Ex-All Black’s bold ‘really soon’ prediction for New Zealand sensation who is ‘something else’
Caleb Tangitau in action for the Highlanders in 2026 and former All Blacks hooker James Parsons.
Former All Black James Parsons believes that Caleb Tangitau could be playing international rugby “really soon” as he continues to impress for the Highlanders.
The speedster has been in outstanding form over the past 18 months and once again showed his ability by setting up a try for Tanielu Tele’a against the Blues with an outstanding piece of skill.
Although his day only lasted just over half an hour on Friday, after receiving a shot in the head from Zarn Sullivan in the act of providing that assist for Tele’a, it hinted at what he can offer.
Tangitau will no doubt be in the mix when Dave Rennie names his first All Blacks squad, and Parsons almost expects him to be involved in the 23 during the Nations Championship in July.
Ex-All Black impressed
“Let’s just talk about [Tangitau]. [Xavi] Taele’s a good defender; to do the hop, skip and a jump, and then just inject through what was really not a hole, Tangitau is something else,” he said on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
The former New Zealand hooker then added: “I think he’s going to be in black fairly soon”, before correcting himself by saying: “Really soon.”
While Parsons raved about the run, for ex-Maori All Black scrum-half Bryn Hall, who joined him on the show, it was all about the final pass.
“We’ve talked around his ability with ball in hand and how quick he is – he’s shown how explosive he is – but if you just look at that pass, that’s something I really enjoyed seeing,” Hall said.
“To be able to do that at full speed, full click and with a chasing defender. I don’t think it was forward, but as Blues fans you could possibly think it was forward.”
Parsons then chimed in by claiming that “it was only forward because he got absolutely poleaxed and he was trying to finish it.”
Yellow card discussion
Discussion then moved onto Sullivan’s tackle, which ended Tangitau’s game and could keep him out for the foreseeable future, depending on how he comes through the return-to-play protocols.
The Blues full-back only got a yellow card as the Highlanders player was deemed to be falling and Parsons insisted that it was the right call.
“This is where you’ve got to be careful that you don’t go putting sanctions based on what happens because then you get frustrated when something’s just a penalty when it should be a yellow card,” he said.
“We spoke about this and just the simplicity of it; if there’s mitigation, it goes to a review. There will be another panel that reviews, and it could get upgraded to a red card, but I don’t think it has been (editor’s note: Sullivan has not been cited).
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“It didn’t look great, but he was tackled from behind and falling. It just happened so quick. They’re obviously very good mates, so there’s obviously no intent there, but I like that if there’s a mitigation it’s yellow.
“When we start going, ‘he was really badly injured’, which he was – I get it, I’ve been knocked out like that before and it’s not pleasant – there’s going to be so much confusion.
“You don’t want to enter more confusion into our game.”
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