Josh Moorby and Anton Segner set to debut off the bench as All Blacks refrain from resting captain Ardie Savea against Italy
Thursday, 9 July 2026
The sight of a bloodied and battered Ardie Savea in Christchurch prompted All Blacks selectors to seriously consider his workload moving forward.
However, head coach Dave Rennie, having named uncapped rookies Anton Segner and Josh Moorby to face Italy in Wellington on Saturday, made it clear the time to rest his captain was not now.
“He’s been going a lot of months,” Rennie said of Savea, who went straight to Japan to play under him at the Kobe Steelers after last year’s international campaign.
“We managed him very well in Kobe, to make sure that he could come back and be ready to go in this series. The plan is that we will play him in these three tests, and then we might delay his start in Africa, but we'll make a call on that in the next week or so.”
After the All Blacks face Ireland at Eden Park next week, they’re scheduled to kickoff their South African tour with three games against former Super Rugby teams, starting with the Stormers in Cape Town on August 7.
In the meantime, having opted to blood two more All Blacks in the capital, Rennie will wheel out a team featuring eight players who didn’t play in the season-opener a week ago.
However, that doesn’t include veteran Beauden Barrett, one of three players alongside Simon Parker and Kyle Preston not named for either of the first two Nations Championship tests. Lock Patrick Tuipulotu was named to play against France but was scratched with a calf injury before kickoff.
Fehi Fineanganofo, who along with Moorby scored a Super Rugby record 17 tries this year, was unavailable due to a shoulder strain.
Having edged France in Christchurch a week ago, Rennie has made five changes to the starting XV, highlighted by the return of lock Tupou Vaa’i (concussion).
He’s also named Wallace Sititi at No 6 for Peter Lakai, and replaced tighthead prop Fletcher Newell with Tyrel Lomax, who will earn his 50th test cap.
Wing Leroy Carter and centre Billy Proctor have replaced Caleb Clarke and Quinn Tupaea respectively.
Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, props George Bower and Pasilo Tosi, as well as midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown, have been named on the bench after sitting out the French test.
“No, not necessarily,” Rennie said when asked if he planned to utilise everyone in the 34-man squad during the July tests.
“Patty [Tuipulotu], he was pretty close, we just made a call on Monday. He's had little niggles all year and I don't think he's ever been 100% when he's been out there, so we are thinking we will leave him for another week and we’re confident he will be 100% next week.”
Rennie added there was serious consideration to name Crusaders halfback Kyle Preston, an excellent closer with a superb kicking game, on the bench, but they were eager to give Cortez Ratima more time after he played less than five minutes last week.
As for Barrett, who started 10 of 13 tests at first five-eighth last year, Rennie said there were multiple factors at play.
“He carved us up a handful of times [at training] today. But again, Ruben’s first test at 10 last week, played really well, playing back at home, the connection with [Cam Roigard and Billy Proctor], so we’re keen to play him again.
“With D-Mac at the back, we’ve got probably other positions on the bench that give us better cover.”
Rennie pointed to the ‘unbelievable depth’ in the loose forwards when discussing Parker again missing out, but noted there was a heck of a lot of rugby (17 games) to be played this year and his time would come.
When Rennie injects Segner into the match, which he noted on Thursday would be ‘reasonably early’, he will become the first capped German-born All Black.
While capable of playing all three positions in the loose forwards, he’s better suited to either openside or blindside flanker, and is renowned for his work rate. He’s also an excellent lineout forward.
“He's had a great year, he's a genuine lineout option, he gets a hell of a lot of steals.”
The All Blacks have won all 17 tests against Italy, while 10 of the players in Rennie’s 23 featured in their last meeting, a 29-11 victory in Turin in 2024.
All Blacks: Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett, Leroy Carter, Ruben Love, Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Wallace Sititi, Tupou Vaa’i, Sam Darry, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Josh Lord, Anton Segner, Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown, Josh Moorby.