My (Way Too Early) All Blacks Squad

While it is still far too early, I thought I’d have a go at picking my All Blacks squad for 2025. I think this will be an interesting year for the All Blacks, we saw them really hit their stride on the end of year tour last year and after a year of transitioning I expect Razor to really start to build towards 2027.

Hookers:

Codie Taylor, Asafo Aumua, Samisoni Taukei’aho

These three pick themselves. While we have some promising hookers coming through the ranks, for me these three are clear and away the top three hookers in NZ. The Blues struggles will almost certainly end any chances of Ricky Riccitelli getting a call up, and George Bell’s season ending foot injury will prevent him from adding to his three caps. Samisoni Taukei’aho is a massive addition to the team, his impact was certianly missed at points through 2024 and despite Asafo Aumua’s growth in the position I’d still expect Taukei’aho to be Codie Taylor’s main understudy.

Props:

Tamaiti Williams, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Ethan De Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Pasilio Tosi, Fletcher Newell

No changes in the prop stocks. Jason Ryan has shown he prefers consistency particularly in the front row and will be optimistic the All Blacks scrum can remain dominant. Ethan De Groot is on his last legs in my opinion, was pushed out of the 23 in the end of year tour after being left out due to disciplinary reasons and has not performed at the level we came to expect in 2022 and 2023. Xavier Numia’s struggles with injury has hampered his chances, but I still think even if healthy these are pretty comfortably the best props in NZ.

Locks:

Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa’i, Patrick Tuipolotu, Fabian Holland

Fabian Holland finally earns a long awaited All Blacks call up. His massive size will be a great addition to an already strong locking department. The other three incumbent locks retain their spots comfortably. Sam Darry misses out due to his shoulder injury keeping him out of Super Rugby, he certainly will be around the team but will have to remain as injury cover for now. There were worries about how our locking department would hold up with the departure of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock after the 2023 World Cup, but Scott Barrett and Tupou Vaa’i formed a dominant partnership backed up by Patrick Tuipolotu’s power and leadership off the bench and they will be looking to continue to grow as a group.

Loose Forwards:

Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi, Ethan Blackadder, Du’plessis Kirifi, Samipeni Finau, Peter Lakai, Christian Lio-Willie

A shaken up group after the departure of Sam Cane and emergence of new stars. Savea, Sititi and Blackadder would be locks if all are healthy but after them it gets quite interesting. Peter Lakai had a real coming of age game against France and has shown potential to be world class for a long time now so I would almost have him as a lock as well. Samipeni Finau brings an aspect of physicality and power that is unique to him amongst our current loose forward stocks. Despite him not seemingly being able to translate his game to the international level yet, I think he has earnt another crack as we search for a replacement for what Shannon Frizell brought before his departure to Japan. Kirifi has been chomping at the bit for years now. I believe it is finally his turn to get into the black jersey. He is by far our best player over the ball only rivalled by Ardie and has a never ending engine that would translate perfectly to international level. Christian Lio-Willie is one of my bolters. He does the fundamentals so well, great in the carry, great in the set piece and has an awesome work rate. Since Kieran Read’s retirement we have not had a traditional number 8 to fill the jersey and I think this is the role that Lio-Willie can play. A couple big names miss out for me, Dalton Papali’i and Luke Jacobson being the main ones. Papali’i is an interesting one. For about a year in 2022 he looked like a future star in the 7 jersey. Since then, he hasn’t really fulfilled that. In my opinion I think he actually plays more like a blindside, but as we learnt when playing him there against Ireland in 2022 that is not a position he should play at international level, the Blues sluggish start to the season hasn’t helped his case either. As for Jacobson, I wouldn’t have a problem with him in the squad. I certainly can see the argument for him over Lio-Willie, but we know what we get with Jacobson. He is reliable and will always perform ok, I think it is worth taking a risk on Lio-Willie to see what being in the environment could do for him as a player.

Halfbacks:

Cam Roigard, Noah Hotham, Cortez Ratima

Another interesting group to select. Hotham has been injured for majority of the Super Rugby season so far and could miss out due to this but I think Razor will stick with him. Ratima has seemingly been demoted to the bench for the Chiefs, with Clayton McMillan preferring Xavier Roe to start but after a breakout year I’d expect Razor to back him to get back to the level he was playing at last year. Our halfback stocks are certainly stacked and we have many talents coming through, but I’m not totally sure if any of them are ready for higher honours yet. For me the next cab off the rank would be Nathan Hastie of the Highlanders, his kicking game in particular will be hard to ignore for the All Blacks and I could certainly see him making it over Ratima or Hotham.

First Fives:

Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie

Yeah not a lot to say, still not heaps of depth at this position and a clear top two. Josh Jacomb, Harry Godfrey and Taha Kemara have all shown signs of being great players in the future, but I think it is worth letting them develop another year in NPC before forcing them into an environment I personally don’t believe they are ready for. Certainly will need them to stay ready in case of an injury to one of Beauden or DMac.

Centres:

Jordie Barrett, Anton Leinert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea, Timoci Tavatavanawai

One of the real exciting selection areas. So many guys have put their hand up for a spot in the midfield so far this season in Super Rugby. Jordie Barret obviously isn’t playing in Super this season and is instead on sabbatical playing for Leinster in Ireland. For those that having been paying attention to this, he’s been playing out of his skin so he keeps his spot. Leinert-Brown again has been brilliant in Super Rugby and will also keep his spot in the midfield logjam. Quinn Tupaea after a horrible run with injuries finally works his way back into the All Blacks. He’s been on another level for the Chiefs this season and has made it impossible for the All Blacks selectors to ignore his current form. Then finally, Big Jim Tavatavanawai. An absolute excitement machine and a real X-factor. Can play both in the mdifield and on the wings and will most likely be deployed on the wing if selected but given his form over the last couple years he’s pretty hard to leave out of the 23. The main omission here is Billy Proctor. He is yet to feature in Super Rugby but was brilliant last year and was unlucky to only rack up two international caps. Showed himself to be a very dangerous runner but even more dangerous passer and playmaker in the outside channels, something we’ve lacked since the 2019 World Cup, unfortunately he is a victim of injury and the midfield logjam we currently have.

Outside Backs:

Will Jordan, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Rieko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Mark Telea, Caleb Clarke, Ruben Love

Will Jordan has returned to Super Rugby this year and lit it up as expected, he will be the main option at fullback and will continue to grow. Certainly has been apparent to me that he has grown exponentially as a playmaker through the early rounds of Super Rugby. Leicester Faianga’anuku returns from France and will almost certainly be selected. Not only does he have the ability to cover the 13 jersey as well as the wings, but Razor backed him for years at the Crusaders. We did not get to see the best of him for the All Blacks before his departure, with his best game in the black jersey probably being his most recent, the quarter final against Ireland. He’s actually quite a similar player to Tavatavanawai, they could create an awesome combination in the black jersey. Rieko moves back to the outside backs for me finally. To be honest he has been awful at 13 for the Blues this season and I certainly think we’ve stuck with his move to the centres for far too long now. Yes, he is one of the best defensive centres in the world, but I don’t see what he brings as a centre that he can’t bring as a winger. Sevu Reece retains his spot from 2024 after another impressive start to Super Rugby, has a great work rate and is by far our best defensive winger which is why he is consitently picked at international level. Mark Telea has been a bright spot for the struggling Blues this season, his work rate and strength in the carry is phenomenal as always and he will certainly challenge for a starting spot on the wing come the opening game of the international season against France. Caleb Clarke is an interesting one. If I was solely picking off of form he wouldn’t make this squad, but I think he showed massive improvement under Razor and obviously has the physical gifts to be great. Whether his recent antics off the field and Fainga’anuku’s return will impact his chances in the black jersey is yet to be seen. The final outside back I’ve selected is Ruben Love. His ability to cover the 10 jersey will be important given only two specialist first fives being selected. Showed great promise in his brief moments in black last season, and I’d love to see him given a crack at his preferred position of fullback for the All Blacks in 2025.