Hurricane warning: Super Rugby’s best team set to dominate Dave Rennie’s All Blacks selection

Friday, 12 June 2026

The red-hot Hurricanes look set to provide a swag of All Blacks for Dave Rennie’s first squad for 2026.

ANALYSIS: No doubt about it, the Hurricanes are on some roll in Super Rugby Pacific. And it would be a serious surprise if that momentum did not carry over into a record-breaking callup for the All Blacks on the Monday after the grand final.

There’s still a bit of water to flow under that bridge yet, with this weekend’s semifinals and next Saturday’s final sure to prove influential, both in terms of final spots in the 34-strong All Blacks squad for July, and also on the injury front. There is bound to be breakage that would force an eleventh-hour selection rethink.

But as it stands the Hurricanes, who host the Blues in Saturday’s second semifinal at Hnry Stadium, could have as many as a dozen players in Dave Rennie’s first All Blacks squad, and maybe even one or two more who are knocking firmly on the door, reliant on a late surge or an injury opening up a spot.

Rennie has pledged to pick on form for his first squad, and says he carries no preconceptions or loyalties to existing players that will influence his thinking. He’s been away from New Zealand for a while, and he’s adamant that allows him to take a “clean slate” to the selection process.

That should also mean a heavy Hurricane influence for July’s Nations Championship squad to take on France, Italy and Ireland in the first three matches of the new inter-hemisphere competition.

The Canes, after all, have been the best side in Super Rugby all year, they were the standout performers in last weekend’s qualifying finals and they’re the warmest of favourites to snap their run of four semifinal defeats on the bounce and win through to a shot at their first title in a decade.

Hurricanes backs Billy Proctor and Fehi Fineanganofo look strong contenders for a spot in Dave Rennie’s first squad.

Sure, the Chiefs snapped at their heels all regular season, and the Crusaders have finished with a withering burst to emerge as genuine contenders, but no one has played with the consistency, precision and all-round power of the Canes all year.

You can make a case that the Canes really only lost twice all regular season (to the Drua in Lautoka and Chiefs in Hamilton), given they mailed in their closer at the Crusaders with a second-string lineup, with top spot sewn up. They also had the competition’s best attack (first in points and tries scored) and tightest defence (first in points and tries conceded), and their 66-12 qualifying final victory over the Brumbies in miserable conditions in Wellington last Friday was considered one of the more masterful displays of skilled rugby in the wet in recent times.

So, who can they expect to be rewarded with All Blacks selection?

There are potentially seven who fall into the certainty, or as good as, category.

Cam Roigard, Jordie Barrett, Ruben Love, Peter Lakai and Tyrel Lomax are bolted on, and hooker Asafo Aumua and centre Billy Proctor the next best thing. It would be a major surprise to see any of these form men miss out, although Proctor is part of a highly competitive and deep set of midfield contenders, including, but not limited to, himself, Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, David Havili, Timoci Tavatavanawai and Anton Lienert-Brown.

Has improving prop Xavier Numia done enough for the Canes to take the big stride into the All Blacks squad?

Then there’s the decent chance category – where it gets really interesting,

Here you have rising loosehead Xavier Numia, big tighthead Pasilio Tosi, openside Du’Plessis Kirifi, wing/fullback Josh Moorby and try-scoring sensation Fehi Fineanganofo.

All have to be right in the mix. The dynamic Numia deserves a look after his best season at the franchise level, and Tamaiti Williams’ absence certainly opens up a spot on the loosehead side. Tosi was a regular in the tighthead rotation last year, and looks to be where he needs to be in ‘26 to pick up where he left off.

Kirifi is in the thick of a mighty battle for loose forward spots, and Leicester Fainga’anuku’s emergence as a genuine No 7 adds a layer of complication, but should go close again; while the versatile Moorby has not put a foot wrong all year in his New Zealand return, and cries out for a callup if there’s room in the back-three mix.

Fineanganofo’s case is complicated less by form – 16 tries in Super Rugby, and some exquisite finishing – than it is by future availability. There’s been speculation the 23-year-old is seeking out of the two-year deal he signed with Newcastle (potentially helped by NZ Rugby), and if so he should be a certainty for July, and South Africa beyond.

Then there are the longer shots. Four Hurricanes fall most clearly into this category in prop Siale Lauaki, a big unit with a bright future, workhorse lock Caleb Delany, loosie Brayden Iose and wing Kini Naholo. Maybe it’s not their time yet, maybe it never will be, but they’re types who could yet make a move over a semi and final into the right type of opportunity.

Good times for the Canes. And maybe set to get even better.

Potential Hurricanes in Rennie’s All Blacks squad

Certainties: Tyrel Lomax, Asafo Aumua, Peter Lakai, Cameron Roigard, Ruben Love, Jordie Barrett, Billy Proctor.

Likely: Xavier Numia, Pasilio Tosi, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Josh Moorby, Fehi Fineanganofo.

Long shots: Siale Lauaki, Caleb Delany, Brayden Iose, Kini Naholo.