Rugby Union Today: Teams named for Bledisloe Cup
Another busy day in the rugby union game as New Zealand and Australia named their squads for the third and final Bledisloe Cup match of the season.
What’s on the site
We have started to look ahead to the upcoming encounter between New Zealand and Australia with a betting preview that reveals the best odds. There is also a video which looks back at a previous Bledisloe Cup match, where the All Blacks thrashed the Wallabies in 1996.
Elsewhere, the PRO14 returns this weekend and there is a preview of the action on Friday as the Southern Kings, Ospreys, Zebre and Ulster face the Scarlets, Connacht, Edinburgh and Dragons respectively.
What’s in the news
New Zealand and Australia named their teams for the upcoming game. Sonny Bill Williams is set to garner his 50th cap for the All Blacks and they have also included Damian McKenzie and TJ Perenara in the backline, while Israel Folau starts at centre for the Wallabies.
Elsewhere, Keith Earls has signed a new deal with Ireland and Munster, which will keep him at the province until at least June 2021.
What’s on social media
Great to see more rugby players open up and talk about their battle with mental health, as evidenced by this video with Bristol’s Will Hurrell.
🎥| “I really struggled to talk to people, so it’s been quite a big thing for me to open up. I didn’t like doing it, but it has helped me in the long run.”
As part of @MovemberUK campaign, centre @whhurrell opens up about his own mental health battle. 👊 pic.twitter.com/4XDHX8mosu
— Bristol Bears (@BristolBears) October 25, 2018
What’s on TV
The end-of-year internationals effectively begin on Saturday as New Zealand and Australia go head-to-head in the third Bledisloe Cup contest and Sky Sports will show the game.
They will also broadcast two Top 14 encounters, while Premier Sports once again have extensive coverage of the PRO14, with Munster v Glasgow Warriors the pick of the action.
On BT Sport, the Premiership Rugby Cup effectively debuts on the channel. It is what used to be the Anglo-Welsh competition but, with the regions pulling out, it is now solely a developmental tournament for the English top-flight teams.