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All Blacks to play Barbarians in November, with hope of England clash dashed
Last updated 16:03, March 22 2017
The All Blacks will not be playing England at the end of the year, with the RFU set to green-light New Zealand's game against the Barbarians.
England, fresh from joining the All Blacks with a tier 1 record 18 consecutive test victories, had hoped to test their best against the world champion All Blacks in November, with their side on top of their game.
But according to the Daily Mail's Chris Foy, those hopes have been dashed as NZ Rugby chief executive Steve Tew has insisted his side plays the Barbarians, rather than a hastily put together test against England.
The Barbarians match will go ahead at Twickenham, and had to be signed off by RFU chief Ian Ritchie.
"The intention is to mark the union's 125th anniversary with a celebratory - and lucrative - match against the famous invitational club, before the serious business of their European tour sees them play Tests against France, Scotland and Wales," Foy wrote for the Daily Mail.
It had long seemed unlikely that the England fixture would go ahead, despite suggestions that Ritchie would veto the Barbarians clash if the proposed England game didn't go ahead.
But with Tew staying firm in his desire for the All Blacks to play the Barbarians, England's officials have backed down.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/a...d-clash-dashed