How the All Blacks could line up against France - and the case for Beauden Barrett to start
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
ANALYSIS: Dave Rennie’s first All Blacks squad showed the value he puts in experience as well as form.
Just 16 months out from a Rugby World Cup, Rennie was never going to opt for wholesale changes.
Eight players in the his 34-man squad are 30 years or older, with three more knocking on the door of that milestone.
With Scott Barrett, Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell to come back in at some stage, at least one-third of Rennie’s Rugby World Cup squad could be thirtysomethings - and he would clearly love to add Brodie Retallick, now 35, to that group.
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That’s important context to remember when trying to work out how Rennie is going to approach the July tests, and specifically how he is going to select his first 23-man squad to play France in Christchurch on Saturday week, July 4.
Les Bleus will be dangerous. The headlines will be dominated by who isn’t available for France but if you did a little deeper a different picture emerges.
Somewhat surprisingly, Bordeaux stars Maxime Lucu, Mathieu Jalibert and Damian Penaud have been named in France’s provisional squad to face the All Blacks.
The trio are back-to-back European champions and Jalibert is now first-choice No 10 for France - very much an A-lister.
They will be joined by nine other Bordeaux players, including midfielders Yoram Moefana and Nicolas Depoortere. They are bona fide test players who featured together in this year’s Six Nations.
By any measure, the French squad heading to Christchurch is better than the one that toured New Zealand last year.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the All Blacks weigh up two factors.
First, the importance of giving established players such as Beauden Barrett the chance to impress the new regime; and second, making sure they set up Ruben Love to succeed.
Would it be the worst thing to give Love, who has had a big year, an extra week to prepare for his “debut” in the All Blacks No 10 jersey?
Test rugby isn’t Super Rugby. The demands and expectations are so much higher and the squad will only assemble on Wednesday.
That is not a long runway before what would be the biggest game of Love’s career.
The management part that Rennie and co are responsible for is harder - graduating from Super Rugby to test rugby is a difficult process.
Barrett, 35, is intelligent enough that these are the twilight years of his career, and there is always a hunger among fans for the old guys to get out of the way for the next generation.
But he’s also been part of All Blacks squads where a Keven Mealamu or a Dane Coles is retained for their value off the field as well as on the field.
There isn’t a lot of time for the All Blacks to establish whether he can be that sort of player at the Rugby World Cup. A start against France would really show where he stands.
Possible All Blacks team: Will Jordan, Josh Moorby, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Cam Roigard; Wallace Sititi/Peter Lakai, Ardie Savea (captain), Simon Parker, Josh Lord, Sam Darry, Fletcher Newell, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot. Reserves: Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia, Pasilio Tosi, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sititi/Lakai, Kyle Preston, Damian McKenzie, Quinn Tupaea.