Scott Robertson: Why All Blacks bolter was selected over Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke and Leicester Fainga’anuku
All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke and head coach Scott Robertson.
All Blacks boss Scott Robertson sprung a selection surprise by naming Leroy Carter on the left wing for their game with the Springboks in Wellington.
New Zealand’s head coach had plenty of options, starting with Rieko Ioane, who had played every game for the national team this season when fit.
However, the 28-year-old has struggled for form over the past 12 months and Robertson ultimately decided that it was time to give someone else a go.
He chose Carter, a former scrum-half who only made his Super Rugby Pacific debut for the Chiefs earlier this year.
The speedster has been outstanding for the North Island outfit this season, helping them reach the final of that competition and, after initially being included in the squad as cover for Caleb Clarke, he gets his chance over the Blues wing.
Clarke was part of a faltering Auckland-based squad before he suffered an injury which took him out of the July series and the start of the Rugby Championship.
The case for Caleb Clarke
Robertson is a fan of the powerhouse back, though, and watched him enjoy a breakthrough year for the All Blacks in 2024.
The wing well and truly cemented his place in the first team after improving his fundamentals, such as his work in the air. That, of course, would have been beneficial to a New Zealand side that have struggled under the high ball in 2025, but Carter is the player the head coach has selected.
“Caleb’s just come back into the environment after a long time out. He’s had a couple of great games [in the NPC] and done everything he needs to,” Robertson said.
“He turned up late on Monday and we just felt the best thing for him is to get his feet underneath him and have a good training week.”
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Leicester Fainga’anuku, who has returned to the All Blacks squad after spending 18 months at French giants Toulon, was another talented player Robertson overlooked.
The All Blacks boss knows Fainga’anuku well, having coached him at the Crusaders, mainly naming the 25-year-old on the left wing during his time there.
He has decided against doing that this weekend, however, having seen him line up at centre in the Top 14 and Champions Cup during the 2024/25 northern hemisphere campaign.
‘They were close calls’
“Obviously, Leicester’s played a lot in the midfield over in Toulon and we just felt the balance this week is someone who’s been in this group for a long period of time,” Robertson said.
“They were close calls those.”
Clarke and Fainga’anuku could well come into contention later in the season, while Ioane will be looking to get back to his best after the issues of the past year or so.
According to Robertson, the versatile Blues back knows the areas he needs to develop if he is to return to the All Blacks side.
“There’s one-on-one technical stuff that everyone has to grow in their game. We’ve obviously given him a crack at wing. His work ethic, his work off the ball has been incredible but there are a few touches that we need to improve, which he’s well aware of,” New Zealand’s head coach added.
