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These days life is all about FAQ's; so to clear the air for those people who have often asked me just 'how many 15s All Blacks have first come through the Gordon Tietjens sevens coaching teams?' here is the full and definitive list.
Note; While it is true Gordon has been coaching the New Zealand sevens team since 1994 his first involvement with a national sevens selection actually came a year earlier in 1993.
[In the lists which follow an * asterisk means a player had been a 15s All Black before being selected by Gordon Tietjens in an All Black sevens rugby team. (which means prominent sevens players like Eric Rush and Dallas Seymour do NOT count in a Tietjens' sevens 'list.']
1993
(GT took NZ7s 'B' team to Fiji) with Eroni Clarke* and Todd Blackadder
1994
(NZ team to Fiji and Hong Kong) with Eric Rush*, Graeme Bachop*, Jonah Lomu and Dallas Seymour*.
1995
(NZ team to Uruguay, Argentina, Fiji, Hong Kong and Japan) with Andrew Blowers, Adrian Cashmore, Christian Cullen, Roger Randle and Joeli Vidiri.
1996
(NZ team to Uruguay, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan and World Cup qualifying in Portugal) with Glen Osborne* and Caleb Ralph.
1997
(NZ team to Fiji, the 2nd Rugby World Cup in Hong Kong and Japan) with Norm Berryman, Rhys Duggan (10)and Alama Ieremia*
1998
(NZ team to Hong Kong, Japan, Jerusalem and 1st Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur) with Troy Flavell, Rico Gear and Bruce Reihana)
1999/00
(NZ team to IRB World Series I (8 events) and the Sydney Sevens) with Mils Muliaina, Craig Newby, and Paul Steinmetz
2000/01
(NZ team to IRB World Series II (10 events) with Rodney So'oialo and with NZ team to the 3rd Rugby World Cup in Mar del Plata.)
2001/02 (NZ team to IRB World Series III (9 events) with Chris Masoe and Kevin Senio.
2002/03
(NZ team to IRB World Series IV (12 events) and the 2nd Commonwealth Games in Manchester) with Nick Evans, Joe Rokocoko and Anthony Tuitavake
2003/04
(NZ team to IRB World Series V (7 events) with Liam Messam, Hosea Gear and Scott Waldrom
2004/05
(NZ team to IRB World Series VI (8 events) with Sosene Anesi, Tanerau Latimer and Ma'a Nonu*.
2005/06
(NZ team to IRB World Series VII (8 events) and the 4th Rugby World Cup in Hong Kong) with Rudi Wulf, Jerome Kaino*, Mark Ranby* Tamati Ellison and Isaia Toeava.
2006/07
(NZ team to IRB World Series VIII (8 events) and the 3rd Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.) with Cory Jane.
2007/08
(NZ team to IRB World Series IX (8 events) with Jarrad Hoeata, Adam Thomson, Rene Ranger and Ben Atiga*
2008/09
(NZ team to IRB World Series X (8 events) with Israel Dagg and Victor Vito .
2009/10
(NZ team to IRB World Series XI (8 events) and the 5th Rugby World Cup in Dubai) with Julian Savea.
2010/11
(NZ team to IRB World Series XII (8 events) and the 4th Commonwealth Games in Delhi) with Beauden Barrett, Zac Guildford* and Ben Smith*
2011/12
(NZ team to IRB World Series XIII (8 events) with Frank Halai
2012/13
(NZ team to IRB World Series XIV (9 events) and 6th Rugby World Cup in Moscow) with Charles Piutau and Ardie Savea ('Apprentice All Black' so far)
2013/14
(NZ team to IRB World Series XV (9 events) and to 5th Commonwealth Games, Glasgow) No more All Blacks 15s players at time of writing.
2014/15
(NZ team to World Rugby (formerly IRB) World Series XVI) No more All Blacks 15s players at time of writing.
SUMMARY
TOTAL; Tietjens 7s selections who became 15s ALL BLACKS after being first picked by GT; (+ 1; ARDIE SAVEA - not quite 15s All Black - he toured as an 'apprentice' 15s All Black in 2013) )
= 40 (+1 Ardie Savea)
(plus 12 in his 7s teams who were already 15s All Blacks)
= 52 (+ Ardie Savea)
.....
Australia played a superb game in the RWCup semi-final to beat Gary Whetton's NZ team by 16-6 in Dublin.
Dax and France
30 internationals for France 1954–64
Known universally as ‘Monsieur Le Drop’ because of his penchant for dropped goals, Albaladejo was also a very fine flyhalf.
Tall and stylish in the French style, Albaladejo made his debut as a fullback in 1954 against England. After one game in the Five Nations championship, and another against Italy, he was passed over by the selectors for five seasons.
Re-appearing in 1960, Albaladejo soon won a reputation as an expert drop-kicker. In his second international of that year, against Ireland, he thumped over three dropped goals, a feat unheard of at the time.
After his retirement, Albaladejo won acclaim in France as a television commentator, providing expert insights on the game all over the world, working first with the famous French broadcaster Roger Couderc and later with his replacement, Pierre Salviac.
Which international rugby player who went to two Rugby World Cups also won two Olympic Games Gold Medals and 2 World Championship bronze medals in a chosen 'other' sport?
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