Simba’s on song for All Blacks

THE star of the West End’s Lion King, Nick Afoa, will fly to Auckland to sing the New Zealand national anthem before the final Test, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Afoa grew up with dreams of becoming an All Blacks star and played at the Under-19s World Cup. His career was ended prematurely by a knee injury but he has since reinvented himself on the London stage.

FORMER Leicester scrum-half Jamie Hamilton could be the All Blacks’ secret weapon. The Surreyborn 46-year-old was never capped by England but has made huge steps up the coaching ladder. He became one of the first video specialists and is now performance analyst for the All Blacks.