All Blacks team: Five takeaways as axe-wielding Scott Robertson offers opportunities to young and old in final Test of the year against Wales
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has wielded the axe.
Following the All Blacks’ announcement of their 23-man matchday squad to take on Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, here are our five key takeaways from Scott Robertson’s selection.
The top line
After their Grand Slam dream was well and truly crushed by England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham last weekend, All Blacks head coach Robertson has wielded the axe with 13 changes, including a positional switch, made to his starting line-up.
However, with this clash seeing the men in black taking on Wales, who are their weakest opposition they are facing during the Autumn Nations Series, one could argue that Robertson was always set to make mass changes for the fixture with several of the broader squad’s fringe players in line to feature in their tour finale at the Principality Stadium.
There is a big difference in terms of experience in the matchday squad for the clash against Steve Tandy’s troops compared to their one which took to the field against the Red Rose as the combined total of Test caps (719) for the Wales clash is much less than the England one (936).
In the backline, Will Jordan moves from full-back to the right wing with Ruben Love coming in to wear the number 15 jersey while the back three is completed by left wing Caleb Clarke, who returns from a concussion sustained in the All Blacks’ win over Scotland.
Meanwhile, Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane will combine in midfield while there is also a new half-back partnership with Damian McKenzie lining up alongside his Chiefs team-mate Cortez Ratima.
In the forwards, Fabian Holland was a late withdrawal ahead of the England Test but returns to takes his spot in the second-row alongside his captain Scott Barrett. Simon Parker is the only back-row survivor and continues on the blindside flank, with Du’Plessis Kirifi and Wallace Sititi coming in to join him on the blindside and at number eight respectively.
The bench also has an inexperienced look to it with Sevu Reece having the most Test appearances (36) of the replacements but despite being less experienced than a usual All Blacks matchday squad, there are plenty of game-breakers in this matchday 23 and they should still prove too strong for a struggling Wales outfit.
Just three survivors after Red Rose loss
Although Robertson has made a plethora of alterations to his run-on side, captain Barrett and Parker are the two forward survivors and Jordan the only back from the side which took to the field in that 33-19 defeat against England.
As the team’s captain, Barrett’s selection is not surprising and he was always expected to lead his charges against the Welsh, especially after he missed their clash against Scotland at Murrayfield due to a laceration on his leg which saw him limping off the during the early stages of their tour opener against Ireland in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Parker returned to action against England after he was rested for the Scotland encounter and although New Zealand came off second best in most departments against Steve Borthwick’s troops, he gave a good account of himself. Parker is different to most of the other loose forwards in the All Blacks squad as he is much bigger than the others. His size (1,97 metres and 117 kilograms) means he brings plenty of physicality to the cause and he also has a high work-rate on defence.
Jordan’s selection is an interesting one as he was arguably the All Blacks’ best player against England. He proved a real handful on attack and his efforts were rewarded with a well-taken try and despite being shifted to the wing for this weekend’s encounter, he should should still ask questions of Wales’ defence with ball in hand.
Ruben Love finally gets his chance
After missing out on selection for the All Blacks’ previous Tests against Ireland, Scotland and England, the highly rated utility back will make his tour bow this weekend at full-back.
Love is a brilliant playmaker, who made his Test debut as a replacement on the wing against Japan in Yokohama during the All Blacks’ 2024 end-of-year tour but he has only made four appearances for his country so far.
Most of those were as a replacement with his only start being in the final game of a three-Test series against France in Hamilton this year.
Although the 24-year-old is back in that position against Wales, he is also capable of playing at fly-half and he caught the eye with some fine performances in the number 10 jersey for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific earlier this year.
McKenzie will be the All Blacks’ starting fly-half this weekend but don’t be surprised if Robertson opts to move Love into that slot later in the game with Jordan capable of returning to full-back position if that does happen.
Rieko Ioane returns to the spotlight
Ioane is a veteran of 87 Tests for the All Blacks but he will be like a caged animal when he takes to the field this weekend as he will make his first appearance on their Grand Slam campaign as he will feature in the matchday squad for the first time on tour.
The 28-year-old has played on the wing and at outside centre for his country, since making his Test debut against Italy in 2016, and it’s in the latter position which he will feature against Wales.
Ioane was the All Blacks’ first choice number 13 in recent years but, after some underwhelming performances, he was shifted to the wing ahead of their first Test against France in Dunedin earlier this year.
He hardly set the world alight and was eventually dropped from the matchday squad during the Rugby Championship, but this weekend he will form a midfield combination with another experienced star in Lienert-Brown, who like Ioane also gets a rare chance in the run-on side, and both will be determined to show Robertson that they can still perform at the highest level for the All Blacks.
Fabian Holland back in the pack
Although the All Blacks’ form has not been to its usual high standards in 2025, one player who can hold his head high is their behemoth second-row Holland, who has caught the eye with several outstanding performances for the men in black in the Test arena this year.
The 23-year-old Dutch-born lock has been involved in 11 of the All Blacks’ 12 Tests so far, with only two of those appearances made off the replacements bench.
Despite being a rookie at Test level, Holland has done well whenever he’s represented the All Blacks and several of his appearances have been 80-minute efforts.
A fine lineout operator, who also enjoys the physical nature of the game, Holland has impressed as a ball carrier and on defence throughout the year and earlier this week his superb form was rewarded with a nomination for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
He was a late withdrawal ahead of the England clash due to illness and his presence was missed, especially in the tight exchanges and he will be keen to make up for lost time when he returns to action against Wales.
