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Latest FromGregor Paul

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Gregor Paul: Is New Zealand's rugby empire about to collapse?

21 Jan, 2020 3:01pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Fans' post-World Cup gloom has been compounded by the appointment of Ian Foster.

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Gregor Paul: The day the ABs ceased being 'the people's team'

17 Jan, 2020 8:03am
7 minutes to read

When NZR took AIG's millions the All Blacks ceased to be the people's team.

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Gregor Paul: What Ian Foster must learn to thrive as All Blacks coach

13 Dec, 2019 4:30pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: There comes a point when peace has to be made with Ian Foster's appointment.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Photo / Getty Images.

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No 'copy and paste' coach: Ian Foster opens up on All Blacks backlash

13 Dec, 2019 8:54am
7 minutes to read

Wednesday this week would have been a curious day for Ian Foster.

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Gregor Paul: Why Ian Foster's critics have got it wrong

12 Dec, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Somehow in appointing the next All Blacks coach, conservative became a bad word.

Sevu Reece of the Crusaders with Waisake Naholo of the Highlanders after the Super Rugby Quarter Final, Crusaders V Highlanders. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

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Gregor Paul: We're moving dangerously close to Super Rugby's collapse

10 Dec, 2019 2:37pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: A serious problem looms that could bring Australian Rugby to its knees.

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Gregor Paul: The 'number one problem' with the future of NZ rugby

7 Dec, 2019 2:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: It won't be easy but one thing has to change to make rugby more sustainable.

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Gregor Paul: Video has robbed rugby of its essence

6 Dec, 2019 12:00pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: The sport has lost its essence as a result of this Orwellian-themed world.

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Gregor Paul: The real reason Pacific rugby nations are suffering

3 Dec, 2019 4:53pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Eligibility laws are not the problem when it comes to supporting Pacific rugby.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen before the Rugby World Cup semi-final match between New Zealand and England at International Stadium Yokohama, Japan. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

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Gregor Paul: The biggest myth from All Blacks' failure

30 Nov, 2019 5:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Perception is powerful because the facts paint an entirely different picture.

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Gregor Paul: Why Super Rugby must ditch South Africa

29 Nov, 2019 3:40pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Mehrtens was right to say it's time for Super Rugby to cut South Africa loose.

Former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie has been appointed as Michael Cheika's successor at the Wallabies. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: Wallabies' Kiwi coach could be just what All Blacks need

26 Nov, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Dave Rennie's appointment could ensure NZ Rugby pocket millions.

All Blacks star Beauden Barrett announces he will be playing Super Rugby with the Blues from 2020. Photo / Michael Craig.

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Gregor Paul: Reinventing Beaudy - what the next four years will look like

23 Nov, 2019 10:00am
5 minutes to read

Comment: This next cycle is the one where he will likely take his game to new heights.

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Gregor Paul: The man NZ doesn't want as All Blacks coach (but might need)

22 Nov, 2019 3:30pm
7 minutes to read

Comment: The prevailing view is 'anyone but Ian Foster' - but should that matter?

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Gregor Paul: 'Embarrassing' - How ABs coach became the job no one wants

19 Nov, 2019 3:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: NZR has effectively steered many of the best candidates into the arms of rivals.

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Gregor Paul: The All Blacks desperately need Joe Schmidt

16 Nov, 2019 5:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Joe Schmidt remains the smartest rugby brain New Zealand has.

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Gregor Paul: Why Sam Whitelock is the wrong choice for All Blacks captain

15 Nov, 2019 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: One of the Sams is going to end up as the next captain of the All Blacks.

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Gregor Paul: The NZ Rugby lie exposed during Super Rugby squad namings

12 Nov, 2019 2:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: The ethos of the All Blacks is team first. Someone tell that to NZ Rugby.

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Gregor Paul: How SBW could still save Auckland rugby

9 Nov, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Williams is all about giving back and Auckland rugby has its hand out.

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Gregor Paul: Why winning tests won't be enough for next All Blacks coach

8 Nov, 2019 5:01pm
6 minutes to read

One coach's disastrous tenure was a turning point for NZ Rugby - in more ways than one.

The victors and the vanquished ... the Springboks celebrating their victory over England in the Rugby World Cup final. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: Why nothing will change after Springboks' Cup triumph

3 Nov, 2019 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: World Cup win confirmed what has been apparent the past three years.

Steve Hansen after the bronze medal win. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: How Steve Hansen won the forgotten war - and the hearts of NZ

2 Nov, 2019 6:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: From being at war to earning adulation, Hansen has come a long way in a decade.

Kieran Read leads the All Blacks out after half-time in Tokyo. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: The All Blacks' 'what-if' moments after week from hell

2 Nov, 2019 5:15am
4 minutes to read

Comment: A bronze medal hasn't fixed the All Blacks. But it made last week a lot better.

Steve Hansen has stepped down as All Blacks head coach after an involvement of 16 years with the team. Photo / Getty Images

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Exclusive exit interview: Steve Hansen on what went wrong

2 Nov, 2019 5:00am
11 minutes to read

Exclusive: 'The fairy tale isn't happening...it feels like a complete failure.'

All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster and massage therapist George Duncan at training earlier this week. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: There's only one coach for the ABs - and it's not the popular choice

1 Nov, 2019 6:30pm
7 minutes to read

Comment: Much of the proffered analysis of Steve Hansen's successor has missed the point.

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Gregor Paul: The important lesson ABs can learn from Wales clash

30 Oct, 2019 8:00pm
5 minutes to read

ABs' bronze medal match can't bring redemption. But it can act as a timely reminder.

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Gregor Paul: Are the All Blacks about to implode like Manchester United?

29 Oct, 2019 2:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: A lifetime of knowledge is about to go missing and the ABs should be worried.

Dejected All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock after their loss to England. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: Defeat will make the All Blacks stronger

28 Oct, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The All Blacks didn't want a loss to England, but they probably needed it.

England coach Eddie Jones and All Blacks coach Steve Hansen greet each other before the semifinal. Photo / AP

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Accident or one last dig? Eddie Jones reveals Steve Hansen's next job

27 Oct, 2019 9:55am
5 minutes to read

England coach sings Hansen's praises - and lets slip who he'll coach after leaving ABs.

Mark Wilson of England celebrates. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: How England killed the All Blacks' dream

26 Oct, 2019 11:05pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: England reduced the world's best attacking side to a mis-mash of bad ideas.

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Gregor Paul: How Hansen exposed Jones - the man with the most to lose

25 Oct, 2019 7:00pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Eddie Jones has tried to hide his tension behind brilliant one-liners.

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Gregor Paul: The England myth Steve Hansen is eager to reveal

25 Oct, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The selection of Barrett is potentially a tactical masterstroke by Hansen.

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Art of manipulation: Inside the 'lonely' life of Steve Hansen

23 Oct, 2019 3:00pm
12 minutes to read

Gregor Paul: Semifinal teams all have one thing in common - a larger than life coach.

All Blacks coaches and selectors, from left, Scott McLeod, Steve Hansen, Grant Fox and Ian Foster. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: The truth everyone missed about the All Blacks

20 Oct, 2019 7:30pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Misleading numbers gave wrong impression about both All Blacks and Ireland.

Richie Mo'unga and Sevu Reece celebrate teammate Beauden Barrett's first-half try. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: Champions in the making? The All Blacks' godlike 80 minutes

20 Oct, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: All Blacks had fire in the blood and ice in the brain. Ireland had ... nothing.

Kieran Read has made it his mission to embrace Generation Z and embrace a new way of doing things. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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'Shit-scared and star-struck': How Kieran Read transformed new breed of ABs

19 Oct, 2019 5:00am
14 minutes to read

Julian Savea was so fearful of Richie McCaw, he once hid from the former ABs captain.

The All Blacks' tackling bordered on reckless at times in their 'rematch' in the Avia Stadium in 216. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: What Irish fear most from 'under-pressure' All Blacks

18 Oct, 2019 5:30pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Under pressure, the All Blacks will respond in one of two ways.

Steve Hansen moments after the All Blacks' loss to Ireland in November. Photos / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: The heartbreak that inspired ABs' World Cup

18 Oct, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: For a brief moment, the All Blacks looked like a team robbed of its soul.

Scotland have tried to play attacking rugby and pulled it off at times but have struggled with their ball retention and skill execution. Photo / AP

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Gregor Paul: Why this could be the worst World Cup ever

12 Oct, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The rugby was pretty bad in 2007 but 2019 is pushing hard to drag the game lower.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and captain Kieran Read, during their press conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: 'Angry' All Blacks face ultimate World Cup test

11 Oct, 2019 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: Hurt by the headlines, ABs now face drama bigger than at any World Cup before.

All Blacks captain Kieran Read. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: Why ABs are biggest losers from typhoon turmoil

10 Oct, 2019 6:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Even if the All Blacks now go on to win this World Cup, it will be tainted.

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Gregor Paul: All Blacks coaches set to clash, and that's a good thing

9 Oct, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

Steve Hansen and Ian Foster are set for their most robust discussion in eight years.

Ofa Tuungafasi is shown an yellow card by referee Pascal Gauzere. Photo / Getty

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Gregor Paul: All Blacks' warning ignored - inside the World Cup crisis

8 Oct, 2019 1:25pm
11 minutes to read

It's threatening to turn showpiece into farce - and All Blacks are powerless to stop it.

All Blacks flanker Matt Todd leading the charge during their Rugby World Cup pool match against Namibia at Tokyo Stadium. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: The danger that lies ahead for the All Blacks

6 Oct, 2019 7:50pm
5 minutes to read

The ABs look like world champions - but the target on their backs has never been bigger.

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Gregor Paul: The tight-five twist that will decide the World Cup

5 Oct, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: The World Cup is set to be shaped by the performance of team's tight fives.

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Gregor Paul: The two players setting All Blacks apart at World Cup

4 Oct, 2019 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

Little to choose between top teams but no one else has anyone quite like Barrett, Savea.

All Blacks second five eighths Sonny Bill Williams setting up a try for left wing Rieko Ioane against Canada. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: The unanswered questions from All Blacks' thrashing

3 Oct, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: All Blacks set bar at highest level, but quality of opposition leaves questions.

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Gregor Paul: The answer to the All Blacks' big mystery

1 Oct, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Supposedly it is a mystery who the All Blacks see as their preferred midfield.

All Black brothers Scott Barrett, Jordie Barrett and Beauden Barrett. Photo / Getty

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Brilliant yet catastrophic: Moment of truth for ABs star

28 Sep, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Time for Jordie to step out of the shadow of his two well-established brothers.

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Gregor Paul: Why All Blacks can win or lose World Cup in next three weeks

27 Sep, 2019 4:45pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: It's an obvious trap into which the All Blacks have fallen once too often.

The All Blacks have been winning hearts and minds at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Gregor Paul: 'Despicable' All Blacks and the other World Cup

24 Sep, 2019 10:40am
5 minutes to read

In real life, the All Blacks are winning friends but in another universe, it's only scorn.

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Gregor Paul: How the All Blacks are re-inventing rugby

22 Sep, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: The All Blacks have set the benchmark and it seems too high to reach.

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Gregor Paul: Springboks' baseless ploy to influence All Blacks clash

20 Sep, 2019 3:00pm
6 minutes to read

COMMENT: Erasmus has no hard facts, just one crass ploy to influence All Blacks clash.

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Gregor Paul: Why this All Blacks lineup is a massive risk

19 Sep, 2019 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Hansen's huge play could pay off spectacularly, or deliver no reward.

The All Blacks gather for a team talk during a New Zealand training session at Kashiwa no Ha Park Stadium on September 11, 2019 in Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. Photo / Getty Images.

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Gregor Paul: The great All Blacks con-job that could sink Boks

17 Sep, 2019 3:36pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: The story of the World Cup may be that everyone has misread the All Blacks.

All Blacks pose for a group photo after the team's welcome ceremony of the Rugby World Cup 2019 at Zojoji temple in Tokyo. Photo / AP

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Gregor Paul: Global travellers on top of world

15 Sep, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Scotland, Ireland and New Zealand will all find a way to enjoy Japan.

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Gregor Paul: The trap All Blacks must avoid at World Cup

13 Sep, 2019 3:30pm
7 minutes to read

COMMENT: The magic number the All Blacks can't lose sight of at the Rugby World Cup.

The Black Ferns celebrate the win during the Rugby Test match between the New Zealand Black Ferns and the Buildcorp Wallaroos at Optus Stadium, August 10 2019. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

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Gregor Paul: The staggering hypocrisy of 'gender neutral' World Cups

10 Sep, 2019 7:41pm
4 minutes to read

Comment: World Rugby's headline-grabbing promise about gender-neutral event is empty.

NZ Rugby CEO Steve Tew and World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont shake hands after New Zealand was announced as the winning bid for Women's Rugby World Cup 2021. Photo / Photosport

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3-star hotels, gender inequality: The truth about 2021 Rugby World Cup

10 Sep, 2019 3:00pm
4 minutes to read

Rugby's drive to create gender equality has hit an ice-berg.

All Black captain Kieran Read and head coach Steve Hansen. Photo / Getty Images

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Gregor Paul: The strategy the All Blacks hope will win the World Cup

7 Sep, 2019 8:00pm
4 minutes to read

COMMENT: Hidden in plain sight against Tonga was the All Blacks' World Cup gameplan.

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Gregor Paul: The decision 'haunting' coaches ahead of World Cup

6 Sep, 2019 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

A big call left plenty of coaches worried the World Cup is going to be needlessly ruined.

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Gregor Paul: How injuries derailed ABs' World Cup plans

5 Sep, 2019 6:30pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Steve Hansen will be a lot more disappointed than he would ever let on.