At the end of a year characterised by experimentation and near constant selection tweaking, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has picked a squad for the team’s November tour low on surprises.
It is a 36-player squad for four difficult Tests against Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales in which experience has been rewarded.
There are no high-profile demotions, even for those apparently on the outer such as midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown and wing Sevu Reece, and no surprise inclusions, with hooker George Bell’s selection over Brodie McAlister a reward for the former’s NPC form and probably a reflection of the latter’s struggles against South Africa in Wellington.
There is little doubt that Robertson and his fellow selectors would have been bolder had the All Blacks XV not been scheduled to tour London and Bath next month too.
As it is, Robertson and company have been able to metaphorically have their cake and eat it too. No one already in the frame has missed the cut and all the development projects are in the other team.
The All Blacks XV, coached by Jamie Joseph, a probable future All Blacks head coach, will be named tomorrow.
Robertson today confirmed a squad of 30 would be named to play for the All Blacks XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham and England A in Bath and that “there are a few bolters that will come out tomorrow in the ABs XV”.
Robertson was reluctant to discuss who will make that squad but was happy to say Canterbury lock Sam Darry, a previous All Black who has missed out on the main trip to Josh Lord, and McAlister, will.
Otago halfback Dylan Pledger, who starred for the New Zealand Under-20s this year, along with Taranaki first-five Josh Jacomb, are also in the frame.
In explaining his selections and a lack of new blood ahead of a ‘Grand Slam’ tour to Chicago, London, Edinburgh and Cardiff, Robertson said: “If you look at the entirety of the squad, we’ve had 19 debutants in the last two years.
“We’ve got experience, we’ve got youth… the team needs to be really balanced to win Grand Slams – that’s what history shows.
“It’s been a while. When you get a crack at it you need to make the most of it.”
The All Blacks last won a Grand Slam in 2010. Apart from winning four tough Tests in succession after two defeats in the Rugby Championship, the greatest challenge for Robertson and company may be how they shuffle the deck to keep all 36 players engaged.
Seven loose forwards and six midfielders have made the trip and several players, including Lienert-Brown, Reece and even Rieko Ioane, the second most experienced back on the trip behind Beauden Barrett, have had very few opportunities recently.
Lienert-Brown, for example, has started one Test all year – the dead rubber against France in Hamilton, and played a bit part against the Pumas in Cordoba.
Reece, overtaken by both the injured Emoni Narawa and the now incumbent right wing Leroy Carter, has been out of favour since the loss in Buenos Aires and Ioane’s only appearance in the second half of the Rugby Championship was off the bench in the final quarter in Perth recently.
Explaining Reece’s selection, Robertson said: “It’s another opportunity for Sevu to compete. We know what he can do when he’s at his best. As a coaching group we need to get the best out of him so it’s another opportunity for him.
“He’s always plucky, don’t worry about Sevu. Get the ball in his hands and he can jam, he can play.
“To get the best out of him you need to keep an edge there which there is in the group.”
It is entirely possible that Robertson will name a more experimental line-up against Wales in the final match of the tour, including a place at No.10 for Ruben Love.
Wales are now ranked No.12 in the world behind 11th-placed Georgia.
The first Test of the tour is against Ireland, against whom the All Blacks are 5-5 in their last 10 Tests, in Chicago on Sunday, November 2.
Ireland are ranked third behind South Africa (1) and New Zealand (2). England are No.5 and Scotland are No.8.
Interestingly, Robertson confirmed the All Blacks would require a squad of “40-odd” players for the “Greatest Rivalry” tour of South Africa next year which features three Tests (plus an extra one at a neutral venue) and four midweek games.
The inaugural tour means the All Blacks will play 17 games next year – “the most we’ve had”, said Robertson.
“So this ABs XV tour is really critical for us,” he added.
All Blacks' Grand Slam tour squad
(position, age, franchise/province, Test caps)
Forwards:
Codie Taylor (hooker, 34, Crusaders / Canterbury, 103)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (hooker, 28, Chiefs / Waikato, 39)
George Bell (hooker, 23, Crusaders / Canterbury, 3)
Ethan de Groot (prop, 27, Highlanders / Southland, 37)
Tamaiti Williams (prop, 25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 23)
George Bower (prop, 33, Crusaders / Otago, 24)
Fletcher Newell (prop, 25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 31)
Pasilio Tosi (prop, 27, Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty, 12)
Tevita Mafileo (prop, 27, Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty, *)
Scott Barrett (lock, 31, Crusaders / Taranaki, 86) (Captain)
Patrick Tuipulotu (lock, 32, Blues / Auckland, 56)
Fabian Holland (lock, 23, Highlanders / Otago, 9)
Josh Lord (lock, 24, Chiefs / Taranaki, 8)
Samipeni Finau (lock/loose forward, 26, Chiefs / Waikato, 12)
Simon Parker (loose forward, 25, Chiefs / Northland, 5)
Ardie Savea (loose forward, 31, Moana Pasifika / Wellington, 103) (Vice-Captain)
Du’Plessis Kirifi (loose forward, 28, Hurricanes / Wellington, 6)
Wallace Sititi (loose forward, 23, Chiefs / North Harbour, 15)
Peter Lakai (loose forward, 22, Hurricanes / Wellington, 5)
Luke Jacobson (loose forward, 28, Chiefs / Waikato, 25)
Backs:
Cortez Ratima (halfback, 24, Chiefs / Waikato, 18)
Cameron Roigard (halfback, 24, Hurricanes / Counties Manukau, 14)
Finlay Christie (halfback, 30, Blues / Tasman, 27)
Beauden Barrett (first-five eighth/fullback, 34, Blues / Taranaki, 141)
Damian McKenzie (first-five eighth/fullback, 30, Chiefs / Waikato, 70)
Anton Lienert-Brown (midfield, 30, Chiefs / Waikato, 86)
Jordie Barrett (midfield, 28, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 77) (Vice-Captain)
Quinn Tupaea (midfield, 26, Chiefs / Waikato, 21)
Billy Proctor (midfield, 26, Hurricanes / Wellington, 9)
Leicester Fainga’anuku (midfield/outside back, 26, Crusaders / Tasman, 8)
Rieko Ioane (midfield/outside back, 28, Blues / Auckland, 87)
Caleb Clarke (outside back, 26, Blues / Auckland, 30)
Sevu Reece (outside back, 28, Crusaders / Southland, 36)
Leroy Carter (outside back, 26, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 3)
Will Jordan (outside back, 27, Crusaders / Tasman, 50)
Ruben Love (outside back/first-five eighth, 24, Hurricanes / Wellington, 4)
Unavailable due to injury:
Tyrel Lomax; Tupou Vaa’i; Noah Hotham; Emoni Narawa; Ollie Norris; Ofa Tu’ungafasi; Asafo Aumua; Stephen Perofeta; Timoci Tavatavanawai.
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