Maori All Blacks

Ireland have named five uncapped players in an extended 40-man squad for their summer tour to New Zealand, exclusively live on Sky Sports.

James Ryan (Leinster) 43 caps Johnny Sexton (Leinster) 105 caps (C) This group could also be the last to play a Test series in New Zealand which makes it even more special.

Two unwanted All Blacks halfbacks headline coach Clayton McMillan's squad for two matches against Ireland.

If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment.

Coach Clayton McMillan has named a strong team for the two-match series.

There are five uncapped players included in Ireland's summer tour squad – the Leinster trio of Ciaran Frawley, Joe McCarthy and Jimmy O'Brien, Munster prop ...

James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 43 Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 43 Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster) 2 Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt) 105 Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 96 Harry Byrne (Lansdowne/Leinster) 2

Just six players from the 28-man squad play for either the Crusaders or Highlanders. Instead, McMillan - along with co-coaches Roger Randle and Chris Gibbes - ...

McMillan expects his squad to face a similarly tough challenge in the two-match series, taking place in Hamilton on June 29 and Wellington on July 12. "These two fixtures against Ireland will allow players to showcase what they have and put their best foot forward on an international stage. "We are lucky to have three experienced All Blacks in the squad in TJ Perenara (Ngāti Rangitihi), Brad Weber (Ngāti Porou) and Tyrel Lomax (Muaupoko/Ngāi Tūhoe), I'm looking forward to the passion and knowledge they will bring," McMillan said in a statement.

Instead, Perenara and Weber will ply their trade for the Maori All Blacks, who will host Ireland in two mid-week tests during their five-match tour of New ...

Omitted All Blacks halfbacks TJ Perenara and Brad Weber headline the 28-man Maori All Blacks squad to face Ireland in a two-test series over the coming weeks. “We are lucky to have three experienced All Blacks in the squad in TJ Perenara, Brad Weber and Tyrel Lomax, I’m looking forward to the passion and knowledge they will bring. TJ Perenara and Brad Weber headline Maori All Blacks squad to face Ireland

Discarded All Blacks scrum-half TJ Perenara will get an immediate chance to show his omission was a mistake after being named on Wednesday in a New Zealand ...

McMillan noted the presence of two former Maori All Blacks backs in the 40-strong Ireland squad and hoped both Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe would get a chance to play in the midweek fixtures. "We are lucky to have experienced All Blacks in the squad, I'm looking forward to the passion and knowledge they will bring," McMillan said. Both Perenara and 17-Test scrum-half Brad Weber, who was also dropped from the All Blacks squad, are among the Maori selections.

Unwanted All Blacks TJ Perenara and Brad Weber, along with 11 debutants, have been named in the Māori All Blacks squad to play Ireland in the upcoming ...

"I'm looking forward to the passion and knowledge they will bring. "We are expecting a fierce challenge from Ireland, to be playing a tier one nation at home in Aotearoa has been long awaited. It will be the first time the Māori All Blacks have played Ireland since 2010.

Coach Clayton McMillan says the two unwanted All Blacks can prove a point when the Māori All Blacks welcome Ireland for the start of an intense NZ tour.

A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. July 16: All Blacks vs Ireland at 7:05pm, Sky Stadium, Wellington July 12: Māori All Blacks vs Ireland at 7:05pm, Sky Stadium, Wellington The fixtures against Ireland are the first with a tier-one nation for the Māori All Blacks since two matches against England and Ireland in 2010.

Experienced international scrum-halves TJ Perenara and Brad Weber have been named in the Maori All Blacks squad for their games against Ireland.

This is also a great opportunity for our 11 new caps, there is immense pride in pulling on the Māori All Blacks jersey and with that representing their heritage, their whānau, and their country. “These two fixtures against Ireland will allow players to showcase what they have and put their best foot forward on an international stage. New Zealand: TJ Perenara and Brad Weber included in Maori All Blacks squad to face Ireland

Ireland may be among the world's best, but the Maori All Blacks are confident of keeping their 134-year unbeaten run against the Irish alive.

“Our prep will have to be genuine, and our players will have to be at their best to do that, but we’ve selected what we think is a great squad and one capable of doing that if we play to our potential.” “That’s served the team so well in the past, and that’s playing with a bit of aggression, but also flair and enterprise, a little bit of innovation, so we certainly won’t be looking to take them on at their own game. Just what his side’s best looks like remains to be seen, but McMillan offered a little bit of insight into how the Maori All Blacks might play in an attempt to keep their undefeated record against Ireland unblemished. “We’ll need to be at our best to beat them, but we’ll certainly have confidence that we can squeeze every ounce of ability out of the guys that have been selected, and we look forward to having a good shake here at Waikato Stadium.” “We watch a lot of Northern Hemisphere rugby, and in particular Ireland, because everyone’s looking for trends in the game, and the upward trend of the Irish over the last five or six years makes you stand up and take notice,” he said. Therefore, the contributions of Perenara and Weber as a one-two halfback combination will be crucial if the Maori All Blacks are to come up trumps against the Six Nations juggernauts.

The dynamic scrum-half, along with Brad Weber, was left out of Ian Foster's squad for the three Test series but will face Ireland in the tour opener.

"This is also a great opportunity for our 11 new caps, there is immense pride in pulling on the Māori All Blacks jersey and with that representing their heritage, their whānau, and their country. “We are lucky to have three experienced All Blacks in the squad in TJ Perenara, Brad Weber and Tyrel Lomax, I’m looking forward to the passion and knowledge they will bring. TJ Perenara, who is set to play for the Maoris for the first time, heads a formidable list of names that Andy Farrell's squad will face first in their five-game, three Test tour.

OPINION: Coach Clayton McMillan has got his hands on some big, hungry young props who weren't far off All Blacks selection.

A beautiful mind crunching all the player stats. If quality local sport journalism is important to you, become a Stuff supporter today. You need journalists close enough to smell the liniment. He knows that if Ireland treat them as anything less than that, the Māori All Blacks will be good enough to upset them. His selection in the Māori All Blacks, as opposed to the Manu Samoa squad for the Pacific Nations Cup, also indicates that he remains a player of interest for the All Blacks. However, if they can get their hands on enough quick ball, the Māori All Blacks have enough quality to test Ireland.

Rieko and Akira Ioane , Marty and Damian McKenzie and Hosea and Rico Gear have also donned the Maori All Blacks jersey together. McMillan says both Zarn and ...

They are joined by locks Josh Dickson and Manaaki Selby-Rickit and flanker Billy Harmon. There is technically a sixth Highlander, hooker Leni Apisai, who played ...

A bonus is the chance to play two former Maori All Blacks in the Irish squad, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe. There is immense pride in pulling on the Maori All Blacks jersey and with that representing their heritage, their whanau, and their country." "This is also a great opportunity for our 11 new caps.

The history of the Māori All Blacks versus Ireland or Irish teams is short yet significant.

There have been aspects of tikanga Māori whenever the All Blacks have faced Irish sides. Dixon passed the jersey to Foley’s two young sons in an emotional moment. Then followed a passionate haka by the Māori before the match itself. His No 12 Paddy Wallace scored the sole Ireland try. While Munster triumphed 27-14, the Maori’s two tries going to wings Jonah Lowe and Ambrose Curtis, the match was highlighted before kickoff when captain Ash Dixon presented a Māori All Blacks jersey with the initials AF on the back in tribute to Munster legend and former coach Anthony Foley, who had died recently and suddenly. In 2010, the Māori All Blacks celebrated one hundred years as a team and they undertook a short internal tour against worthy and international opposition.