure put on the All Blacks to win the World Cup (especially as it's in New Zealand), Graham Henry and co need to start building a squad that will go through to 2011, and beyond.

There certainly wouldn't be an issue with experience by then...

The All Black selectors have named a 25 man training squad, which will take on the New Zealand Barbarians on Wednesday.

This isn't the full squad that will tour the Northern hemisphere in a few weeks, as none of the Wellington or Canterbury players have been selected due to their upcoming Air New Zealand Cup final this weekend.

There have been a few new names added to the All Blacks squad from earlier in the year, including Jamie Mackintosh, Liam Meesam, Tanerau Latimer, Scott Waldrom and Ben Franks (Franks trained with the team earlier in the year when Afoa was injured, but did not play). Jason Eaton and Joe Rokocoko have both been added to the squad, which gives them a great opportunity to regain their place in the final squad.

The selection of Scott Waldrom is probably the biggest shot out of the blue, but since his return from a career-threatening injury he has been in great form - for both the Hurricanes and Taranaki. We expect that his brother Thomas will also make the squad, after he's finished with Wellington's season.

Latimer is also a surprising selection - for us, anyway - but like Scott, he's a solid player that seems to fly under the radar. Whether or not these two make the final squad (it would seem highly unlikely considering McCaw, So'oialo and probably Thomas Waldrom will make the loose forwards), it's a good sign that our depth in the loose forward position is extremely deep right now.

Our thoughts - the loose forwards will be McCaw, So'oialo, Kaino, Thomson, Meesam and T. Waldrom - but we wouldn't be surprised if Keiran Reid also gets the nod. The only worrying selection is that they've also picked Sione Luaki in the training squad, and we don't feel he's good enough at Test level.

It's great to finally see Mackintosh get selected. He's been in great form for Southland this year, and continues to mature into another of New Zealand's fine prop forwards. If it came down to either him or Franks getting the nod, we'd certainly go with the Southlander.

Eaton must be counting his blessings at his reselection. His form in the Air New Zealand Cup has not been his best, and with the likes of Jeremy Thrush and Tom Donnelly continuing to grow in the locking position, he must be considering himself quite lucky. He does, however, have the talent to play for the All Blacks. We've seen it over the past few years, and he'll just have to put the last few months behind him and take this opportunity with both hands.

The omission of Hika Elliot suggests to us that Graham Henry and Co have Corey Flynn in mind as the third hooker, or possibly (although highly unlikely), young Dane Coles, who has been impressing a few people for Wellington this year.

We definitely think there'll be a few more newcomers once the Wellington and Canterbury players are added on Sunday morning, so the players in the training squad had better train hard if they want to make the final selection.

They've been given the opportunity - the rest is in their hands.

With the All Blacks coaching staff expected to name an expanded All Blacks squad for their upcoming end of year tour, expect to see some new faces.

The All Blacks will play six games on the tour, including the Test in Hong Kong against the Wallabies and a midweek game against Munster, which will be a good opportunity to give some of the new guys a chance to get some All Blacks experience.

The other four games are against Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England.

There are a few guys who have been knocking on the All Black's door for a while now, and this tour would be the ideal time to get them into the squad - and next year, they'll have some level of experience with the pressure that goes with being an All Black.

One player in particular who must be close to making the squad is Corey Jane, who has been in great form for the past couple of seasons. This year he's taken his game up a level, and with Leon MacDonald unlikely to go on tour, Jane would make an excellent backup to Muliaina.

Another possible cover for MacDonald is Paul Williams, who was named in the training squad earlier this year. Like Jane, Williams has been steadily improving since making his return to rugby last year.

Both are excellent attackers capable of breaking the opposition line, and are as equally reliable under the high ball.

Williams may have the edge over Jane, though, as Graham Henry has already shown interest in him by selecting him for the training squad earlier this year - but the way Jane has been playing for Wellington in this year's Air New Zealand Cup, we wouldn't be surprised to see him get the nod.

Another Wellingtonian making his mark is Thomas Waldrom who, like Jane and Williams, has been knocking at the door for the last few years. Waldrom is a lethal player on attack, and has shown that he can make a huge impact on a game coming off the bench.

We certainly think he's a better option than Sione Luaki, who isn't as versatile as Waldrom. Waldrom is a lot more agile, and certainly a lot safer with carrying the ball.

Another loose forward making his mark in the Air New Zealand Cup is Liam Meesam. His recent efforts against Otago were outstanding, and would make an excellent back-up for the All Blacks. We've been saying Meesam should be in the All Blacks for a while now, and the end of year tour is an excellent time to bring him into the squad - especially as we don't think Luaki should be selected.

Another position up for grabs is prop, where Greg Somerville's departure (due to retirement from the All Blacks) has opened up a spot in the squad. His place will most likely be taken by John Schwalger - he's played for the All Blacks before, and so is familiar with the pressures of Test rugby.

But if your looking for a prop, you needn't look past Jaime McKintosh, who has continued to prove to us that he's ready for the step up. He is a natural leader, captaining Southland in the Air New Zealand Cup, and it wouldn't hurt to replace Somerville with someone who has natural leadership abilities.

The other interesting position up for grabs is the third hooker spot behind Andrew Hore and Kevin Mealamu. Hika Elliot was brought into the squad earlier in the year when Hore was in doubt with injury, but with Corey Flynn back from injury he may get the recall he's been fighting for over the last few seasons. This tour would be a great time to get him back into the All Black mix.

It looks as though the All Black selectors will be taking a 35 man squad, which means a few extra positions are available for the odd bolter - which we think there will be a few of.

Here's the 35 players we'd be taking (*new players in italics):

Hookers: Andrew Hore, Kevin Mealamu, Corey Flynn
Props: Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, John Afoa, Jaime McKintosh, John Schwalger

Locks: Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Anthony Boric, Jeremy Thrush
Loose Forwards: Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo, Jerome Kaino, Adam Thomson, Thomas Waldrom, Liam Meesam
Halfbacks: Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan, Andy Ellis, Alby Matthewson

First-Fives: Dan Carter, Stephen Donald
Centers: Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Richard Kahui, Isaia Toeava
Wings: Sitivini Sivivatu, Hosea Gear, Rudi Wulf, Joe Rokocoko (if healthy)
Fullbacks: Mils Muliaina, Corey Jane, Paul Williams

Players missing: Kevin O'Neill (injured), Greg Somerville (retired from AB's), Sione Luaki (form), Brendon Leonard (injured), Anthony Tuitavake (injured, but would select him if he's healthy), Leon MacDonald (injured).

Let us know who you'd like to see go on the end of year tour - head to the forum.

With the Tri Nations now complete and the Bledisloe Cup safely back in the cupboard for another year, it's a good time to look back on the All Black's season. There's been some great performances by the boys, and also a couple that were disappointing - but as whole, you'd have to say the year has been a success.

The most pleasing thing about the season has been the demise of the rotation system, which most All Black fans will be glad to see the back of. It's clear that the team has been playing a lot better thanks to not being switched up every week.

The team is playing with a lot of confidence that you can only get when playing alongside the same players every week. It also helps that we don't quite have the depth that we had last year, which means Graham Henry doesn't have the luxury.

The guys look a lot better now, knowing that they don't have to worry about whether or not they're going to be selected.

A great example of this has been Ma'a Nonu, who is going from strength to strength every week. Jerome Kaino, also.

Here's hoping that rotation remains a distant memory...

The other pleasing thing about their season has been the way they came back from back-to-back defeats to South Africa and the Wallabies. They were right up against it, and were facing a lot of undue criticism from the media and the public - but they way they came back to utterly destroy Australia in Auckland showed that the side has a lot of character and courage.

For a team that is in a rebuilding faze after last year's World Cup (and yes, they are rebuilding), coming back like they did shows us that this team is close to being at their best. They still have some things to improve on, but that just means the team is still growing.

Overall, we're very happy with the All Black's season - and the great thing is, we only have to wait until November before we see them in action again.

Best Performance: 39-10 victory over the Wallabies in Auckland. Fantastic kicking game, and we put a lot of pressure on them in their own 22, which paid off. Great to see the All Blacks attacking in the lineout for once.

Worst Performance: 34-19 loss to the Wallabies in Sydney - their worst performance by far. They couldn't hold onto the ball, and let the Wallabies capitalise on their mistakes. But, it must be said - the Wallabies didn't outplay us. We lost it for ourselves, and they just fed off the scraps.

Best Player: Easy - Richie McCaw. He continues to grow as a captain, and the All Blacks look a far better team when he's around. It's scary to think that he's only getting better, too. Well, scary for anyone who doesn't support the All Blacks...

Honourable mention to Mils Muliaina.

Most Disappointing Player: Sitivini Sivivatu - doesn't seem to playing with any great enthusiasm which, for a guy with his talent, just isn't good enough. At times he can be brilliant, but those times have been few and far between this year.

An honourable (or dishonourable...) mention has to go to Sione Luaki, who needs to learn to hold onto the ball.

Most Improved: Ma'a Nonu is benefiting form regular game time, and is starting to prove that he deserves to wear the black jersey. His combination with Conrad Smith has been outstanding, as have his distribution skills, which he has lacked in the past.

Ma'a Nonu - Most Improved Originally uploaded by djbwhizz

Honourable mention goes to Andrew Hore.

Comeback of the Year: Piri Weepu - thank goodness for Andy Ellis's injury, because it's brought Weepu back into the team - exactly where he should have been since the beginning.

Honourable mention goes to Brad Thorn.

So, there you have it - another season done and dusted (until November, at least).

Only six weeks until we start again, and we can't wait.

It sounds terribly cliche, but we're going to say it anyway - the All Black's performance on Saturday night was a game of two halves.

The first half was dominated by the Wallabies, who were definitely playing the better rugby - but they also had the majority of the ball, which helps.

The Wallabies scored either side of half time, and for a while there it looked like the All Blacks were struggling.

But three trys in quick succession put the All Blacks back in front by eleven points, with only a few minutes to play.

The Wallabies weren't finished, though, and when Ryan Cross scored the gap closed to four points, and a Wallaby comeback was back on the cards.

All the All Blacks had to do in the final minutes was hold onto the ball, but somehow the Wallabies managed to steal the ball - and away they went. The All Black defence had to scramble, and with time up on the clock the game was there for either side.

The Wallabies were hot on attack, but miraculously the All Blacks got the turn over, and Weepu booted the ball out, giving the All Blacks a 28-24 win. And, more importantly, the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cups are now safely locked away for another year.

The difference between the two sides was the substitutions. Henry brought Donald, Mealamu and Afoa on early in the second half, and it seemed to energise the team - especially Weepu, who was in great form.

Robbie Deans didn't use his bench until into the dying stages, and it was too late - most of the Wallabies looked dead on their feet, and this gave the All Blacks, traditionally known for their fitness, a chance to take back the lead.

The combination between Donald and Carter looked good, too, with Carter moving to second five, which gave him more space to attack the tired Wallaby line.

The All Blacks now get a break for a few weeks, before the players will be allowed to play in the Air New Zealand Cup.

It's been a very tough Tri Nation campaign, and the boys thoroughly deserve a few weeks rest.

Well done lads - we're all proud of you.

Our next up-and-comer is another guy who has been around a couple of years, and is now really starting to show us that he is heading in the right direction for an All Blacks jersey.

We're talking about Hosea Gear, the younger brother of former All Black Rico Gear.

Hosea has been in outstanding form on the wing for Wellington this year, and has scored eight trys from only six games so far in the Air New Zealand Cup.

He is a massive winger, standing 1.89m tall, and tipping the scales at 102kg - making him an extremely dangerous weapon out wide.

His one weakness is that he doesn't get involved enough, but he has been working on that aspect of his game, and will be all the more dangerous when he fixes it.

It's this aspect of his game, though, that he'll have to improve on quickly if he wants to hear from Graham Henry. Gone are the days where a wingers job was just to score trys - they now have to be prepared to get stuck in around the field.

We believe it's only a matter of time before Hosea follows his brother's footsteps, and makes the step up to the All Blacks. We feel it could even be as early as the end of year tour.

Either way - we're sure there are big things on the horizon for Hosea.

This was the result we were all expecting - an absolute try-fest. The All Blacks ran in fourteen trys, and were awarded a penalty try, on their way to a 101-14 point thrashing of Samoa.

So what can the All Blacks take from a match like this?

Well, if we're honest - not a whole lot.

All this Test was good for was a chance for the All Blacks to stretch their legs, ahead of next weekend's clash with the Wallabies. Still - it was important for them play well, which they did for most of the game.

The Samoans played with a lot of passion, and were awarded with two really well earned trys. They lacked discipline, though, and they were constantly penalised around the ruck for playing the ball with their hands.

Their defence was pretty ordinary out wide, too, which the All Blacks were able to exploit on many occasions.

Overall - they gave it a good shot, and for many of their young players the experience of playing the All Blacks will benefit their personal game in the years to come.

Their standout player was Uale Mai, who scored their opening try and played a big part in setting up their second. He looks to have a solid defensive game as well, leading the way with some massive hits.

The All Blacks were strong right across the field, but Jerome Kaino and Conrad Smith were outstanding.

Isaia Toeava had a strong second half, and showed some of those skills we all know he possesses.

These kinds of Tests are extremely important for world rugby (especially for developing nations like Samoa), and we hope the All Blacks can start playing a lot more of them - not for their own benefit, but for the good of rugby worldwide.

All Blacks 101
(trys - Muliaina (3), Smith (2), Kahui (2), Thomson, Cowan, Donald, Williams, Kaino, Toeava, Weepu, penalty try; conversions - Carter (5), Donald (6))

Samoa 14
(trys - Mai, Faosiliva; conversions - Mai, Warren)

Next weekend the All Blacks will face off against the Wallabies in Brisbane, in the final game of the 2008 Tri Nations campaign.

The game couldn't have more riding it - with the All Blacks sitting only one point ahead on the competition ladder, the winner will be crowned Tri Nations champions.

The Wallabies also need to win to keep their Bledisloe Cup dreams alive - the All Blacks only need to win one of the remaining two Bledisloe games to hold onto the Cup for another year.

It is easily the biggest game of the year for both these two sides.

Australia will also be wanting to put their humiliating 53-8 loss to the Springboks behind them, and a win over the All Blacks would certainly do just that.

But the All Blacks have been very impressive in their last two outings, and have yet another successful Tri Nations campaign in their sights.

Of the three sides, the All Blacks have been the best - and although they have lost two games, they have certainly set the benchmark once again. The way they bounced back from their loss to the Wallabies was near perfect, and then to keep South Africa scoreless - in South Africa - further shows the class of the All Blacks.

And, with 20 minutes to go in the game against Samoa, the All Blacks have already put on 80 points - the most ever scored against Samoa. We'll say it again -

Class.

The Wallabies have had their moments, with their win over the All Blacks the highlight of their campaign. Their two wins against the Springboks were good, without being anything special, and to be fair the way the Boks played in those games - well, anyone could have beaten them.

The problem for the Wallabies has been their consistency. Their wins have been followed up by some heavy defeats, and for a team that has guys like Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau and George Smith, they shouldn't be beaten by such large margins.

However, they can still win the Tri Nations with a win in Brisbane, so they must be doing something right.

South Africa have been very disappointing, to say the least. They started off well, going down in a close game to the All Blacks, before beating them at Carisbrook. But other than their last game (the 53-8 win over the Wallabies), they've been terrible.

Their loss in Perth was poor. It seemed like they didn't even want to play - or they were already thinking about going home. Whatever the reason was, their effort was not good enough for 'World Champions'.

And it only got worse - two losses on home soil is almost unacceptable.

Fortunately for them, they bounced back to demolish the Wallabies. But it was too little, too late.

It's amazing to think that not so long ago they were lifting the Webb Ellis trophy...

It's been an interesting Tri Nations, that's for sure. And, it's only fitting that the two best teams in the competition will battle it out for the title next weekend.