All Blacks squad: Five takeaways as Dave Rennie ‘bulks up’ for Springboks showdown and leaves room for ‘experimentation’ in South Africa
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and an inset of uncapped prop Siale Lauaki.
Following the announcement of Dave Rennie’s 44-man squad for the Greatest Rivalry Series tour to South Africa, here are our five takeaways from his selections.
Top line
The hype for the All Blacks‘ arrival in South Africa was turned up a few notches on Monday with Rennie releasing the 44 names that will board the long-haul flights to the tip of the African continent.
After disclosing the list, the head coach revealed that he and his staff had selected this squad several weeks ago and have already pencilled in the first four teamsheets, including that for the Test series opener at the iconic Ellis Park. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the 34 players selected for the Nations Championship matches in New Zealand were retained in the squad with 10 further players included.
The three uncapped players – Siale Lauaki, Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and Josh Jacomb – were the headline inclusions, but they were accompanied by recalls for Rieko Ioane, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Emoni Narawa, Ethan Blackadder, George Bell and Ollie Norris.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that while Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks, he will miss the opening matches in South Africa as he has been given some time to recover and step away from the game, having played and trained non-stop since January last year.
He will only arrive in South Africa 10 days before the first Test against the Springboks, with veteran hooker Codie Taylor taking over the tour captaincy duties in his absence. Much like his Springboks counterpart, Rassie Erasmus, Rennie has selected a squad brimming with experienced veterans while sprinkling in a dash of inexperience and youth as well as a proper bolter.
All Blacks bulk up, size matters
The adage of rugby being a game for all shapes and sizes remains true in the modern game, particularly after the law changes around escorts, but it’s plainly obvious that Rennie is well aware of the challenge that awaits his charges up front. The Springboks boast two to three forward packs that could dominate or at the very least challenge any other eight in the world, not only through their power and size but athleticism and technique too.
For the All Blacks to be successful in the Republic, they not only need big-bodied athletes up front but hard-working ones too, and Rennie has ensured that he won’t be short on any of those fronts when they arrive.
Tamaiti Williams and Scott Barrett’s absences are sorely felt, but the return of 2026 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year, Fabian Holland, is a huge boost to the lock and back-row stocks. While the Highlanders star is an out-and-out second rower, his return to fitness will give the coaching staff more license to deploy Tupou Vaa’i on the side of the scrum, especially after Sam Darry, Josh Lord and Patrick Tuipulotu enjoyed standout shifts in July.
The All Blacks’ back-row has lacked a bit of tonnage since Shannon Frizell’s departure to Japan, and while Vaa’i has been viewed as a genuine option in the number six jersey, there hasn’t always been the lock stocks available to trial him there consistently. Playing a shorter, less bulky loose trio is manageable against several other top nations, but it does make fronting the Boks all the more difficult.
Standing at 1.85m tall and weighing 133kgs, the uncapped Tupou Ta’eiloa is a tank of a player and one that proved in Super Rugby that he can dominate contact whether that is on defence or with ball in hand.
“We haven’t got that big, powerful loose forward like him, and he’s really destructive defensively, and he carried Moana on his back a lot this year, so we think he has a point of difference as well,” Rennie said of the uncapped loose forward.
Winning the gain-line is made all the more easier when you have a wrecking ball like Tupou Ta’eiloa, and Rennie has recognised that in his selection.
He also gets the nod ahead of Hurricanes co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi, a player many expected to crack the nod for the tour despite missing the home Tests in July. Rennie explained that there is plenty of cover in the squad for the openside flanker position, but it’s worth noting that at 1.81m and 103kgs, Kirifi is hardly the biggest loose forward around – that would have counted against him too.
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Ethan Blackadder (1.90m and 111kgs) will board a plane to South Africa and gives Rennie options across the loose trio, something else that would have counted against Kirifi with the Crusaders man also managing to keep himself fit for the latter stages of the Super Rugby season – which has been the real stumbling block in his career.
It’s not just the back-five forward department where the All Blacks have added some bulk, with Tavatavanawai being a real threat from the midfield while bolter prop Siale Lauaki is a serious unit too.
Dave Rennie embraces versatility and plans to experiment
It’s plainly obvious that while Rennie will be out to win all the matches in the series, he is still leaving room to experiment, test combinations and the depth of his player pool.
Vaa’i got minutes against Italy and Ireland on the side of the scrum with relative success, whilst the Cam Roigard-Ruben Love halfback combination was given a chance to flourish at the highest level throughout July. We are bound to see those trialled again in South Africa, but the head coach has also revealed plans to deploy a forwards-heavy bench too, with a 6-2 split slated to feature against at least one of the URC teams.
That’s perhaps why there are more versatile backs who have also made the cut. Rennie is gambling on just three scrum-halves, with Cortez Ratima and Kyle Preston in need of game time, with Leroy Carter being pencilled in as the fourth-choice number nine – a role he is bound to perform in training and possibly from the bench.
Narawa returns to the squad and has been tipped by Rennie to play 13, 14 and 15 while Ioane has been selected primarily as a winger but is seen as an option in the midfield too.
“Having versatility on a tour like this is important,” the head coach said, but it also makes a difference when it comes down to selecting a matchday 23 or even a World Cup squad.
The tour is the ideal opportunity for Rennie to tinker with his team, tactics and selections as he builds his knowledge of what he has to work with heading into Australia 2027.
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A proper bolter
While much of the squad was largely predictable, few would have tipped Siale Lauaki to make the cut. Reports of Tupou Ta’eiloa’s inclusion surfaced last week, spoiling the surprise bolter element of that selection, but being the Hurricanes’ third-choice tighthead hardly screamed inclusion for Lauaki.
But to borrow Rennie’s ‘point of difference’ line, the 22-year-old has the added bonus of being capable of playing on both sides of the scrum, which has bolstered his chances. An aggressive and physical presence around the park, Lauaki has the opportunity to really stamp his mark on the squad in South Africa, where he will be put through the ultimate litmus test of his scrummaging capabilities. Not only on the pitch but in training too.
Williams and George Bower have also played on both sides of the scrum for the Crusaders, and with the former sidelined for the tour, Jason Ryan is clearly keen to unearth another swing prop – a rare breed in the modern era and players who are worth their weight in gold and some.
Whether he gets a chance to face the Springboks or not, this tour is a huge opportunity for Lauaki to impress the coaching team and stake his claim for selection further down the line.
An eye to the Rugby World Cup
He is not alone in that regard, as Rennie admitted that the coaching team will be using the tour to work out whether some players are ‘genuine options heading into the World Cup next year’ or not.
The tour is a similar length to the tournament next year in Australia, and the two coaching teams will surely be implementing similar training schedules and setting similar demands on the players.
While most will focus on the uncapped and inexperienced players, Rennie will also be getting answers on several veterans. For example, Beauden Barrett will make his first appearance for the All Blacks against the Stormers in Cape Town. The head coach has hailed his contributions off the pitch in July, but he will want to get answers on whether he is still up for the demands of the international game and everything that comes with it.
Barrett is a true great of the All Blacks but it’s completely unfair to say he is being squeezed out by the likes of McKenzie and Love and what happens when Richie Mo’unga returns? The major questions are, is he still capable of performing at the highest level and does he still warrant a spot in the squad? The same could be said, but to a lesser extent, about 35-year-old Taylor, who will assume the tour captaincy in Savea’s absence.
World Cup squads are no longer just about getting the best-of-the-best that a country has to offer but getting the right players into the mix. This tour gives the coaches a better scope to work with – more players – but still with similar challenges that a World Cup poses.
While this will be a crucial period for uncapped and single-digit Test players like Bell, Norris, Lauaki, Simon Parker, Anton Segner, Tupou Ta’eiloa, Preston, Love, Jacomb, Tavatavanawai, Fehi Fineanganofo, Carter, Josh Moorby and Narawa – it’s just as important for the stars on the other end of the scale too.
