Will All Blacks coach Dave Rennie reignite the Tupou Vaa’i project at blindside flanker?

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

ANALYSIS: Tupou Vaa’i’s switch to blindside flanker for the All Blacks last year was then-coach Scott Robertson's way of making a statement.

If counterparts such as Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus were going to use big okes to bully teams, Robertson was prepared to return fire by selecting sizeable lads who could also serve it up in the physical exchanges.

So Robertson joined the arms race by inviting Vaa’i, a player regarded as one of the best locks in New Zealand, to climb through the ropes and have another crack at the No 6 jersey.

This was nothing new for Vaa’i.

Previous All Blacks coach Ian Foster had also given the Chiefs man a run on the side of the scrum during his reign.

You could understand the temptation. Vaa’i is 1.97m tall and weighs almost 120kg; he’s athletic, moves quickly across the grass and is efficient at passing the ball in traffic.

So Robertson began his second year in charge by transferring Vaa'i to blindside flanker for the first two tests against France, in combination with openside flanker Ardie Savea and No 8 Christian Lio-Willie.

Wins in Dunedin and Wellington enabled Robertson to experiment for the third test in Hamilton. Samipeni Finau replaced Vaa'i at No 6. Savea was asked to start at No 8 and Du'Plessis Kirifi was employed at openside flanker.

For the opening Rugby Championship tests against Argentina, Robertson returned to the strategy of Vaa’i at No 6 in Cordoba and Buenos Aires.

The loss in Buenos Aires - the All Blacks’ first defeat in Argentina - put an end to the experiment.

Vaa’i was instructed to return to playing at lock, and made three appearances in the No 5 jersey before injury ended his season.

It was to coincide with the rise and rise of Simon Parker.

Listed at 1.97m and 119kg, Parker possessed the attributes to send opposition ball carriers back over the gainline, be a bulldozer in rucks and a reliable option for lineout ball.

Having made his test debut at No 8 in Buenos Aires, Parker was to become the established blindside flanker for the remainder of the season.

Having won the first test in Cordoba - it wasn't a convincing performance but another week on the ground in South America was expected to provide the impetus to improve - the All Blacks were flat and Vaa’i’s performance at No 6 was sub-par.

Robertson had crunched the data during Super Rugby Pacific; during his 13 appearances for the Chiefs, before injury forced him out of the semifinal and final, Parker's work-rate and power-game had been noticed.

A former New Zealand under-20 player, he has been in the Chiefs squad since 2020 and was a member of the All Blacks XV squad in 2024.

Many punters like the sight of a big bruiser in the loose forwards, and following Robertson’s decision to call it quits on Project Vaa’i in that role, they pinned their hopes on Parker getting the job done.

When the All Blacks returned to New Zealand to host the Springboks at Eden Park in Auckland, Robertson responded by naming Parker to start at blindside flanker, with Wallace Sititi at No 8 and Savea at openside.

Savea was outstanding as the All Blacks snapped a four-match losing streak against the Springboks and extended their unbeaten streak at Eden Park to 51.

The back row combination was kept for the next test in Wellington. It was a disaster. The Springboks exacted revenge, winning by a record margin.

Although the All Blacks were dazed and confused as the Springboks made them suffer in the final quarter, Parker's reputation didn't suffer irreparable damage; Robertson started him in both Bledisloe Cup tests against the Wallabies, and he was again in the No 6 jersey for the tests against Ireland, England, England and Wales.

The appointment of Dave Rennie following NZ Rugby's decision to cut ties with Robertson may not have resulted in Parker being ejected from the squad for the Nations Championship, but he wasn't named in the match-day 23 for the tests against France and Italy.

Rennie immediately made it clear he wants the All Blacks to operate at a rapid pace and that means he wants players to be fit, fast and scramble off the ground quickly.

To implement this plan he asked Luke Jacobson to be No 7, with Peter Lakai at blindside flanker and Savea at No 8, for the first test of his tenure.

After the win over France in Christchurch, Rennie raved about the All Blacks' quick recycling of ruck ball as the players tried to run the tourists off their feet under the roof at One New Zealand Stadium.

They were fortunate to win. Had Les Bleus been at full-strength - they were stripped of about eight players because they had been involved in the Top 14 club final - Rennie's tenure could have started on a sour note.

Last weekend's victory over Italy in Wellington got a pass mark from Rennie, and that was fair.

He had made one change to his back row, with Wallace Sititi at No 6.

The try-scoring blitz after halftime and right wing Will Jordan's hat-trick of tries which made him the All Blacks' leading tryscorer in tests were worth celebrating, but the error-rate was a real concern.

Sititi, in his first game back since suffering a horrible brain injury in the Chiefs' qualifying final against the Reds, had a forgettable night as his handling skills went west.

Rennie has already announced the All Blacks are likely to kick more against the Irish in Auckland on Saturday night; both teams are likely to prefer the option of playing aerial tennis rather than get trapped down in their own half, and claiming the ball in the air could open the door for opportunities to counter-attack.

Ireland may not be as potent as the team in 2022, when they inflicted a 2-1 series defeat upon the All Blacks in New Zealand, but coach Andy Farrell won't have been intimidated by what he has witnessed in recent weeks.

A team trying to adjust to fresh combinations, and ideas from a revamped coaching staff, could have an exposed underbelly.

Had Robertson still been in charge, Parker would have been at short odds to be the preferred No 6.

Having played seven of his eight tests in that jersey last year, picking Parker appeared to be the way forward for an All Blacks' pack gearing-up to roll out the large specimens in the four tests against the Springboks in 2026.

Under the previous regime it was clearly a case of the bigger the No 6, the better he looked in an All Blacks jersey.

Rennie is certain to rotate selections, again, for the match at Eden Park.

He may be tempted to ask the tall, rangy Vaa’i to add size and power to the back row to counter an Irish team that is certain to fancy a taste of the rough stuff.

Rennie wants his loosies to break down opponents; the number on the back rower’s back isn't relevant. He wants them all to be tough, and muck in.

With veteran lock Patrick Tuipulotu available after a calf injury delayed his return, it provides Rennie with the flexibility of picking from him, Sam Darry and Josh Lord as his locks.

If Vaa’i is rewarded with a start against Ireland, it could be at No 6.