Rating every All Blacks player from the Rugby Championship: Fly-half issue ‘dominates’ Scott Robertson’s thoughts as World Cup star becomes the ‘sacrificial lamb’
Damian McKenzie next to fellow All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett.
Following the conclusion of the All Blacks’ frustrating Rugby Championship campaign, we take a look back at the individual performances throughout the competition and rate each squad member.
Head coach Scott Robertson used 33 players during the tournament as he looked to find their best 23 after some indifferent performances.
For the first time since 2019, New Zealand failed to win the Rugby Championship having never failed to lift the silverware during Ian Foster’s reign.
We therefore run through their team, rating each player out of a possible 10, with their contributions in the tournament’s defining moments factoring heavily into our scores.
Outside backs
Beauden Barrett: Played the final match at fly-half but was generally featuring at full-back whenever he was on the field. Barrett was not quite as influential as he was in the England series but he still had a good Rugby Championship. 7
Sevu Reece: Started four of the games but endured a mixed time of it. There was some good, some bad – including a yellow card against South Africa – as Reece struggled to make a huge impact. He certainly hasn’t nailed down his spot. 6
Mark Tele’a: After being a favourite of Ian Foster’s in 2023, he has gradually been eased out of the 23 by Robertson. Scored against Argentina but was effectively the All Blacks’ sacrificial lamb after that defeat. Was on the bench for two more Rugby Championship encounters and started against the Springboks in Cape Town, but he never really recovered from initially being dropped from the XV. 4
Will Jordan: Switched between wing and full-back and, by the end of the competition, Jordan was back to his best. Most people think 15 is his most effective position and judging by his performances against the Wallabies they may well be right. 8
Caleb Clarke: One of the big revelations during the Rugby Championship as he ended up cementing that left wing slot. Clarke has been criticised in the past, especially for his defensive and aerial work, but the speedster has improved his game significantly this year. The 25-year-old was solid in those areas while he also touched down six times in four matches. 8
Centres
Anton Lienert-Brown: Was mainly used off the bench but, when Lienert-Brown did start, he impressed, including in that 38-30 defeat to Argentina. The Chiefs star was one of their better performers in that game in Wellington, but he did not get back into the XV until their next match at Sky Stadium, where all his playmaking skills were on show against the Wallabies. 7
Jordie Barrett: It is understandable why he remained first choice but, to be perfectly honest, he was nowhere near his best. That was perhaps best demonstrated when Lienert-Brown came into the XV in Round Six and shone. Barrett was not poor by any means and there were some nice moments, but there is some improvement to be made on the All Blacks’ northern hemisphere tour. 6
Rieko Ioane: The most notable thing he’s done over the past couple of months, quite frankly, is taunt Johnny Sexton. Like Barrett, he did the basics pretty well, but there were very few special touches as they struggled to get the backline moving. 6
David Havili: Played 15 minutes against the Wallabies but that was it. Helped the All Blacks to keep their foot on their opponents’ throat but was generally not a preferred option for the head coach. 3
Johnny Sexton v Rieko Ioane and rugby’s most infamous chirps, trash talk and sledges ever
Fly-halves
Damian McKenzie: It is just not quite clicking for McKenzie. The fly-half issue dominated the tournament as, while he did well in the second Argentina clash and again versus South Africa in Johannesburg, that was as good as it got. He came in for some criticism as New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup and was then dropped for the following game. Not poor but Robertson hasn’t found his answer in that position yet. 6
Harry Plummer: Played three minutes in his Test debut and that’s all there really is to say. Will hope to get a bit more game time on the northern hemisphere tour. 3
Scrum-halves
Cortez Ratima: Has settled in very nicely to Test rugby. Showed up well against England and took that into the Rugby Championship where he displayed an excellent all-around skill set. His box-kicking and service appear to be slick, which will stand him in good stead at this level. 7
TJ Perenara: Had a shoddy start but was much better from thereon in. There are still issues around his kicking game, which the All Blacks had to adapt their game plan for, but he performed at a good level later on in the tournament. 6
Loose forwards
Ardie Savea: His performances never drop below a certain level and he was superb once again, despite the All Blacks’ issues. Savea was perhaps not quite as spectacular as last year, but he still does everything to an incredibly high level. 8
Ethan Blackadder: A favourite of Robertson’s and he played very well in the opening three games, but an injury opened the door to Sititi and Blackadder never got back in. 7
Dalton Papali’i: Played the first two games but, like against England, the openside was not impactful enough at close quarters. There is a Test player in there but it’s still yet to show itself consistently. Hopefully that can happen on the end-of-year tour. 5
Sam Cane: Many expected him not to feature much after he announced that 2024 would be his last in Test rugby, but Cane soon showed his worth to the All Backs cause. The former captain was excellent out in South Africa and deservedly reached a century of caps in the final Test against the Wallabies. 7
Wallace Sititi: New Zealand have potentially found their latest back-row star in the 22-year-old. His selection for the initial squad was controversial, given that it came at the expense of the in-form Hoskins Sotutu, but Sititi was exceptional when finally given a chance. The back-rower started the final three encounters and was arguably the All Blacks’ best player in each one. 9
Samipeni Finau: Was dropped after the England series but did manage a few minutes against South Africa. However, that was at a time when the Springboks very much got on top in the game and he was never seen again. 3
Luke Jacobson: Is a consistent bench option but we’re still yet to be convinced by the Chiefs’ versatile back-rower. Granted, Jacobson covers six, seven and eight, but he’s simply not been able to impact the game when coming on. 4
Locks
Tupou Vaa’i: The 24-year-old appeared to come of age in this tournament, displaying the type of quality which suggests he can become a top Test player. Vaa’i is an excellent athlete but the Chiefs second-row also showed that he can mix it in the closer exchanges. With the lineout also improving, his partnership with Barrett could be prosperous long-term for the All Blacks. 7
Scott Barrett: Missed the opening two encounters but the captain returned for the final four games to provide some much-needed leadership. Barrett also brings physicality and intensity, and those things were evident during his time on the field. It’s not necessarily been an easy start as captain, given the defeats they have endured, but he has led the side well. 7
Patrick Tuipulotu: Has struggled with injury during the 2024 Test season, with the big lock only playing the final quarter of the Round Six clash. Showed promise as a bench option, however, which suggests that Tuipulotu could be useful in that role in the northern hemisphere. 5
Josh Lord: Highly rated by every coach that has come across him but Lord only played two matches off the bench and did not make much impact in either contest. His time will come, providing he stays injury-free, but there are others ahead of him in the pecking order at the moment. 3
Sam Darry: Has enjoyed a decent start to life at Test level but he operated much better as a starter than as a bench option. Darry certainly seems to have the physicality and technical skills for international rugby, but he still needs to develop in certain areas. 6
Hookers
Codie Taylor: We wondered whether the England series suggested a player on the decline, but he very much proved us wrong. Against South Africa in particular Taylor was exceptional and he also played very well against Australia. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain those standards up north. 8
Asafo Aumua: Taylor’s performances meant that the reserve hooker’s game time was somewhat limited. Aumua will always bring power and physicality in the loose but there was the odd lineout wobble and he was part of a bench that struggled to perform. 4
Props
Ethan de Groot: Suffered an injury which meant he missed three games and, when De Groot did return, he did not look quite right. The loosehead certainly wasn’t as dominant as we’ve come to expect at the set-piece. 5
Tyrel Lomax: Was already one of the best tightheads in the world but he cemented his reputation with a fine tournament. Not the most athletic but, in an era where having excellent scrummaging props is paramount, Lomax is among the best. 8
Ofa Tu’ungafasi: Not as good as he was against England and was eventually dropped for the final two matches of the Rugby Championship. Tu’ungafasi was yellow carded against South Africa as the hosts mounted a late comeback and that proved costly for both him and the team. 4
Fletcher Newell: The young tighthead was one of New Zealand’s best players against England but he struggled to recapture that form in the southern hemisphere competition. Did appear four times off the bench and was solid but an injury ruled him out of the Bledisloe Cup encounters. 5
Tamaiti Williams: Some were worried when De Groot was ruled out but the 24-year-old allayed those fears with some excellent displays. Had a tougher time of it in the second Springboks Test, but he still emerged from the Rugby Championship very much in credit. Could become one of the best props in the world. 7
Pasilio Tosi: Was a left-field choice for the original squad and Robertson has been reluctant to throw him in, but the 26-year-old showed against the Wallabies that he could become a fine Test prop. Especially in the Round Six encounter, Tosi was simply superb during his 15 minutes on the field. 6
