All Blacks squad: How Razor will mix and match his Mr Versatiles to face France

Monday, 23 June 2025

Ardie Savea switcing between No 8 or No 7. Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie slotting in at fullback. One of the country’s premier locks featuring at blindside flanker. Midfielders playing in the back three or on the wing.

Welcome to Scott Robertson’s All Blacks squad of Mr Versatiles, with mix and match to prove a key factor in next month’s three-test series against France.

Two days after the completion of Super Rugby Pacific, the focus has quickly shifted to the second-year All Blacks coach, and he was in his element at Coastal Rugby Club (home of the Barretts and NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson) in rural Taranaki on Monday, shaking hands with kids and marvelling at the local young talent who got their chance to run around barefoot to a few instructions from the head honcho.

And after sitting idle for the best part of seven months, there’s no doubt an eagerness to get the hands dirty again for Robertson, who has just one more day to wait before getting stuck in with his newly-named 35 players (officially 33 plus two as injury cover) in Auckland on Wednesday, as they build up to next Saturday’s first test in Dunedin.

And, having named five debutants in his maiden squad of 2024, Robertson has matched it again this year, with a couple of genuine surprises in Chiefs hooker Brodie McAlister and Highlanders second-five Timoci Tavatavanawai, who join Chiefs prop Ollie Norris, Highlanders lock Fabian Holland and Hurricanes flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi as the new names.

Crusaders No 8 Christian Lio-Willie will join as cover for Luke Jacobson, with the Chiefs skipper going through concussion protocols following Saturday night’s final defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch where he also lost a tooth, while two-test winger Emoni Narawa is the other player covering, for Chiefs team-mate Anton Lienert-Brown, whose broken collarbone on Anzac Day still has his involvement in the series under a cloud.

On the back of a first season at the Chiefs after moving from the Crusaders, McAlister has jumped ahead of George Bell in the pecking order, with Asafo Aumua ruled out with the hamstring injury that kept him sidelined from the Hurricanes’ qualifying final.

Robertson said the Canes rake would look to play some NPC with an eye to returning for the Rugby Championship, in a similar boat to Canes team-mate Peter Lakai, who was unavailable due to a medial knee injury.

Others on the injured list (who had worn the black jersey in the past) were Blues trio Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Sam Darry and Stephen Perofeta. The latter has since been jumped by Ruben Love in any case, while the former two missing has opened the door for Norris and Holland.

Those considered most unlucky to miss the cut are Crusaders duo Ethan Blackadder and David Havili, both squeezed out by Chiefs players they got one over on Saturday night, with Robertson and fellow selectors Jason Ryan and Scott Hansen opting to continue their investment in Samipeni Finau, while also welcoming back the hot hand of Quinn Tupaea, who hasn’t played test footy since 2022 and that ugly cleanout by Dary Swain that caused him massive knee damage.

“It’s always tough, especially when you’ve got so much even competition and guys going hed to head,” Robertson said.

“Some great players miss out, there’s always going to be a couple of calls that could’ve gone either way. But we’re just really pleased with the balance of the squad and the five debutants.”

And while Havili’s versatility factor is a noted one, don’t think that his omission is a signal that Robertson is looking for specialists. Far from it in fact, was a clear message that came out of the Coastal club as he summed up his selections.

“We’ve got midfielders that can play fullback and centres that can play on the wing, so the versatility factor is really critical,” he said, in particular reference to Tavatavanawai, who made such a mighty transition from wing to No 12 this year, and who is part of a six-man midfield group named, compared to just four outside backs.

However, amongst the back division, the options are endless. Ruben Love, for instance, moved to No 10 for the Hurricanes this year and will cover both there, fullback, and could even be a wing option, where he debuted and scored two quick tries against Japan last year.

And even the Beauden Barrett/Damian McKenzie fullback option remains, Robertson confirmed, not willing to pigeon-hole either of his premier playmakers as a first-five only.

“Of course, they’re experienced, there’s utility factor, starting or finishing, you have to have that,” he said.

It’s not confined to the backline, either, with Robertson teasing that one of his locks could find themselves at blindside flanker, though unwilling to divulge who that would be out of captain Scott Barrett or Tupou Vaa’i, who have both been used there before, and that Savea was not set to simply move from No 8 and take Sam Cane’s vacated No 7 jersey, having performed so outstandingly in the openside role for Moana Pasifika.

“He was pretty good at seven wasn’t he?” Robertson quipped.

“I think the important thing is he’s an incredible seven that can play eight, and an incredible eight − World Player of the Year − that can play seven.

“[It’s] depending on where he starts and where he finishes.”

Robertson confirmed he intends to use all 33 players in the series, before a bigger squad of 36 can be named for the Rugby Championship.

Let the mix and match begin.

All Blacks squad

Hookers: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister

Props: Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi

Locks: Scott Barrett (c), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland

Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson

Halfbacks: Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham

First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie

Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai

Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Will Jordan, Ruben Love

Injury cover: Christian Lio-Willie (for Jacobson), Emoni Narawa (for Lienert-Brown)