Justin Marshall baffled by ‘real melon scratcher’ All Blacks selection and predicts Wallabies won’t create history
Dave Rennie says that this weekend's All Blacks team has been the 'hardest selection' to date but one call has left Justin Marshall baffled.
Dave Rennie says that this weekend’s All Blacks team has been the ‘hardest selection’ to date but one call has left Justin Marshall baffled.
New Zealand will be out to defend their Eden Park unbeaten streak against the Wallabies in the opening Bledisloe Cup Test match, and Rennie has made several intriguing calls for the showdown.
Scott Barrett and Shannon Frizell have been thrown back into the mix, with the former included in the starting XV while the latter has been named on the bench.
Richie Mo’unga has been ruled out of the clash, which has resulted in Damian McKenzie starting at fly-half whilst Beauden Barrett starts a Test match for the first time this year.
However, the selection that has puzzled Marshall the most is the omission of 2025 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year, Fabian Holland.
Fabian Holland’s omission
Scott Barrett partners Josh Lord on his return to the All Blacks jersey, with Tupou Vaa’i named at blindside flanker. With three second-rowers effectively included in the squad, Rennie and his staff had the opportunity to select two loose forwards on the bench, which they took in the form of Frizell and Anton Segner. That meant that there was no place in the team for Holland, who dropped out despite his strong performances during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
“That’s a real melon scratcher, to be fair. I’m not sure why they’ve come up with leaving him completely out of the 23,” he said on Sky Sport NZ’s Breakdown.
“Maybe they want to get Scott Barrett, get him some minutes; equally, Josh Lord, get him some game time, but to leave him completely out.
“Now, maybe it’s because they wanted to go for that double loosie split on the bench where they can move Tupou Vaa’i into the second-row. So he might be a victim of that, given that maybe there are other reasons for him not starting. So it’s a bizarre one.
“It really was one I think you just almost had penned in as a genuine starter. So that’s a surprise.”
On the return of Barrett at lock, he added: “It’s another challenge being put in front of another Barrett, and you tend to think a guy like Scott Barrett, who has been All Black captain but is a world-class lock in his own right, you know, regardless of whether he’s got the captain’s armband or not, and he will see this as an opportunity as well.
“At the end of the day, people are already saying, ‘Where is Fabian Holland, is Tupou Vaa’i still a lock and not a loosie?’ So everybody’s got something to play for, but he’ll realise he’s playing for his jersey.
“When you know you’re out there, and you’re playing for your jersey, and there are others that are pushing you, it brings the best out in you. I just feel that this is the type of thing that Scooter needs. This opportunity to go out and say, ‘I am good, and I’m going to put pressure on you to select me every week’.”
Reaction to the Wallabies’ team named
Marshall also weighed in on Les Kiss’ Wallabies team named for the clash. The head coach has made just one change to his starting XV with Hunter Paisami ruled out through suspension.
The former scrum-half believes that Australia will challenge the All Blacks but can’t see them bringing an end to New Zealand’s unbeaten streak at Eden Park.
“That is a team that can challenge the All Blacks for sure. There’s a lot more consistency in the Wallabies selection than there is in the All Blacks,” he said.
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“You look at the back-row, you know the combination is working very, very well. Forced into making a change at centre by moving Ikitau to 12, and they resisted the temptation to move Joseph Suaalii into the midfield; I think that’s because of the aerial battle, they want to keep him on the wing.
“Jorgensen was outstanding against South Africa in the air. So I think they resisted that because they’ve seen the All Blacks still struggle with that, and I guess that’s why they’ve made that selection. But I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a team that can create history, but it could create some problems for the All Blacks.”
