On the latest edition of Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier recap the opening weekend of the World Cup - leading with a big focus on the All Blacks' 27-13 loss to France and how they were defeated...and why.

We delve into where to from here for the All Blacks and if they simply just don't have a seat at the top table currently in the sport.

We also review the other big games of the first week - including whether Fiji can feel hard done by losing to Wales in the final game of the opening weekend.

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Elliott and Liam react to the All Blacks' 23 selected for the tournament opener against France Saturday morning NZT and react to the news that Emoni Narawa is out of the tournament.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier count down to the opening weekend of the 2023 Rugby World Cup - looking at the All Blacks pool as well as the other three pools and picking who is likely to emerge from there into the quarters.

We also touch on our earliest and favourite Rugby World Cup memories and pick who will win the tournament.

Elliott and Liam also comb through NZR's governance review and what it means for the sport in the future and what tangible change might take place.

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Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are again in London for this week's Rugby Direct podcast, reviewing the All Blacks' worst-ever defeat in the Qatar Airways Cup match against South Africa.

What does this mean ahead of the World Cup and is it panic stations? We also update the Scott Barrett saga and review some of the weekend's other big warm-up matches including the Flying Fijians beating England at Twickenham.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam are in London - as the All Blacks count down to their final World Cup warm-up match against the Springboks.

We debate that match, the likely selections as well as what is being gained from the warm-up fixtures.

We talk the Owen Farrell saga, as well as the latest Eddie Jones and Rugby Australia hijinks as well as the ongoing question of the NPC.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Hawke's Bay - reflecting on the Rugby World Cup squad announcement the night before as we debate the inclusions, the exclusions and the balance of the squad named by Ian Foster and his selectors to head to France.

We also look back at the second Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Dunedin, with the All Blacks mounting a major fightback to remain unbeaten in season 2023.

Elliott and Liam also touch on the NPC getting underway, the return of Warrenball (should we be worried) and much to Liam's annoyance, Elliott finds a reason to mention Canterbury schoolboy rugby.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier are in Christchurch after returning from Melbourne where the All Blacks decimated the Wallabies 38-7 to retain the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.

The boys review that game and how the All Blacks were forced to win differently than the last two performances, as well as look at Scott Barrett's performance and how the changes might fall for the Dunedin test on Saturday.

We then take a look at the Rugby World Cup squad announcement on August 7th and how this weekend might affect that, as well as which positions and players are the most likely to be still debated by the selectors.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam look ahead to the first Bledisloe Cup meeting of the year on Saturday and debate the selection conundrums facing the All Blacks selectors as well as gauging the possibilities of an Australian boil-over in Melbourne.

We also tackle the Farah Palmer Cup, the Rugby Championship's other match this weekend and whether rugby has managed to get the TMO sorted or not.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the All Blacks' big win over South Africa in what was somewhat of a statement performance from them ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

We discuss whether the blindside flanker debate is over in the wake of Shannon Frizell's form and how the second half performance might have told more of a story than the first.

We also review the Black Ferns' Pacific Four win, Johnny Sexton's three match ban and ponder what Eddie Jones meant when he said "Look out" to the All Blacks.

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This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott Smith and Liam Napier review the first All Blacks' test of season 2023, the big win over Argentina in Mendoza, while we also touch on the controversial pitch invader saga post match and offer some thoughts around that.

We ask what's gone wrong with the under-20 programme, take a look at the Black Ferns' win over Canada and look ahead to the next assignment for the All Blacks - the Springboks on Saturday.

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