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Marc Hinton19:20, Jul 03 2021
SKY SPORT
Māori All Blacks ease past Samoa again.
Job done. Clayton McMillan’s Māori All Blacks marked their 125th international appearance, and Otere Black’s farewell, by completing a clinical sweep of a gallant but outmatched Manu Samoa side at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday. Opening an historic Pasifika-themed double-header at the home of the Warriors, the Māori worked their usual mixture of forward grunt and backline enterprise to go two from two against the Samoans with a 38-21, six tries to three, victory. Backing up from last weekend’s convincing success over the same opponents in Wellington, this was another top-drawer effort from a side that continues to grace the international stage with aplomb. This was their 12th win from as many matches against the Samoans.
03/07/2021
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MÄori All Blacks 38 (Lowe x2, Wainui, Dixon, penalty tryx2, Ioane 1con, Black con) bt
Manu SamoaÂ
HT 19-7
Fulltime - That s a wrap. Better game than last week with Manu Samoa looking much more polished tonight. take the two penaty tries out of that one and it was a super close game.
80mins - Try Manu Samoa: Kalolo Tuiloma -Â Well deserved try, Pick and go and eventually the big prop crashes over to end the game on a high.
MAB 38-21
78mins - Manu Samoa looking for a a five-pointer to end. All-out attack from the visitors. Several phases with the MÄori giving away three penalties in two minutes.
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Patrick Tuipulotu, left, and Dalton Papalii have finally shaken off injuries to return to action for the Blues.
The Blues are clearly not buying into the woeful Waratahs storyline, returning their two fit-again All Blacks to active duty and making just three changes to the starting XV that put a half-century past the Rebels last Saturday. The bookies have the Blues as unbackable favourites to become the 10th straight team to wallop the winless Waratahs in 2021 when they run out on Saturday at Eden Park (4.35pm kickoff) for their second game of this Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition.