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Paul Lewis: The fresh faces who could start All Blacks' opening test

15 Jun, 2019 4:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The first All Black selection of the year could be one of the most experimental.

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Dead in the water: World Rugby's latest missed tackle

1 Jun, 2019 11:00am
5 minutes to read

Paul Lewis: World Rugby should be applauded for trying to make the game safer. But...

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Paul Lewis: Time for Sanzaar to act on Super Rugby farce

26 May, 2019 6:00am
5 minutes to read

What's worse – financial pressure or farce? Why Super Rugby desperately needs a change.

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Paul Lewis: Why a Lydia Ko comeback is unlikely

4 May, 2019 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

Will Ko regain former glories, a la Tiger? Possibly – but the signs are not promising.

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Paul Lewis: How to fix modern rugby's snorefest

27 Apr, 2019 1:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Let's do away with what has become a modern snorefest in rugby games.

Damian McKenzie's was ruled out of this year's World Cup squad. Photo / Getty

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The answer to McKenzie's World Cup exit that was overlooked

20 Apr, 2019 10:03am
5 minutes to read

Comment: The All Black we've all overlooked in the wake of Damian McKenzie's injury.

Israel Folau pointing to the heavens. Photo / Getty

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Paul Lewis: Folau beliefs a case of tweet and be damned

14 Apr, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Israel Folau has sadly managed to colour his sporting prowess with cruel bigotry.

Crusaders horses provide the pre match entertainment during the match between the Crusaders and the British and Irish Lions. Photo / Getty Images.

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Paul Lewis: The 'right' change Crusaders should make now

23 Mar, 2019 9:37am
5 minutes to read

There is something that can happen straight away and it should, writes Paul Lewis.

CVC reportedly bought Formula 1 for £1.4 billion in 2004 and made £3.5 billion over the next decade. Photo / AP

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Paul Lewis: CVC's Six Nations bid threatens future of rugby

17 Mar, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: It isn't just the world rugby championship threatened by CVC's £500 million bid.

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Paul Lewis: The hypocrisy behind rugby's World League outrage

9 Mar, 2019 4:30pm
5 minutes to read

There's a contrary point to make about the hubbub surrounding the so-called World League.

Julian Savea during the Pasifika Challenge clash between the All Blacks and Samoa at Eden Park in 2017. Photo / Greg Bowker.

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'Hilarious': How Savea saga did All Blacks a favour

23 Feb, 2019 3:30pm
5 minutes to read

Paul Lewis: The real danger to NZ rugby is in shrinking numbers playing at schools.

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Dutch challengers on America's Cup mission

17 Feb, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

America's Cup challengers from The Netherlands are in New Zealand.

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Paul Lewis: How to deal with players accused of rape

16 Feb, 2019 4:00pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Athletes need to be on notice that their career is not an inviolable gift.

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Yachting: Luna Rossa bid to block rivals

10 Feb, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Three of six challengers for 2021 America's Cup in Auckland are target of legal action.

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The fascinating sub-plot to this year's Super Rugby season

9 Feb, 2019 12:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: With three international blindside flankers missing, competition is formidable.

Emirates Team New Zealand have confirmed that cases are being heard by the Cup's arbitration panel. Photo / Getty

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America's Cup in turmoil: Three challengers face legal action

9 Feb, 2019 9:30am
4 minutes to read

Tension is simmering below the surface as Emirates TNZ confirm cases are being heard.

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Lewis: The brave idea which can save dying rugby

2 Feb, 2019 5:05pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Rugby is in a boring place right now and a global championship could fix that.

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Tricky times for Parker: Dethroned champion a difficult sell

26 Jan, 2019 3:30pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: The next two or three bouts will be especially delicate for Joseph Parker.

Novak Djokovic is leading a war over men's player pay. Photo / AP

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Paul Lewis: Why tennis needs to stop kissing the rings of blokes

19 Jan, 2019 4:30pm
5 minutes to read

Tennis tug-of-war: There are inequities more urgent than shoring up lesser-ranked males.

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All eyes on Aussie Open: Will Williams be serene?

13 Jan, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

The most fascinating match at the Aussie Open could be a rematch between Serena and Osaka.

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Stop the hysteria: NZR can't be blamed for rugby deaths

5 Jan, 2019 5:00pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Reaction to recent rugby deaths obscures genuine concern for player welfare.

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Paul Lewis: Neesham's Cricket World Cup audition

30 Dec, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Jimmy Neesham must show what he can do with the ball.

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Paul Lewis: Is time running out for Neil Wagner?

22 Dec, 2018 4:00pm
5 minutes to read

Sri Lanka test highlighted the first threads of doubt over Wagner's career at the top.

Emirates Team New Zealand celebrates after they beat ORACLE TEAM USA to win the America's Cup. Photo / Getty Images.

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America's Cup: The looming test of Team NZ's relationship

22 Dec, 2018 10:16am
4 minutes to read

Six challengers for the America's Cup, yes, but there could still be only five.

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'Greatest ever': The quiet brilliance of Kane Williamson

16 Dec, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: My new year's resolution is to watch more of Kane Williamson this summer.

The America's Cup on display to the public. Photo / Getty

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Paul Lewis: The beefiest America's Cup yet

8 Dec, 2018 5:30pm
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: A fifth challenger confirmed, with six a possibility and a slim chance of seven.

Boxers Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury exchange words. Photo / AP

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Lewis: Sorry Parker, but Fury v Wilder has all my interest

1 Dec, 2018 9:22am
5 minutes to read

Sorry, Joe Parker, but the fight I am really looking forward to is Fury v Wilder.

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Alarming ABs tactics: Worry over 'brave little chap'

24 Nov, 2018 2:17pm
5 minutes to read

Comment: Ben Smith is the best fullback in the world. But is he the best in the country?

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Lewis: Umaga ousted, not diminished

18 Nov, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Difficult not to admire Tana Umaga's dignity this week.

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Lewis: ABs coach blind in defence of Barrett's goalkicking

10 Nov, 2018 1:20pm
5 minutes to read

Foster somehow managed to make Barrett's goalkicking some sort of media conspiracy.

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Lewis: Disgraced Aussie cricketers bans should stand

3 Nov, 2018 10:06am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Let's see Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft, and David Warner's bans stand, shall we?

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Lewis: The many ABs hoping to avoid 'Japan Syndrome'

27 Oct, 2018 10:53am
5 minutes to read

For some the tour will be an AB trial, others are more like participants in an academy.

Waterfront Stadium proposal October 2018 A partially submerged stadium on the Bledsiloe Wharf would be paid for by a private consortium.

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Lewis: New waterfont stadium proposal doesn't go far enough

20 Oct, 2018 10:27am
5 minutes to read

The new waterfront stadium proposal doesn't go quite far enough, writes Paul Lewis.

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Comment: SBW is looking a bit SBW (slow, battling, wobbly)

13 Oct, 2018 3:30pm
5 minutes to read

A few ABs emerged from Boks test with question marks as opposed to exclamation points.

Steve Bruce was sacked after cabbage attack. Photo / Getty Images

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Paul Lewis: Vegetable-hurling habit simply good, healthy fun

7 Oct, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The noble art of vegetable throwing has a proud tradition in sport.

Jordie Barrett and Beauden Barrett. Photo / Getty

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The answer to All Blacks' kicking woes

29 Sep, 2018 1:00pm
5 minutes to read

ABs' kicking is a selection conundrum, wrapped in a dilemma and tied up with a quandary.

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ABs UK exodus: What Sopoaga got wrong, and right

15 Sep, 2018 12:17pm
5 minutes to read

Lima Sopoaga was wrong – but he was also right, writes Paul Lewis.

Colin Kaepernick kneels for the National Anthem. Photo / Getty

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How sport became Trump's biggest enemy

8 Sep, 2018 4:30pm
5 minutes to read

It might just be sport that sticks the biggest spear in Trump's side, writes Paul Lewis.

Simon Mannering in front of a mural for his 300th match created by artist Emily Gardner aka Adore, Vodafone Warriors NRL rugby league training session. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

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Lewis: What you might not know about Mannering

1 Sep, 2018 11:31am
5 minutes to read

Mannering is a throwback. There's no discernible ego, no need for any "look at me" stuff.

All Blacks prop Owen Franks during the All Blacks team training session, held at Mt Smart Stadium, in preparation for the second Bledisloe Cup rugby test against the Wallabies. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

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What the stats don't say: Inside rugby's strangest brotherhood

25 Aug, 2018 6:52am
5 minutes to read

The Front Row Club will all be cheering if he scores his first try 100th test tonight.

Richie Mo'unga of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty

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All Blacks beware: Mo'unga could be victim of 'Sopoaga Syndrome'

11 Aug, 2018 11:20am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: The All Blacks may want to guard against what happened to Sopoaga.

Joseph Parker reacts after being knocked down by Dillian Whyte during their heavyweight bout at the O2 Arena in London. Photo / AP

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Lewis: Don't crucify Parker for not being a bully

4 Aug, 2018 11:20am
5 minutes to read

Good old boxing. Sometimes it manages to knock itself out.

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Comment: Where have all our world-class no.7s gone?

21 Jul, 2018 9:20am
5 minutes to read

Where the hell are the international-class openside flankers, asks Paul Lewis.

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Why the world needs France to win the World Cup

14 Jul, 2018 2:00pm
5 minutes to read

France must win the World Cup if there is a faint hope the world could be a better place.

The hands, words and actions of Diego Maradona are an embarrassment to football. Photo / Getty Images

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Lewis: Time for FIFA to clean up Maradona mess

8 Jul, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Maradona's perspective demonstrated how deluded even former players can be.

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What the All Blacks should learn from German football

30 Jun, 2018 1:30pm
5 minutes to read

Paul Lewis: Watching Germany depart the World Cup brought to mind the All Blacks.

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Paul Lewis: Head contact rule is an ass

16 Jun, 2018 4:30pm
5 minutes to read

'The only way to beat head clashes is by adopting Rippa Rugby at international level.'

Ben Smith of the Highlanders and All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

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Is this the beginning of the end for All Black Ben Smith?

9 Jun, 2018 10:20am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Is Ben Smith's shift from fullback to wing the beginning of the end?

A dejected goalkeeper Loris Karius of Liverpool. Photo / Getty Images

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Lewis: Karius' mistakes shine light on cruel sports fans

3 Jun, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Athletes mistakes also offer a view into how people watch sport, writes Paul Lewis.

Mathieu Bastareaud is a key figure in the French team to tour New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

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Paul Lewis: We can't write off French

27 May, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Yet it may be French rugby is on the way back.

Samuel Whitelock and Brodie Retallick. Photo / Getty Images

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Lewis: Where have all the quality NZ locks gone?

19 May, 2018 4:45pm
5 minutes to read

What would happen if the All Blacks were to lose Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick?

Dan Carter of Racing 92 looks on during the European Rugby Champions Cup Semi Final between Leicester Tigers and Racing 92. Photo / Getty Images.

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Lewis: 'Anti-NZ' rugby writer's swipe at Carter embarrassing

12 May, 2018 10:23am
5 minutes to read

UK scribe's wind-up tactics have wound right down.

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Lewis: Shame on the IAAF over discrimination

29 Apr, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Caster Semenya has been controversial in athletics for years and it's wrong.

Richard Fale, an Hawaiian politician and chief executive of the Tongan/US bid to buy the Auckland-based NZ Warriors NRL rugby league team. Photo / Greg Bowker

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Comment: Fale harpoons his bid to buy club

22 Apr, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Prediction: The Warriors will soon be sold to the Auckland Rugby League.

Samuel Gaze and Anton Cooper celebrate winning the Men's Cross-country Mountain Bike in Nerang at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Photo / Greg Bowker.

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Biggest Pork Chop Award - Gaze or Folau?

14 Apr, 2018 11:04am
5 minutes to read

It's difficult to know who wins the Biggest Pork Chop Award this week, writes Paul Lewis.

Sonny Bill Williams (L) and Rieko Ioane of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

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Six candidates, two spots: The ABs midfield conundrum

7 Apr, 2018 2:54pm
5 minutes to read

Paul Lewis: The midfield is the most interesting aspect of All Black selection this year.

Kevin Shoebridge of Team New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

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Paul Lewis: Cup bases - the real story

1 Apr, 2018 9:05am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Inability to decide on a base made us look like a tin-pot.

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Lewis: Rugby on track for another kind of headache

24 Mar, 2018 11:23am
5 minutes to read

The health of the game is also a vital element in the health of the players.

England's head coach Eddie Jones. Photo / James Crombie.

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Lewis: Poor old Eddie Jones, the walls seem to be closing in

17 Mar, 2018 9:35am
5 minutes to read

A coach has a limited life span with any team and Eddie Jones' time may soon be up.

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Paul Lewis: Captaincy crisis hit out of park

11 Mar, 2018 5:00am
5 minutes to read

COMMENT: Cricket can be the most backbiting, the most political, of sports.

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Blues' insanity: Players to blame or coaches?

3 Mar, 2018 10:38am
5 minutes to read

Supporting the Blues is not a job for the faint-hearted, writes Paul Lewis.

Lydia Ko consults with caddie No11 Jonny Scott at the Honda LPGA Thailand. After two rounds she sits at 32nd. Photo / Getty Images

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Paul Lewis: Swing roundabouts spell danger

25 Feb, 2018 5:00am
4 minutes to read

OPINION: There are plenty of golfers who've never let anyone tamper with their swing.