Meet the four uncapped players in new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie’s squad

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Those hoping Dave Rennie would start his stint in the hot seat by shaking things up would have been disappointed by Monday’s squad naming.

A couple of years after his predecessor, Scott Robertson, named five uncapped players in his first squad, Rennie’s maiden All Blacks squad included four rookies.

Hurricanes Fehi Fineanganofo, Josh Moorby and Xavier Numia, and Blues loose forward Anton Segner, are all set to make their test debuts during next month’s Nations Championship tests.

There was, however, no room for a true bolter - think a Lucas Casey, Isaac Hutchinson or Adam Lennox.

Here is a look at the four uncapped players in Rennie’s 34-man squad, named in Feilding ahead of next Saturday’s test against France in Christchurch.

Fehi Fineanganofo (Hurricanes outside back)

The Hurricanes’ try-scoring machine is in, and it is shaping that the bloke who looked set to be lost to Newcastle will be available in the long-term.

It’s no secret New Zealand Rugby have been working behind the scenes to keep the 23-year-old in the country, and Rennie is unlikely to have picked him if the governing body’s bid was looking like a lost cause.

Asked about Fineanganofo’s situation, Rennie said it was a work in progress, after the flyer signed with the free-spending UK club before this year’s Super Rugby competition kicked off.

“What we know is that he is contracted here until November. His form has been irresistible and we are keen to name him.

“So, I think he will worth through that [the Newcastle contract] in time.’’

In the meantime, the All Blacks are set to unleash the former Auckland Grammar and New Zealand Schools representative against France, Italy and Ireland.

Fineanganofo, who plays his NPC rugby for Bay of Plenty, was dynamite this year, running in a Super Rugby record 17 tries despite missing three of their last five games with a hamstring injury.

Anyone who watched Fineanganofo play for the All Blacks Sevens, including at the Paris 2024 Olympics, won’t have been surprised by his ability to make defenders look like fools with his speed and wicked step.

Boosted by his haul this year, he’s scored 23 tries in two seasons for the Hurricanes, playing a big hand in their first title in a decade.

Now, don’t be surprised if he gets first crack in the No 11 jersey when the All Blacks open their 2026 campaign under the roof in the Garden City.

Josh Moorby (Hurricanes outside back)

Talk about a bold call paying off.

It’s not often players head overseas, their bank accounts filling up with Euros, and they bite the bullet and return home.

But that’s precisely what Moorby did, cutting short his two-year deal with French club Montpellier and having another crack at his All Blacks dream.

He lit up Super Rugby in his return this year, scoring two tries in last weekend’s final to grab a share of the single-season try scoring record with teammate Fineanganofo.

Moorby, who can play both wing and fullback, hails from Te Awamutu and moved to Southland in 2018 for his first taste of NPC rugby.

He was an injury replacement with the Highlanders in 2021, before the Hurricanes snapped up the elusive outside back the following year.

The now 27-year-old didn’t take long to flash his ability at Super Rugby, earning him a Māori All Blacks call up.

“Now that you’ve got new [All Blacks] coaches, who knows what they’re looking at. But if you’re looking for somebody that has got a massive work rate, a massive engine…he’s durable, he doesn’t get injured often and just has an understanding of where the ball is,” Hurricanes assistant coach Cory Jane said last month.

Xavier Numia (Hurricanes loosehead prop)

There was some talk of Numia being a ‘bolter’ ahead of Rennie’s inaugural All Blacks squad naming.

However, the Hurricanes’ loosehead prop has been too good for too long to be a genuine bolter.

He simply had to make the cut. Heck, even if Crusader Tamaiti Williams was fit and available, Numia probably would have made it at the expense of George Bower.

The 27-year-old is a good scrummager, but it’s his ability to morph into a wrecking ball and bulldoze defenders with ball in hand where he really impresses.

He’s also got good feet and speed to burn for a big and powerful man, making it less of a surprise that he was a midfielder in his early playing days.

Born in Wellington, Numia attended St Patrick’s College in Wellington, and is approaching 100 games with both the Lions and Hurricanes.

Numia represented the All Blacks XV in 2023.

Anton Segner (Blues loose forward)

The All Blacks will soon have their first German-born representative.

Born in Frankfurt, Segner has talked of his desire to wear the black jersey since arriving in New Zealand in 2017 on a six-month exchange programme at Nelson College.

Then a 15-year-old, Segner quickly caught the eyes of selectors and was picked for the New Zealand Schools team the following year.

While not a huge man, Segner has a big motor, is strong over the ball and is an excellent lineout operator.

He progressed through the Crusaders’ highly touted academy and captained the red and blacks under-20 team.

However, the Blues plucked him away from their rivals in 2022, and the versatile loose forward has amassed more than 50 games for the Auckland-based franchise.

Segner can play all three positions in the loose forwards, although he more likely to be used as a flanker than at the back of the scrum.