All Blacks to play training matches against North Harbour and Northland - QBE Stadium Friday, August 8. As the All Blacks prepare for the Steinlager Series, it’s been confirmed the squad will play two training matches against the North Harbour and Northland ITM Cup sides as part of the respective teams’ build–up for the Investec Rugby Championship and the ITM Cup later in the year. The ever-popular Game of Three Halves event will follow the format of similar All Black training matches in 2012 and 2013 and will see three 40-minute matches played at QBE Stadium, Auckland, on Friday 8 August as part of the All Blacks’ preparations for their opening Bledisloe Cup match against Australia the following weekend. The event will be played in the following format: • 6.00pm All Blacks vs. North Harbour • 6.50pm All Blacks vs. Northland • 7.40pm North Harbour vs. Northland All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: “We have found this format to be a real ‘win-win-win’ scenario. It’s great for us to get some training matches in against some quality opposition as we round out our preparations. It’s also great for Harbour and Northland as they prepare for the domestic competition, and it’s fantastic for the fans who will be able to come and see all three teams play some open, exciting rugby.” The Game of Three Halves event will be one of a number of public events the All Blacks will be holding throughout the season, with more details on other events in the Steinlager Series and beyond announced shortly. The matches are being hosted by the North Harbour Rugby Union and Steve Jackson, Head Coach of QBE North Harbour, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our squad to play against the world’s best, for them to see what it takes to get to the next level and for our side to test our systems. It’s also a superb opportunity for our community to come and see the All Blacks live at QBE Stadium.” The All Blacks will be in Auckland as they prepare for the Bledisloe Cup and opening Investec Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday 16 August. The team will base themselves in Auckland before flying to Sydney. The opening round of the ITM Cup will kick off the same week, with North Harbour taking on Otago in Dunedin and Northland hosting Manawatu. Tickets for the match are available via the North Harbour Rugby website, harbourrugby.co.nz
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 08:02:54 +0000
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