Nick Bewley: Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist on the new All Blacks squad

Scott Robertson has called up five new faces for his first All Blacks class of 2025, with his 35-man squad for next month’s series against France named. 

Following a spate of injuries and departures offshore, Robertson has put his faith in four newcomers to face Les Bleus, themselves weakened by an inability to select from their full complement for the tour opener. 

All Blacks regulars Dalton Papali'i, Ethan Blackadder, and David Havili have been left out of the squad to play France next month. 

The 33-player group features five uncapped players - Ollie Norris, Brodie McAlister, Fabian Holland, Timoci Tavatavanawai, and Du'Plessis Kirifi. 

Nick Bewley told Ryan Bridge that it’s tough to pick an All Blacks team, and the challenge now is for Robertson to whittle it down to 23 players for match day.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has unveiled a thirty five
band squad to face France and next month's three Test series,
including five new faces. Nick Beuley is News Talk's a
big sports journalist and is with me now. Nick, Good morning,
morning to your Ryan. Big surprises for you, probably.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Just the one, and that would be Chief hooker Brody McAllister,
who was down my way in Crusaders Country up until
last year. I was behind the likes of Cody Taylor,
who's in this All Black squad, and was told, you know,
you might want to go try and get some game
time elsewhere. Established yourself went to the Chiefs and by
all accounts, you know from the All Blacks, Fords coach

(00:35):
Jason Ryan and the All Blacks coach Scott Robertson really
made every post a winner. And he wasn't on many
predicted squads before midday yesterday, so he's the genuine bolter.
The other new names, the likes of Duplassy Kadifi from
the Hurricanes, to Mofy Tavitavana Way and Fabian Holland from
the Highlanders and Olie Norris from the Chiefs are probably
pretty forecast. But yeah, Brody McAllister the big surprise.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Yeah, and on do please see could he the nearly
a decade in Super Rugby and NPC? This is quite
long overdue for him, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, he's really toiled away and had an opportunity to
go overseas and make a fair bit of money in Japan,
but I felt that there was unfinished business for him.
And yeah, he's a real success story of if you
persist and apply the what's been passed on. I suppose
in terms of the feedback that the All Blacks coaches

(01:25):
are after, you can make it. So I was really
pleased to see deepless kreefy. These offers a point of difference.
He's right up there in Super Rugby this season right
in terms of the top players in terms of turnovers,
has worked in and around the ball over the breakdown
is second to none. So yeah, I'd like to see
him really get a real good opportunity against France and
the formidable loose forward trial likes of Ardi sav and

(01:47):
Wallace Atini as well.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
I was reading Gregor Paul's take on this this morning
in The Herald. What has the reaction been like from fans,
you know, from the pundits, what are they trying?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Well, look, Ryan, down here in Crusader's country, there's a
few people that feel a little bit aggrieved because Ethan
Blackadder was probably one of our best in the Super
Rugby Final against the Chiefs on Saturday and had a
really good back end of the season. He wasn't there.
He's been an All Black in the past. I think
he can consider himself one of the unlucky ones. David
harvillly as well, the Crusader's captain not getting a nod

(02:19):
there in the midfield. But look, at the same time,
it's a very good squad and it should be tough
to pick an All Blacks team, you know, to whistle
it down to thirty three now the challenge for Scott
Robinson is to get it to twenty three for a
match day. So look, I think on the whole it's
a very good team and one that should really push
and really it should beat friends France, so.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, that would be the goal, wouldn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Nick appreciate of course it's.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Really news talks. He'd be sports reporter with us for
more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to
News talks. He'd be from five am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.