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Home / Northern Advocate / Sport

Regions set to face All Blacks in August

By Andrew Johnsen
Northern Advocate·
24 Jun, 2016 06:00 PM3 mins to read

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PROVINCIAL PRIDE: Northland will get the chance to take on the likes of Israel Dagg when they play in the 'Game of Three Halves' with the All Blacks and Counties Manukau in August. PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

PROVINCIAL PRIDE: Northland will get the chance to take on the likes of Israel Dagg when they play in the 'Game of Three Halves' with the All Blacks and Counties Manukau in August. PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

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Northland will get to take on the All Blacks in the "Game of Three Halves".

The All Blacks will again play two provincial sides, Counties Manukau and Northland, in August as part of their preparations for the Investec Rugby Championship.

The "Game of Three Halves" training matches will be held at ECOLight Stadium in Pukekohe on the evening of Friday, August 12, with the first "game" at 5.30pm.

The All Blacks will play 40-minute training matches against each provincial side, with the two provincial teams also playing a 40-minute match.

The games will be played as the provincial sides prepare to kick off their 2016 campaigns for the renamed national competition, the Mitre 10 Cup.

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It will be the second time Counties Manukau have hosted the All Blacks for the hugely popular event, with previous events in Auckland and Wellington attracting thousands of fans.

Northland coach Richie Harris said he was excited for his players.

"Many New Zealand boys dream of one day playing for the All Blacks. Our national provincial competition has always been part of the pathway into Super Rugby and into the All Blacks," he said.

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"This is a rare opportunity for our guys to play against the All Blacks, possibly the next best thing to playing for our national team."

Counties Manukau Steelers Head Coach Darryl Suasua said he could not wait for the occasion.

"The opportunity to take on the All Blacks and Northland at home in Pukekohe is exciting for our community and our players," he said.

"It will be an honour to play and host the All Blacks again and we are really looking forward to this."

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said it was an important part of their process before the Rugby Championship.

"The training matches against provincial teams are great for our build-up and we are grateful for the opportunity to play Counties Manukau and Northland. It should be a great night," he said.

Tickets for the "Game of Three Halves" are available from the Counties Manukau RFU offices at ECOLight Stadium or iticket.co.nz.

The All Blacks will be in Auckland as part of their preparations for the Bledisloe Cup and opening Investec Rugby Championship test against Australia in Sydney on Saturday, August 20. The opening round of Mitre 10 Cup will kick off the same week, with Counties Manukau taking on North Harbour on Thursday, August 18 and Northland playing Manawatu the following night.

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