Nick Mulvenney

Ben Stokes eased concerns about his fitness after he captained England to a thumping eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the first test at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on Sunday.

After fixating obsessively over one spot in the batting order for the best part of the spring, Australia's media pundits and cricket fans have been handed a plethora of talking points by the abject defeat in the first test against India.

Australian Brett Robinson, who was elected chairman of World Rugby on Thursday, stood on a platform of expansion and change for the game as it approaches the start of its fourth decade as a professional sport.

Former captain Sam Cane is an injury doubt for New Zealand ahead of their clash with France next weekend but coach Scott Robertson is confident Beauden Barrett and Codie Taylor will be fit to play in Paris.

Former players and media pundits lined up on Sunday to heap praise on the Wallabies for Saturday's surprise victory over England, hailing the last-gasp win as a turning point for Australian rugby under coach Joe Schmidt.

Australia coach Tony Popovic has dropped teenager Nestory Irankunda and called up experienced campaigners Rhyan Grant, Milos Degenek and Martin Boyle for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Australia prop Angus Bell believes Joseph Suaalii will become one of the best rugby union players in the world and dismissed talk that handing the rugby league convert a test debut on the end-of-season tour would cheapen the Wallabies jersey.

Harry Potter the rugby player may have been born in the leafy London suburb of Wimbledon but with an accent more Saint Kilda than SW19, the versatile back has no doubt that his allegiances lie firmly with Australia.

New Zealand Rugby on Tuesday gave their backing to Australian Brett Robinson in his bid to succeed Bill Beaumont as chairman of global governing body World Rugby in next month's election.

Australian wicketkeeper-batsmen Matthew Wade, who played in all three formats of the game for his country, announced his retirement from international cricket and a move into coaching on Tuesday.