Scott Hansen: All Blacks assistant coach on the All Blacks team named to play against France in Dunedin

There's plenty of surprises in the first All Blacks team of 2025 for Saturday's rugby test opener against France in Dunedin.

The side to tackle France in Dunedin this Saturday features four debutants and three major positional changes.

All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen says this will be a proud moment for the players ahead of the match.

"What we've selected is a team we feel will allow us to play the game we need this weekend, and included in that is four debutantes. So we're really excited for them and the opportunity in front of us."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is the first All Blacks game of the year.
This Saturday, of course, playing the first of three Tests
against France in Dunedin. Got four debutantes named in the
side and from Dunedin we have the All Blacks assistant
coach Scott Hansen.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hay Scott, Hey, here the hell are you today? Well?

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Thank you? All those four fresh ones are a surprise.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Aim well, they will deserve it, so we're excited for
them and their families. It's always a proud moment when
you are named to be an All back, but also
for your first Test cap. So the excitement in the
room to see the smiles and a joy on their
faces a.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Cool moment is a little bit of it that you
can also afford to take a bit of a chance
one like as big a number of fresh ones because
the French side is so rubbish.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Oh yeah, I said, the narrative you're given there, it's
not the narrative we're giving it all. We see the
French as a very good side with a lot of depth.
They play one of the best competitions domestically in the world.
The Six Nations champions coming down here with no fear
what we've selected either as a team we feel will

(01:06):
allow us to play the game that we need this weekend,
And included in that is for deputont So we're really
excited for them and the opportunity in front of us.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Why is Demo on the bench, Oh.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
He's going to give us what we need around that bench. Also,
just his ability to ignite our game both at teen
and full back. Bod yet teen leads us well. They
both have the opportunity to lead the All Blacks at
a ten. They've both got the skills to play fullbacks too,
so we're very lucky in that sense.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Do you think that this will be the way that
you roll it with Boden Barrett starting, Damien McKenzie coming
off the bench, or will you kind of for the
season or will you mix it up game to game?
Do you think?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah? I think so either. I just think our ability
to have our talent in different areas of the field,
the ability for us to adjust our game with both
Demac and Body, And you've obviously got a Reuben Love
there too around just you know, pushing and challenging those two,
which has been great for us in the last couple
of days at training. But I think we're really confident

(02:09):
in our group and who will go out each weekend
and put on whatever number juty that may be.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
How are you feeling about the season? Last season was
a little bit kind of hit and miss, which was
fair enough for a new coaching team and you know,
so on, But how are you feeling. Are you feeling
like you guys are going to nail it this year?

Speaker 2 (02:25):
I'm feeling really confident with the group who we've got.
The leadership group's been outstanding here that around grabbing this group,
connecting them early and being really decisive around our game
and what that looks like. So this time of the year,
there's always excitement around what's in front of you. You're

(02:46):
always going to go through challenges. You're always going to learn.
I won't always be perfect for us. We'll adjust, we'll adapt,
we'll learn. We know it's going to be that season.
It's a very challenging one, but one we're definitely very
excited for.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Good luck, Scott, really hope you do well. That's Scott Hansen,
all Blacks assistant coach from Dunedin. For more from Hither
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