'He owns the room': Veteran All Black Codie Taylor lifts lid on coach Dave Rennie's style
Monday, 29 June 2026
Test centurion Codie Taylor has suggested you could hear a pin drop in an All Blacks' meeting room when coach Dave Rennie rises to his feet and prepares to speak.
When Rennie beat Jamie Joseph for the role of All Blacks coach, he had a reputation for being a straight shooter who was unafraid to hit his audience between the eyes when delivering messages to his troops.
That appears to suit hooker Taylor, who along with Asafo Aumua and Samisoni Taukei'aho, is competing for the 2 jersey ahead of the opening Nations Championship test against France in Christchurch next Saturday.
Taylor, one of the most senior members of the All Blacks squad, is currently immersed in his second training camp under Rennie and has discovered the new boss expects all eyes to be on him when he speaks to his audience.
'He definitely owns the room when he speaks,'' Taylor said.
'But in a way that it is not daunting, just in a way that you respect and you know the words he says is what he wants out there on the field.
'So, yeah, it's been really cool to see him and how he works.''
When the Crusaders lost their Super Rugby Pacific semifinal against the Chiefs, Taylor was among the first wave of players invited to spend three days working under Rennie and his staff.
Last Wednesday he joined the official squad to receive more information under the new regime.
Taylor, who made his test debut in 2015, has now been exposed to the methods of four All Blacks head coaches in Steve Hansen, Ian Foster, Scott Robertson and Rennie.
The latter was selected by NZ Rugby to guide the All Blacks through to the World Cup in Australia next year after Robertson was let go with two years left on his contract.
Taylor said Rennie had made it clear he had high expectations, and demanded the players put in big shifts.
'I think just what he wants from us as players, in terms of work ethic,'' Taylor noted.
'Making sure we are working hard off the ball, and then just always looking for opportunities. He is big on always being ready for something, whether it is with, or without, the ball.
'He doesn't take mediocrity lightly. But it's been good.''
Rennie has been mindful of creating a balance of detail, work and what he calls 'connection''.
The squad he named in Feilding last Monday got together two days later and after getting through their commercial obligations on Wednesday, were able to steam into the training over the next four days.
'A lot of it is about a simple structure from an attacking point of view, getting a really good connection defensively and we just want the guys to get out there and be really clear and play,'' Rennie said.
'So what we know is that we will have a dry ball [under the roof in Christchurch], and that's exciting.''
Taylor played under Robertson when the All Blacks beat an under-strength French side 3-0 in the domestic series last year.
The French will arrive in Christchurch without several key players, including star halfback Antoine Dupont because he was listed to play for Toulouse in the Top 14 club final in France.
Rennie warned it would be foolhardy to take the French lightly under coach Fabian Galthie.
'People will talk about the fact that Toulouse are playing this weekend, so they will be missing them,'' Rennie said.
'But there will be 11 players from Bordeaux, who are the Eruropean champions. France have 28 professional sides.
'They have a greatest depth in world rugby, so have always got a lot of quality players to pick from. Fabian [Gathie] is smart, so they will have a plan around what things look like. They will be a good side.''