1997 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland

March 2014 March 2014 September 2013 New Zealand 1997 9 8 1 0 4 3 1 0 IRE 1 1 0 0 ENG 2 1 1 0 WAL 1 1 0 0 The New Zealand national rugby union team toured Britain and Ireland in November and December 1997. They played nine matches, including test matches against Wales, Ireland and two against England. They won each of the first eight games, but drew the second test against England in their final match, avoiding a clean sweep. Results Scores and results list New Zealand's points tally first. Opponent For Against Date Venue Status Llanelli 81 3 8 November 1997 Stradey Park, Llanelli Tour match Wales A 51 8 11 November 1997 Sardis Road, Pontypridd Tour match Ireland 63 15 15 November 1997 Lansdowne Road, Dublin Test match Emerging England 59 22 18 November 1997 McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield Tour match England 25 8 22 November 1997 Old Trafford, Manchester Test match English Rugby Partnership XV 18 11 25 November 1997 Ashton Gate, Bristol Tour match Wales 42 7 29 November 1997 Wembley Stadium, London Test match England A 30 19 2 December 1997 Welford Road Stadium, Leicester Tour match England 26 26 6 December 1997 Twickenham Stadium, London Test match Squads New Zealand The New Zealand Rugby selection panel named a squad of 36 for the tour, including six uncapped players: full-back Todd Miller, flanker Aaron Hopa, prop Gordon Slater, half-back Mark Robinson, number 8 Steve Surridge and centre Jeremy Stanley. Wing Jonah Lomu, second five-eighth Walter Little and flanker Andrew Blowers returned to the squad after illness and injury. Number 8 Zinzan Brooke was picked for his final All Black tour ahead of a move to English club Harlequins in 1998.All the world's a stage - and these are the players https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/rugby_union/19976.stm BBC News 2 November 1997 18 April 2025 Name Position Club Notes Sean Fitzpatrick Hooker Auckland Captain Norm Hewitt Hooker Southland Anton Oliver Hooker Otago Bull Allen rugby union Loosehead prop Central Vikings Craig Dowd Loosehead prop Auckland Con Barrell Tighthead prop Canterbury Olo Brown Tighthead prop Auckland Gordon Slater rugby union Tighthead prop Taranaki Robin Brooke Lock Auckland Mark Cooksley Lock Waikato Ian Jones rugby union, born 1967 Lock North Harbour Charles Riechelmann Lock Auckland Todd Blackadder Blindside flanker Canterbury Aaron Hopa Blindside flanker Waikato Taine Randell Blindside flanker Otago Andrew Blowers Openside flanker Auckland Mark Carter rugby Openside flanker Auckland Josh Kronfeld Openside flanker Otago Zinzan Brooke Number 8 Auckland Steve Surridge Number 8 Canterbury Justin Marshall Half-back Canterbury Jon Preston Half-back Wellington Mark Robinson rugby, born 1975 Half-back North Harbour Andrew Mehrtens First five-eighth Canterbury Carlos Spencer First five-eighth Auckland Alama Ieremia Second five-eighth Wellington Walter Little rugby union Second five-eighth North Harbour Frank Bunce Centre North Harbour Scott McLeod rugby union Centre Waikato Jeremy Stanley Centre Auckland Jonah Lomu Wing Counties-Manukau Glen Osborne Wing North Harbour Tana Umaga Wing Wellington Jeff Wilson sportsman Wing Otago Christian Cullen Full-back Central Vikings Todd Miller rugby union Full-back Waikato England England coach Clive Woodward named a 28-man training squad for their four tests in November and December. Name Position Club Notes Lawrence Dallaglio Back row Wasps Captain Phil Greening Hooker Gloucester Andy Long Andy Long (rugby union) Hooker Bath Mark Regan Hooker Bath Darren Garforth Prop Leicester Will Green rugby union Prop Wasps Jason Leonard Prop Harlequins Graham Rowntree Prop Leicester Garath Archer Lock Newcastle Danny Grewcock Lock Saracens Martin Johnson rugby union Lock Leicester Neil Back Back row Leicester Tony Diprose Back row Saracens Richard Hill rugby union, born 1973 Back row Saracens Tim Rodber Back row Northampton Kyran Bracken Scrum-half Saracens Matt Dawson Scrum-half Northampton Mike Catt Fly-half Bath Paul Grayson rugby union Fly-half Northampton Alex King rugby union Fly-half Wasps Phil de Glanville Centre Bath Will Greenwood Centre Leicester Adedayo Adebayo Wing Bath John Bentley rugby Wing Newcastle David Rees rugby union, born 1974 Wing Sale Nick Beal Full-back Northampton Matt Perry rugby union Full-back Bath Tim Stimpson Full-back Newcastle Wales Wales named a combined group of 52 covering both their senior team and the development squad for their November internationals. The most significant omission was their former captain, wing Ieuan Evans, but coach Kevin Bowring said this was for fitness reasons rather than Evans being on the verge of international retirement. Name Position Club Notes Gwyn Jones rugby union Back row Cardiff Captain Jonathan Humphreys Hooker Cardiff Garin Jenkins Hooker Swansea Robin McBryde Hooker Llanelli Barry Williams rugby union Hooker Richmond Chris Anthony rugby union Prop Swansea Ian Buckett Prop Swansea Aled Griffiths Prop Pontypridd Andrew Lewis rugby union Prop Cardiff Christian Loader Prop Swansea Lyndon Mustoe Prop Cardiff Dai Young Prop Cardiff Ian Gough Lock Newport James Griffiths rugby union Lock Swansea Gareth Llewellyn Lock Harlequins Steve Moore rugby union Lock Moseley Craig Quinnell Lock Richmond Mark Rowley rugby union Lock Pontypridd Chris Stephens rugby union Lock Bridgend Mike Voyle Lock Llanelli Neil Watkins Lock Neath Rob Appleyard Back row Swansea Steve Gardner rugby union Back row Neath Hywel Jenkins Back row Llanelli Scott Quinnell Back row Richmond Mark Spiller Back row Pontypridd Nathan Thomas rugby union Back row Bath Martyn Williams Back row Pontypridd Steve Williams rugby union, born 1970 Back row Cardiff Chris Wyatt rugby union Back row Llanelli Huw Harries Scrum-half Harlequins Paul John rugby union Scrum-half Pontypridd Andy Moore rugby union, born 1968 Scrum-half Richmond Shaun Connor Fly-half Newport Byron Hayward Fly-half Ebbw Vale Lee Jarvis Fly-half Cardiff Neil Jenkins Fly-half Pontypridd Arwel Thomas Fly-half Swansea Allan Bateman Centre Richmond Neil Boobyer Centre Llanelli Leigh Davies Centre Cardiff Scott Gibbs Centre Swansea Jason Lewis rugby union Centre Pontypridd Martin Giraud Wing London Welsh Dafydd James Wing Pontypridd Rhys Shorney Wing UWIC Gareth Thomas rugby, born 1974 Wing Bridgend Nigel Walker athlete Wing Cardiff Gareth Wyatt Wing Pontypridd Matt Back Full-back Swansea Garan Evans Full-back Llanelli Kevin Morgan rugby union Full-back Pontypridd References Mick Cleary Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998–99 1998 Headline 0-7472-7653-6 Category:1997 rugby union tours tour 1997 Category:1997–98 in Irish rugby union tour tour 1997 1997 1997 Category:1997–98 in European rugby union Category:1997–98 in British rugby union