Nine potential test debutants named in first All Blacks squad of Ian Foster's reign
Ian Foster has rewarded Super Rugby Aotearoa form in naming the first All Blacks squad of his tenure as coach of the New Zealand national team.
Asafo Aumua, Alex Hodgman, Quinten Strange, Tupou Vaa’i, Cullen Grace, Akira Ioane, Hoskins Sotutu, Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan have all been called into Foster’ 35-man squad and could make test debuts against Australia later this year.
Aumua and Ioane were included on the All Blacks’ tour to the Northern Hemisphere in 2017 and suited up against the Barbarians and a French XV but have yet to play any test matches.
Aumua joins Codie Taylor and Dane Coles as the hookers in the squad, with 23-year-old Aumua comfortably the youngest of the trio. He takes the spot occupied by Liam Coltman at last year’s World Cup in Japan.
Hodgman, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Tyrel Lomax are the other big movers in the front row with the pipping the likes of Angus Ta’avao and South Island representative George Bower spots in the squad. Joe Moody, Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tu’ungafasi are all experienced selections included.
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Blues front-rower Hodgman’s unavailability for the North v South match evidently did not harm his cause.
With Brodie Retallick overseas, Scott Barrett on the mend from surgery and up-and-comer Pari Pari Parkinson also out through injury, Foster and his fellow coaches have had to dig deep into New Zealand’s locking stocks. Strange’s inclusion highlights the selectors’ faith in the young man, given he spent much of the season sidelined. 20-year-old Vaa’i has been a solid performer for the Chiefs during Super Rugby Aotearoa and is a name that was likely not on the radar at all at the beginning of the year.
Sam Whitelock and Patrick Tuipulotu, the captains in last night’s game, will forge a formidable second-row combination in the national side.
The loose forwards were always going to be highly contested with Sam Cane, Lachlan Boshier, Du’Plessis Kirifi and Luke Jacobson all absent from the interisland match. Captain Cane has unsurprisingly been selected alongside fellow World Cup travellers Ardie Savea and Shannon Frizell, while Hoskins Sotutu has been perhaps the most impressive forward in an outstanding Blues pack this season. Grace’s selection comes despite the Timaru-born loosie spending a large part of the season out with injury.
Ioane, after seemingly carrying the world on his shoulders in seasons gone by, has loosened up this year and is rewarded for his flexibility in the loosies. Dalton Papalii also earns selection as the third openside flanker in the squad.
In the backs, Brad Weber has fought off the attention of Finlay Christie and the talented youngsters coming through the ranks to retain the third halfback spot. His performance in the North v South game was a step up from what we’ve seen of him at the Chiefs this season and may well have convinced Foster not to go with a younger option.
Josh Ioane misses out on selection despite a strong showing for the South, providing the cross-field kick that won the South the match in the final seconds of the interisland encounter. Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett are named as the sole 10s in the squad but Damian McKenzie was tasked with running the cutter for the North in the final quarter and is likely seen as a utility option in the squad.
Any takers for another two North vs South fixtures to settle this? #NorthvsSouth #AllBlacks https://t.co/kRuMiBII14
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 5, 2020
Ngani Laumape’s injury means that the midfield selections are relatively straightforward with Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Braydon Ennor and dangerman Rieko Ioane nabbing spots. Although Ennor was taken from the field early in last night’s encounter, he’s evidently been ruled fit for the upcoming international ‘season’.
Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan are the big winners in the outside backs, following exceptional seasons for the Blues and Crusaders respectively.
All Blacks squad
Forwards:
Alex Hodgman, Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Tyrel Lomax, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Dane Coles, Codie Taylor, Asafo Aumua, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Whitelock, Tupou Vaa’i, Quinten Strange, Sam Cane, Cullen Grace, Ardie Savea, Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Shannon Frizell.
Backs:
Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara, Brad Weber, Richie Mo’unga, Beauden Barrett, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Rieko Ioane, Braydon Ennor, Jordie Barrett, Sevu Reece, Caleb Clarke, George Bridge, Will Jordan, Damian McKenzie.
Comments on RugbyPass
guys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
1 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments