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Something big is brewing in Dublin, a place well known for its love of the black stuff.

He is the one guy who could rain on Dan Carter's parade against England but Aaron Cruden appears reconciled to the fact he will be on the reserves bench at Twickenham on Sunday morning.

Steve Hansen has named the most experienced All Blacks team in history to play France in Paris on Sunday.

Welcome back to the Northern Hemisphere, All Blacks; a place which puts as much emphasis on defensive rugby as the attacking stuff and on this evidence at the Stade de France this morning, it's easy to see why.

France operate at their best on raw emotion. They are at their best when they are seemingly hopeless cases. Then, the natural order of things tends to go out the window.

Knee and hamstring issues finally behind him, Cory Jane will make his test return against France on Sunday and coach Steve Hansen believes the wing's experience will make up for his lack of game time.

A Beauden Barrett All Blacks' highlights package this season would be high on quality despite his role as a substitute. His challenge this Saturday is to replicate that impact from the first whistle and as a fullback, rather than a first-five.

New Zealand's Super Rugby conference is primed for a potentially high-octane start next year with a clash between the Chiefs and Crusaders, two teams which are forging a growing rivalry, scheduled for Christchurch on February 21.

There will be no rest for Liam Messam immediately after the All Blacks' northern hemisphere tour. Instead, he has decided to follow up a season in which he has excelled in a black jersey and collected another Super Rugby title by putting on the gloves in December's Fight for Life event.

After an absence from the fight game of almost a year, Shane Cameron is back training for a heavyweight bout in December which could lead to a dramatic rematch with David Tua.

Thirty tests and counting, the All Blacks' winning streak at home will take some beating. Can England do it next year? Only if they send their strongest team and have a whole lot of luck.

England are the only nation to have blighted Steve Hansen's record but, on the eve of the All Blacks' northern tour departure, the head coach was in no mood to contemplate the showdown at Twickenham in three weeks.

Raymond Olubowele is uniquely placed to judge David Tua's progress ahead of his fight against Alexander Ustinov.

John Kirwan comes across with such relentless positivity that it's easy to see the good things about Ma'a Nonu's return to the Blues, but even he must know his about-turn on the wandering midfielder comes with big risks attached.

Henry Schuster, David Tua's new cornerman for his fight against Alexander Ustinov, has been Shane Cameron's long-time trainer since his amateur days, but the Cameron camp say they are happy to share him.

David Tua's calf has healed and his weight is said to be falling by the day. The only potentially disquieting factor ahead of his heavyweight clash against Alexander Ustinov in four weeks is his split with trainer David Hedgcock.

The Chiefs have completed their roster with the signings of Mils Muliaina and Robbie Fruean, but neither are certainties to be available for the first game against the Crusaders in Christchurch in February.

Quade Cooper this week released a picture of himself leaping into Lake Wakatipu, a body of water next to Queenstown which is so cold swimmers rarely enter it at the height of summer let alone in spring with snow clearly visible on Cecil Peak.

It's probably not too much of a stretch to suggest this is the most important match of Jeremy Thrush's career.

Counties' B team were on the brink of pulling off the upset of the season against Canterbury five days ago and now coach Tana Umaga has put the heat on his big guns to back up that performance in tonight's Ranfurly Shield defence against Southland.