Thursday Morning Round Up

All Blacks squad to face France 

The matchday 23 features 11 players from the team which played the Barbarians in London last weekend. They've been complemented by a group of senior All Blacks returning to the starting XV, including captain Kieran Read, hooker Dane Coles, lock Sam Whitelock, halfback Aaron Smith and midfielders Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty.

Meanwhile, Vaea Fifita has been named at blindside flanker, Rieko Ioane is back on the left wing and Damian McKenzie is at fullback. Wyatt Crockett and Matt Todd also return to the matchday 23 providing loosehead prop and loose forward cover respectively from the bench.

WATCH | Steve Hansen talks about the challenge and the beauty of playing the unpredictable French.

TEAM: https://t.co/neMWVvwngl#FRAvNZL pic.twitter.com/2nzBmalS3L

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) November 9, 2017

Maori All Blacks squad to face the French Barbarians

Keepa Mewett & Sam Henwood will make their Maori All Blacks debut in the starting line up, while Jonathan Ruru & Teihorangi Walden are the debutants on the bench.

Maori All Blacks Coach Clayton McMillan discusses the team and new faces that will take to the field.
FULL SQUAD: https://t.co/DbKtfb6KlF pic.twitter.com/JusL8cvt4P

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) November 8, 2017

Witch-doctor has banished my injury curse, says Manu Tuilagi

Tuilagi visited the nation of his birth last week upon the advice of his mother, who suggested seeing the spiritual healer after serious groin, hamstring and knee strains significantly disrupted his playing time for England and Leicester since 2014.  

Tuilagi will undergo a knee surgery in further blow to England prospects. According to the 26-year-old, he made the hour-long boat ride from Samoa’s mainland to the island of Upolu from Monday to Thursday where the potentially deadly female spirits were banished by balming him with Fijian oil.  “I saw the witch-doctor for two hours a day and she said she found what the illness was,” Tuilagi said on BT Sports Rugby Tonight.

“She massaged my whole body – all I needed was a towel and a Fijian oil.  “She was half Fijian and half Samoan and found there were three lady spirits who had married themselves on to me for the last three years.

The witch-doctor told me that was why I had been injured. The spirits wanted me for themselves – they wanted to punish me and injuring me was the way to do it. Every time I played – bang. Now they have gone.  “But maybe when it comes out in this newspaper they will know again? This is the first time I have done it and I hope to be back playing in mid-December.”