‘His aura alone lifts that group’ – New Zealand pundits explain why resting Ardie Savea will boost the All Blacks
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea and head coach Dave Rennie (inset).
New Zealand pundits James Parsons and Bryn Hall are backing All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s decision to start their tour of South Africa without his captain Ardie Savea.
When Rennie announced his 44-man squad last week, he revealed that All Blacks skipper and star back-row Savea will not be part of the group during the early part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour as he takes a long overdue break after effectively playing rugby non-stop since January 2025.
That means that experienced hooker Codie Taylor has been appointed to the leadership role on a temporary basis until Savea joins the All Blacks squad in the build-up to their clash against the Bulls in Pretoria on August 15.
Rennie‘s captaincy decision has been a major talking point with critics questioning whether it is appropriate for the team’s first choice skipper not to be part of the tour during its initial stages.
While Hall admitted that it is important, he understand the reasoning behind Rennie’s decision.
“I don’t have a really big issue around it, if I’m being brutally honest,” he told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. “I can understand that politically, and being able to have your captain there, considering that he is the face of the team, it’s important.
‘He’s had a big year’
“But, I’d rather him rest up. He’s had a big year, like Dave Rennie’s actually talked about in his interviews. I think he’s gone like pretty much 18 months just playing rugby, played for the All Blacks, went to Kobe, played a lot of that rugby, pretty much played 80 minutes all the time that he was over there.
“Played three Test matches (in the Nations Championship in July), playing all those games for the June series.”
Former Crusaders scrum-half Hall feels having a fit and refreshed Savea joining the tour just ahead of the All Blacks’ first clash with the Springboks in Johannesburg on August 22 will be a tremendous boost for the men in black.
“We want him to be able to perform in the biggest Test series that we’ve ever had, right? So for me, me personally, give him some time to spend with his family, get away from rugby, recharge, and no doubt he’s a professional,” he said.
“He’s played over 100 Test matches. He’ll know what that looks like.
“The S&C (strength and conditioning) training will be able to give him a programme and he’ll come and reintegrate fresh and ready to go.
“So, for me, I have no real problem with it. And like I think Dave Rennie said, Codie Taylor’s the captain, tour captain for when Ardie is away.
“And it also gives guys opportunity as well to be able to lead. It just improves in their growth being able to do it. I think we’ve got a pretty experienced leadership group team anyway.
“But I don’t really have a big problem with it if I’m being honest.”
Ex-All Blacks and Blues hooker Parsons echoed Hall’s sentiments and said Savea deserves the break after playing rugby for an extensive period.
“Don’t forget at the end of last year, he wasn’t sure he wanted to re-sign and I think you’ve got to think back to that. He was mentally and physically burnt out,” he said.
All Blacks coach reveals what he expects from URC opponents on Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour
“So then he’s gone to Japan, you know, like this isn’t an overnight decision. I also think him fresh mentally and physically after two weeks in South Africa, like it’s an intense environment.”
Parsons feels Savea’s absence could also work out positively for other All Blacks and when he does eventually join the touring squad, it will have a positive impact on the tourists.
“It gives others the opportunity to step up into roles,” he explained.
‘His aura alone lifts that group’
“And I think that growth and opportunity for them is massive. But then him coming in two weeks’ time, into that environment fresh, his aura alone lifts that group.
“I think it might just be the spark, after what, we don’t know how these first two games are going to go, but just a spark that just sort of brings a freshness into that first Test.”
Hall agreed and believes the All Blacks will reap the benefits when Savea lines up to play in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’s Test series.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
“Well, that’s the thing, like if we come away and we win a Test series, is it going to be talked about? Ardie’s not going to be talked about whether he was there or not,” he added. “Do you know what I mean?
“So I think Dave really talked about it perfectly and we’ve kind of just touched on it.
“Like a refreshed and ready to go and energised Ardie Savea is only going to be beneficial for the All Blacks come that four Test-match series.
“So, and like I said, 18 months, Jipper’s (Parsons) point in terms of, he didn’t know if he wanted to re-sign. There’s a lot of burnout.
“There’s a lot of obviously mental fatigue with being an All Black and being able to, I guess, (do) the kind of runs on the legs that he does have at the moment.
“So I guess it’s maybe just more so the outside noise and people thinking that he should be there.
“But for me personally, knowing what rugby entails and how long he’s played, you need to give him a break. And it was the only time they were going to do it.
“They weren’t going to do that in that June series because it was his first Test match. I think Dave really did talk about it. He could have done that, but he wanted to play at home.
“And fair enough, because you’re at home, do you know what I mean? So yeah, I think it’s the right decision and I think we’re going to see a better version of that Ardie Savea in a few weeks’ time.”
