July 27, 2026 • 14 mins
There's three new faces and seven capped players in the 44-strong All Blacks squad for Rugby's Greatest Rivalry - but some high profile omissions too.
Coach Dave Rennie's outlined his picks ahead of the South Africa tour, and it's got rugby fans discussing.
All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed Be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
The All Black squad for the greatest rivalry Tour of
South Africa has been announced. Three uncapped players headline the
forty four strong squad, Mawana Pacifica and Southland number eight
Samisi Tuportelau Wellington and Hurricanes Propsy Ali Lake and Taranaki
and soon to be Highlander's first five Josh Jacob. The
(00:33):
remaining seven new faces are all previous All Blacks Olin Norris,
George Ball, Fabian Holland, Ethan Blackadder to Mothi Tava, Tava Nahwai,
ricco Jiwani and Imori Narada. They joined the thirty four
initially selected for July. It's also been confirmed that Ardi
Savie will only arrive on the tour ahead of the
(00:54):
first Test on the twenty third of August. To talk
this through, we're joined by All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga. Tana,
thanks for your time tonight as a coaching group. What
were you looking for as you extended the squad from
thirty four to forty four?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeh know, it's it's probably around balance of our squad.
You know, what do we need to you know, to
fulfill having enough players that cover enough positions to get
through those first three games as well as you know,
(01:34):
prepare for test matches, you know, while also rewarding players
for their their form in super rugby. I think that's
something that you know, David Sectors have always been big
on well also, you know, I think just making sure
(01:54):
that we that balance piece was I know a big
part of it.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Three uncapped players have earned their first All Blacks call up,
you know, submissie to poor Tail probably better than most
having coached him at w Wana. How much did Dave
Renny tap into your insight with the selection?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, obviously we discussed him quite a bit and you know,
and then as you do, they did their own homework
around things that we were looking for in the skill
sets that he has, you know, and I'm sure they've
discussed that. All the selectors had that discussion and it
(02:35):
was just he brings a dynamic that we don't necessarily
have within our group at the moment. You know, and
out eight that carries strong, is very physical, has a
high work rate and you know, has a big future
in front of him, and so you know, just get
that balancing act around making sure that we've got players
(02:57):
that will bring something that we know we need against
the South Africans.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
What sort of person, what sort of character is Samosi?
Insider a team environment? And what is what does he
like to coach.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Well inside of an environment? He has deep care for
his environments. You know, he's very competitive. He understands, you
know the purpose of of what he does and why
he does and why he plays the game. You know,
he knows what's important to him. And he's as I said,
he's really competitive, but he's also he wants to learn
(03:34):
and he picks up things very quickly. I've just been
obviously I've had a couple of years with him now
and been really impressed with just his his rugby IQ
for a young man. And you know, again he asks,
he asks a lot of himself, which also you know,
(03:56):
he makes sure he asks those questions of others around him.
And like I said, he's very competitive, so you know,
which is always a good thing when you're a young
person coming through. But he's willing to work hard. He's
shown that he you know, he's consistent in his performances
and you know how he gets through his work you know,
and like for us, I just think he's a great
(04:18):
story in terms of he missed out you know on
a few teams and he took an opportunity with with
Nwana as we took an opportunity with him, and he's
just made every every post win it and that's just
come through as hard work and the support he has
from his family.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, it's a cool story, all right. So what the
new guys have come and not just the debutantes but
the team you've brought in, is the expectation they will
genuinely push for test selection or is this to it
for some of them more about exposing them to the
all blacks environment.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Well, look, i'd like to think that again, that these opportunities,
you know, for them to keep pushing their cases forward,
and that's what we want. We don't want playersters to
come here and be happy to be a you know,
those lead up games or and that's that's enough. Obviously,
some guys will have to you know, show a bit
(05:14):
about themselves. And you know, I think it's around those
those moments that they get because you know, a lot
who knows how many minutes they'll get, but it's just
not counting those minutes. It's actually making every minute count
that you get on the field and you you're on
the training field and everything you do around, you know,
everyone's watching it, and they need to make sure that
(05:37):
you know you are you with are you someone that
puts in all the time or just when you know
people are watching you know, So for all these guys,
you know, these opportunities for them going forward, because if
you're in here, then there's opportunities because you know, injuries happen,
you know, as we know, you know, those happen all
the time. So making sure that you develop enough debt
(06:00):
and that these guys, you know, these are the ten
guys that have got that opportunity on this tour. But
there's also you know, some really quality players that didn't
get get selected. And I know that they'll be breathing
down their neck because you know, because they didn't get selected.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
The blueprint of this all Black side under Dave and
he's coaching and with you as his assistants, has been
to play high tempo, lots of ambition, lots of optimism.
That word gets used a lot. Does that philosophy become
more challenging in South Africa? Tana or are you determined
to keep backing that as the All Blacks playing style.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I think once you started on that trajectory and you
know that you have to keep going with it. You know,
like it's what we've you know, what we're stated and
what we trained, so you know you've got to keep
pushing those those boundaries and keep pres of airing I believe,
and you know, we've got a group of guys that
(07:00):
really want to play that kind of rugby and we
just need to. We just know that we need to
be at our best once we get to South Africa,
and because you know, we know that Sydney waiting for
us and looking at us and you know, very confident
in terms of knocking us over. So you know, we
(07:20):
just got to handle what happens in our camp be
the best at it, and like it is a style
of rugby that's attractive, but you know it means that
we've got to be very good at our detail and
very good at the fundamentals of the game.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
From a coaching perspective, how different is this challenge going
to be as well? That you and that you play
four tests and so you do have the opportunity to
adapt to them as they do to you from week
to week. How different will that challenge be?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Yeah, yeah, it's obviously something I haven't done time across
before in my coaching career. So you know, every week,
as you said, you know, apart from that after the
first test when we have a midweek game, then we're
just preparing for test matches and as you said, making
(08:10):
little tweaks or little things that you have to either
improve or making sure that you know, you keep getting.
You want to keep going and keep them, keep them
strong because we know that we are. Week's a long
time in rugby in terms of you know, how you
(08:30):
can change tactics and how you can adapt to you know,
what you've seen the week before. So you know, it's
an interesting kind of environment that we'll be in. And yeah,
it'll just you know, probably unfold once we go through it.
But no, I'm looking forward to that and you know,
(08:51):
hopefully you know, we can be a bit innovative around you.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Know what we do there Just to finish then, I mean,
this is the All Blacks. You want to win every week.
Obviously you want to win the series, but what other
objectives are there on this too? Building depth for example
up in combinations, answering some key selection questions out of
the World Cup. Are those things important to over the
next sort of six to eight weeks.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yeah, one hundred percent. You know everything you send there
jas around all those things are important for us. You know,
always on the horizon. You've got to look at the
big picture, which is you know, their World Cup and
next year we don't. It's not that we don't look
towards making sure that we get success in all the
(09:38):
matches that we play in South Africa, but you know,
there are some bigger things that play for us around
growing depth and watching at around who we are and
you know, this is what we do and this is
what we this is you know what we want or
how we want to be perceived by our public and
(09:59):
you know the our country that we represent, and so
you know that those things are really important for us too.
And then you know we can develop that while they're
away and also hopefully that's what people get to see.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Exciting times ahead for you and for All Blacks fans.
Travel well, Tanner, thanks so much for the chat tonight.
Thank you, Thank you, Tana. Tana whomong of their assistant
coach with the All Blacks I mean the surprises and
the squad. No fourth half back Noah Hotham, who started
for the All Blacks against South Africa in September of
last year, is now not in the top three half backs.
(10:36):
There's clearly a feeling in the All Blacks that they
can get through the early games on this tour, the
so called midweek games without running cam roy Gard into
the ground, because he is going to start all four
Test matches, so they'll use I mean, he'll play one
of those opening three matches. I would say cam Roygard
stormers Sharks balls, but only one and I think the
(11:01):
other two Rotima and Preston will share the duties across
the remainder. Adding a fourth first five and Josh Jacob.
I'm not sure too many saw that coming. Cool moment though,
for him to be included and still young enough to
make a mark in a Black jersey when you consider
(11:22):
the age of the others. Take Ruben Love out of it,
Boden Barrett, Damien McKenzie returning, Richie moor Wonga. You know
they're a lot older than Josh Jacob. But I was
interested to see another first five added when one of them,
Boden Barrett hasn't even been able to get on the
field in the Nation's championship, so another one edit. Although
Damien McKenzie is in that group and he's a fallback,
(11:42):
isn't he. Congrats also to young prop Cili Lowaki for
his maiden call up. Great to see him there and
it's obvious Dave Rennie loves burg bodies, burg big bodies
and his four packs specifically is loose forwards, which has
led to this selection of Samisi tupor Ta your Law.
He's the real bolt of really, I'm not sure too
(12:04):
many were picking him after Super Rugby. He's a massive,
massive man, huge man and was a standout in a
mediocre Mowana side this season. Has something that the All
Blacks don't currently have. A berg Ball carrying number eight.
Ethan Blackadder was a surprise to me. I must say,
not because he's not a good player. He is real workhorse,
(12:27):
but I wasn't sure he was on the radar. I
just thought his ship might have sailed. But here he is.
Like many of the extra ten who have been called
in on top of the thirty four who were already there.
I wouldn't imagine that someone like Ethan Blackaddam will play
the Test matches. Same goes for the likes of Olie Norris,
e Morning Nadawa, Josh Jacob to Marthy taviatav and Ay
(12:49):
George Bell. I'm not sure they will play a big
part of the Test matches, if at all, They'll probably
be more like midweek players. Fabi and Holland, on the
other hand, going to go straight back into the Test
side if he gets enough minutes in the warm up games,
especially if they continue with two porvajats, because then they
can name two loose forwards on the bench. And just
(13:10):
a word on duplus Cordifi, I understand the rationale Dave
Rennie has given when asked about duplasy Correfi, he talked
about a couple of things. He talked about how all
of us loose forwards can play in more than one
position and duplas Codifi is a seven and only a
seven and has mentioned Dave Rennie wants big, big bodies
(13:32):
and Khalifi isn't the biggest man physically, but just because
you can play seven doesn't mean you're the best seven
and against everyone else in the squad, duplasit corref he
was more than big enough during Super Rugby and heart
as much as in body. He was one of the
best players and the best team in the comp I
(13:56):
just hope we haven't seen the last of them in
a black jersey.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
said B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed Be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
The All Black squad for the greatest rivalry Tour of
South Africa has been announced. Three uncapped players headline the
forty four strong squad, Mawana Pacifica and Southland number eight
Samisi Tuportelau Wellington and Hurricanes Propsy Ali Lake and Taranaki
and soon to be Highlander's first five Josh Jacob. The
(00:33):
remaining seven new faces are all previous All Blacks Olin Norris,
George Ball, Fabian Holland, Ethan Blackadder to Mothi Tava, Tava Nahwai,
ricco Jiwani and Imori Narada. They joined the thirty four
initially selected for July. It's also been confirmed that Ardi
Savie will only arrive on the tour ahead of the
(00:54):
first Test on the twenty third of August. To talk
this through, we're joined by All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga. Tana,
thanks for your time tonight as a coaching group. What
were you looking for as you extended the squad from
thirty four to forty four?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeh know, it's it's probably around balance of our squad.
You know, what do we need to you know, to
fulfill having enough players that cover enough positions to get
through those first three games as well as you know,
(01:34):
prepare for test matches, you know, while also rewarding players
for their their form in super rugby. I think that's
something that you know, David Sectors have always been big
on well also, you know, I think just making sure
(01:54):
that we that balance piece was I know a big
part of it.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Three uncapped players have earned their first All Blacks call up,
you know, submissie to poor Tail probably better than most
having coached him at w Wana. How much did Dave
Renny tap into your insight with the selection?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, obviously we discussed him quite a bit and you know,
and then as you do, they did their own homework
around things that we were looking for in the skill
sets that he has, you know, and I'm sure they've
discussed that. All the selectors had that discussion and it
(02:35):
was just he brings a dynamic that we don't necessarily
have within our group at the moment. You know, and
out eight that carries strong, is very physical, has a
high work rate and you know, has a big future
in front of him, and so you know, just get
that balancing act around making sure that we've got players
(02:57):
that will bring something that we know we need against
the South Africans.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
What sort of person, what sort of character is Samosi?
Insider a team environment? And what is what does he
like to coach.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Well inside of an environment? He has deep care for
his environments. You know, he's very competitive. He understands, you
know the purpose of of what he does and why
he does and why he plays the game. You know,
he knows what's important to him. And he's as I said,
he's really competitive, but he's also he wants to learn
(03:34):
and he picks up things very quickly. I've just been
obviously I've had a couple of years with him now
and been really impressed with just his his rugby IQ
for a young man. And you know, again he asks,
he asks a lot of himself, which also you know,
(03:56):
he makes sure he asks those questions of others around him.
And like I said, he's very competitive, so you know,
which is always a good thing when you're a young
person coming through. But he's willing to work hard. He's
shown that he you know, he's consistent in his performances
and you know how he gets through his work you know,
and like for us, I just think he's a great
(04:18):
story in terms of he missed out you know on
a few teams and he took an opportunity with with
Nwana as we took an opportunity with him, and he's
just made every every post win it and that's just
come through as hard work and the support he has
from his family.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, it's a cool story, all right. So what the
new guys have come and not just the debutantes but
the team you've brought in, is the expectation they will
genuinely push for test selection or is this to it
for some of them more about exposing them to the
all blacks environment.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Well, look, i'd like to think that again, that these opportunities,
you know, for them to keep pushing their cases forward,
and that's what we want. We don't want playersters to
come here and be happy to be a you know,
those lead up games or and that's that's enough. Obviously,
some guys will have to you know, show a bit
(05:14):
about themselves. And you know, I think it's around those
those moments that they get because you know, a lot
who knows how many minutes they'll get, but it's just
not counting those minutes. It's actually making every minute count
that you get on the field and you you're on
the training field and everything you do around, you know,
everyone's watching it, and they need to make sure that
(05:37):
you know you are you with are you someone that
puts in all the time or just when you know
people are watching you know, So for all these guys,
you know, these opportunities for them going forward, because if
you're in here, then there's opportunities because you know, injuries happen,
you know, as we know, you know, those happen all
the time. So making sure that you develop enough debt
(06:00):
and that these guys, you know, these are the ten
guys that have got that opportunity on this tour. But
there's also you know, some really quality players that didn't
get get selected. And I know that they'll be breathing
down their neck because you know, because they didn't get selected.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
The blueprint of this all Black side under Dave and
he's coaching and with you as his assistants, has been
to play high tempo, lots of ambition, lots of optimism.
That word gets used a lot. Does that philosophy become
more challenging in South Africa? Tana or are you determined
to keep backing that as the All Blacks playing style.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I think once you started on that trajectory and you
know that you have to keep going with it. You know,
like it's what we've you know, what we're stated and
what we trained, so you know you've got to keep
pushing those those boundaries and keep pres of airing I believe,
and you know, we've got a group of guys that
(07:00):
really want to play that kind of rugby and we
just need to. We just know that we need to
be at our best once we get to South Africa,
and because you know, we know that Sydney waiting for
us and looking at us and you know, very confident
in terms of knocking us over. So you know, we
(07:20):
just got to handle what happens in our camp be
the best at it, and like it is a style
of rugby that's attractive, but you know it means that
we've got to be very good at our detail and
very good at the fundamentals of the game.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
From a coaching perspective, how different is this challenge going
to be as well? That you and that you play
four tests and so you do have the opportunity to
adapt to them as they do to you from week
to week. How different will that challenge be?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Yeah, yeah, it's obviously something I haven't done time across
before in my coaching career. So you know, every week,
as you said, you know, apart from that after the
first test when we have a midweek game, then we're
just preparing for test matches and as you said, making
(08:10):
little tweaks or little things that you have to either
improve or making sure that you know, you keep getting.
You want to keep going and keep them, keep them
strong because we know that we are. Week's a long
time in rugby in terms of you know, how you
(08:30):
can change tactics and how you can adapt to you know,
what you've seen the week before. So you know, it's
an interesting kind of environment that we'll be in. And yeah,
it'll just you know, probably unfold once we go through it.
But no, I'm looking forward to that and you know,
(08:51):
hopefully you know, we can be a bit innovative around you.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Know what we do there Just to finish then, I mean,
this is the All Blacks. You want to win every week.
Obviously you want to win the series, but what other
objectives are there on this too? Building depth for example
up in combinations, answering some key selection questions out of
the World Cup. Are those things important to over the
next sort of six to eight weeks.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yeah, one hundred percent. You know everything you send there
jas around all those things are important for us. You know,
always on the horizon. You've got to look at the
big picture, which is you know, their World Cup and
next year we don't. It's not that we don't look
towards making sure that we get success in all the
(09:38):
matches that we play in South Africa, but you know,
there are some bigger things that play for us around
growing depth and watching at around who we are and
you know, this is what we do and this is
what we this is you know what we want or
how we want to be perceived by our public and
(09:59):
you know the our country that we represent, and so
you know that those things are really important for us too.
And then you know we can develop that while they're
away and also hopefully that's what people get to see.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Exciting times ahead for you and for All Blacks fans.
Travel well, Tanner, thanks so much for the chat tonight.
Thank you, Thank you, Tana. Tana whomong of their assistant
coach with the All Blacks I mean the surprises and
the squad. No fourth half back Noah Hotham, who started
for the All Blacks against South Africa in September of
last year, is now not in the top three half backs.
(10:36):
There's clearly a feeling in the All Blacks that they
can get through the early games on this tour, the
so called midweek games without running cam roy Gard into
the ground, because he is going to start all four
Test matches, so they'll use I mean, he'll play one
of those opening three matches. I would say cam Roygard
stormers Sharks balls, but only one and I think the
(11:01):
other two Rotima and Preston will share the duties across
the remainder. Adding a fourth first five and Josh Jacob.
I'm not sure too many saw that coming. Cool moment though,
for him to be included and still young enough to
make a mark in a Black jersey when you consider
(11:22):
the age of the others. Take Ruben Love out of it,
Boden Barrett, Damien McKenzie returning, Richie moor Wonga. You know
they're a lot older than Josh Jacob. But I was
interested to see another first five added when one of them,
Boden Barrett hasn't even been able to get on the
field in the Nation's championship, so another one edit. Although
Damien McKenzie is in that group and he's a fallback,
(11:42):
isn't he. Congrats also to young prop Cili Lowaki for
his maiden call up. Great to see him there and
it's obvious Dave Rennie loves burg bodies, burg big bodies
and his four packs specifically is loose forwards, which has
led to this selection of Samisi tupor Ta your Law.
He's the real bolt of really, I'm not sure too
(12:04):
many were picking him after Super Rugby. He's a massive,
massive man, huge man and was a standout in a
mediocre Mowana side this season. Has something that the All
Blacks don't currently have. A berg Ball carrying number eight.
Ethan Blackadder was a surprise to me. I must say,
not because he's not a good player. He is real workhorse,
(12:27):
but I wasn't sure he was on the radar. I
just thought his ship might have sailed. But here he is.
Like many of the extra ten who have been called
in on top of the thirty four who were already there.
I wouldn't imagine that someone like Ethan Blackaddam will play
the Test matches. Same goes for the likes of Olie Norris,
e Morning Nadawa, Josh Jacob to Marthy taviatav and Ay
(12:49):
George Bell. I'm not sure they will play a big
part of the Test matches, if at all, They'll probably
be more like midweek players. Fabi and Holland, on the
other hand, going to go straight back into the Test
side if he gets enough minutes in the warm up games,
especially if they continue with two porvajats, because then they
can name two loose forwards on the bench. And just
(13:10):
a word on duplus Cordifi, I understand the rationale Dave
Rennie has given when asked about duplasy Correfi, he talked
about a couple of things. He talked about how all
of us loose forwards can play in more than one
position and duplas Codifi is a seven and only a
seven and has mentioned Dave Rennie wants big, big bodies
(13:32):
and Khalifi isn't the biggest man physically, but just because
you can play seven doesn't mean you're the best seven
and against everyone else in the squad, duplasit corref he
was more than big enough during Super Rugby and heart
as much as in body. He was one of the
best players and the best team in the comp I
(13:56):
just hope we haven't seen the last of them in
a black jersey.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
said B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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