San Diego, CA
All Blacks overwhelm Fiji in San Diego
Scrum power ensured the All Blacks were untroubled for all but a few moments in their 47-5 Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Test in San Diego against Fiji on Saturday.
The All Blacks’ impressive scrum effort, backed by a much tidier lineout display, was backed by a much tidier lineout display. They relished the chance to build their plays while also introducing six new players to Test match play.
The Fijians enjoyed their best moments in the middle of the second half, doing the All Blacks a favour as they introduced their substitutes en masse, ensuring those newcomers received a realistic introduction to Test play. That was most obvious for halfback Noah Hotham, whose start was made in the first half after an injury to starting halfback Cortez Ratima was injured.
Complementing the scrum performance was strong running consistently through the game by second five-eighths Anton Lienert-Brown, who took on the Fijians every time he touched the ball. He worked well with debut centre Billy Proctor, who also enjoyed an impressive display, marking the occasion with a try.
Another to score on debut was replacement hooker George Bell, who drove over for the last try of the game.
The New Zealanders took full advantage of their 58 per cent first-half possession advantage to run the ball often, freed from the confines of England’s rush defence, to lead 26-5 at halftime. The Fijians’ accuracy did not help them, as they missed 26 first-half tackles compared to seven by the All Blacks.
While they improved in the second half, they were unable to complete the breakouts they achieved, several times losing the ball close to the All Blacks’ line.
The All Blacks settled into their routines, and it was a ninth-minute kick by first five-eighths Damian McKenzie to Sevu Reece on the right wing to create the first try. Reece passed inside to Proctor, who went to the ground. Quick ball saw McKenzie step through the line. He linked with fullback Beauden Barrett, and wing Caleb Clarke cut back against the grain for the try.
Three minutes later, from the first scrum, quick ball again saw second five-eighths Lienert-Brown make another break, and from the ruck Ratima, took a gap to score on starting debut.
Fiji struck back in the 17th minute, after a period in the All Blacks half. It was a cross-kick by first five-eighths Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula to wing Semi Redradra that opened their chance. In the tackle, the pass inside found fullback Vilimoni Botitu, who scored.
Proctor scorched onto the attack from the restart, and while points reward was not immediate, he was on hand from a 25th-minute scrum 15m out from the Fiji line when the All Blacks went right initially before moving back to the left, where Barrett fed Proctor through to score.
Fiji had no answer to the All Blacks’ scrum power, even on their ball, and from one scrum, the All Blacks pushed over the ball, won a penalty and kicked to the corner. Another penalty from the lineout play saw them opt for a tap penalty move. Hooker Asafo Aumua took the ball to the line, and it was No8 Ardie Savea, who was hard to stop whenever he had the ball in hand, running back across the ruck, who took the ball, propped and ducked through the defence to score.
Unfortunately, in the restart, Ratima was injured and forced to leave the field, giving Hotham his All Blacks debut.
In the follow-up play, Fiji attacked, and wing Jiuta Wainiqolo looked to have scored in McKenzie’s tackle, but a TMO check revealed he dropped the ball over the line.
Wing Sevu Reece was on the end of quick passing through the line to open the second half, scoring with his 17th Test match try three minutes after the start.
Clarke’s second try was denied in the 53rd minute after the TMO showed that the gap Reece took to create the movement was made possible because lock Scott Barrett took out Fijian replacement prop Haereiti Hetet off the ball.
But it was only a momentary setback as solid defence opened up more ball as the All Blacks flooded the field with their substitutes, who combined in the 58th minute when No8 Wallace Sititi ripped the ball free in a tackle. Hotham moved the ball to replacement prop Pasilio Tosi. He made ground before finding Sititi, who took the ball to the line, where replacement prop Ethan de Groot picked the ball up and charged over to score.
Sititi again featured with solid runs to set up the final try for Bell in the 76th minute.
Scorers: New Zealand 47 (Caleb Clarke, Cortez Ratima, Billy Proctor, Ardie Savea, Sevu Reece, Ethan de Groot, George Bell tries; Damian McKenzie 6 con) Fiji 5 (Vilimoni Botitu try). HT: 26-5.
Here is some of the dining news from across San Diego County, as well as some upcoming events for foodies.
Cala café opens in La Jolla: From 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Amy de Leon will host the grand opening of her new restaurant Cala La Jolla Café in La Jolla’s historic Arcade building. Cala will offer what she calls an “omakase” coffee and matcha experience, breakfast and lunch menus and fresh-made pastries. De Leon, a real estate agent, also owns a coffee shop on the UC San Diego campus. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 7910 Girard Ave., La Jolla. 858-333-8610, calalajolla.com.
Board & Brew opens in Midway District: This sandwich-and-draft beer quick-service restaurant chain has opened a new location near the USS Midway Museum. Founded in 1979, the company now dozens of locations in California, Arizona and Texas. Shop hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 825 N. Harbor St., Suite 109, San Diego. boardandbrew.com.
Vincenzo debuts pasta program: Vicenzo Cucina & Lounge in Little Italy has introduced an in-house pasta program powered by its new artisan pasta-making machine that guests can see churning out different varieties of pasta in the restaurants’ front window. The handmade pasta wil be served with lunch and dinner entrées. 550 W. Date St., Suite A, San Diego. vincenzosd.com
Urban Plates new summer menu: Urban Plates, with 22 locations statewide including Carlsbad, Del Mar and La Jolla, has unveiled new drinks and dishes this month for its summer menu. New dishes include a BBQ jalapeño cheesebuger, Southwest grilled chicken salad and a superfood grilled chicken salad. There’s also a new lineup of refreshing fruit-based “cooloer” drinks priced at $4.50. They include strawberry basil lemonade, pineapple coconut lime, organic lemonade and dragon fruit and strawberry. urbanplates.com
Del Mar festival lineup announced: This year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival, returning with seven events Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, has unveiled some of the culinary headliners who will be cooking at the event. They are Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman; cookbook author and TV food show judge Aarti Sequeira; Camelback Mountain executive chef Beau MacMillan; “Top Chef” victor and now chef/co-owner of Huson in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, Buddha Lo; cookbook author and Weelicious.com media platform founder Catherine McCord; L.A.-based chef Jackson Kalb; Pei Wei culinary executive, Food Network host and contestant and cookbook author Jet Tila; Clutch Chicken restaurang group founder and TV cooking show contestant Kelsey Murphy; chef, author TV personality and Morph Hospitality Group co-founder Maneet Chauhan; and James Beard-nominated chef of the Colorado restaurant Mawa’s Kitchen, Mawa McQueen. Tickets are now on sale at delmar.wine
Lion’s Share + Animae family-style collab: On July 9, two downtown restaurants will collaborate on ANIMAENIACS, a family-style dinner for parties of six. The Lion’s Share chef Dante Romero and Animae chef Tara Monsod will create a multicourse meal that draws on Romero’s Mexican heritage and Monsod’s Filipino heritage. The all-inclusive meal will include three beverages per person including cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic, and an after-party. Seatings are available at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. July 9. $1,080 for a party of six. The Lion’s Share, 629 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Reservations at exploretock.com/the-lions-share-san-diego.
Tiki Oasis returns: The annual Tiki Oasis convention, which takes place each summer at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley, has announced its 2026 dates and theme. This year’s 26th convention, titled “Psychadelic Tiki,” will run Aug. 5-9. This year’s convention will include an art exhibition, more than 40 seminars, a 150-vendor marketplace, live entertainment and more. There will also be a sunset luau dinner at The Catamaran Resort. Details at tikioasis.com.
Pam Kragen, Union-Tribune
The San Diego State Aztecs are exuding a vibe that is catching recruits’ attention both on and off the field.
The latest is Travon Garrison, a 1,000-yard receiver at Damien High in La Verne, who announced his commitment to the Aztecs on Tuesday afternoon.
“I thank God for this opportunity. Grateful to all the coaches who helped me through this process. I’m excited to announce my commitment to San Diego State University!” he posted on X.
On3.com posted a picture of Garrison, some family members and SDSU coach Sean Lewis at Snapdragon Stadium. Garrison is wearing sunglasses and a sign in the picture reads, “Speed Limit None,” with the interlocking SD logo forming the “S” in Speed.
Why Travon Garrison committed to SDSU
“I’ve been on campus at San Diego State a lot,” Garrison said in an interview with on3.com. “Every time I go, I feel more comfortable, more at home. The city of San Diego is great, there’s a lot to do, the weather is nice and it feels like a place I can see myself living and growing in for the next few years.”
He added that he “really clicked well” with wideouts coach Matthew Middleton, and that he thinks he will “fit in really well with the offense. It’s very similar to what we run at Damien, so I feel comfortable with it and believe it will allow me to play fast and showcase my strengths.”
BREAKING: La Verne (Calif.) Damien WR Travon Garrison has committed to San Diego State and broke down why he chose the Aztecs
“Everything about SDSU, the coaches and the environment made it the right place for me.”
Intel: https://t.co/GW6CDqLW6Y pic.twitter.com/e2YajRQjGy
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 23, 2026
The 6-foot, 185-pound Garrison told the recruiting website that it was a tough decision after making official visits to SDSU and Washington State, which is part of the reconfigured Pac-12 that the Aztecs will officially join on July 1.
“I had to think about what was best for me, but in the end San Diego State felt like home,” Garrison told on3.com. “Everything about the program, the coaches, and the environment made it the right place for me.”
The three-star had an impressive list of offers that, besides SDSU and WSU, included bids from Kansas, UCLA, Washington, Utah, West Virginia and Colorado State.
As a junior, he had 46 passes for 978 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games and one three-touchdown game.
How Garrison could fit in at SDSU
Garrison is at least the fifth wideout from the class of 2027 to commit to the Aztecs, which should make for some lively competition a year from now.
The Aztecs currently have an intriguing wide receiver room. Although the group was hit by injuries last year, when the Aztecs had an impressive turnaround season that ended with a 9-4 record, they do return all three starters and their top four pass catchers.
The most eye-catching development in spring was when Bert Emanuel Jr. switched from backup quarterback to wide receiver. That will allow him to showcase his big-play skills while sharing the field with returning starting quarterback Jayden Denegal. They are both seniors.
The wideout corps is senior-heavy.
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