Five NZ talking points going into Super Rugby Pacific pre-season

Super Rugby Pacific pre-season kicks off for the New Zealand teams this weekend as the Crusaders take on the Blues this Friday at a sold out Kirwee Rugby Club.

Moana Pasifika take on the Highlanders in Albany, Jamie Joseph’s first test as new head coach of the Highlanders.

Then to round off weekend number one of pre-season action for the New Zealand franchises, Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth will host the Chiefs and the Hurricanes.

Which Chiefs loose forward is going to step up?

Clayton McMillan is lucky enough to have a mountain of loose forwards to work with in 2025, making the decision to fill the void of World Rugby Breakthrough Men’s 15’s player of the year Wallace Sititi, a bit more complicated than it looks. 

Samipeni Finau and Luke Jacobson are more than likely to begin the season in the starting lineup, but the position of Jacobson could change over the course of pre-season.

Let’s start with the young option. Malachi Wrampling Alec, the brother of midfielder Gideon, has showcased his talents across the New Zealand U20 and Waikato NPC systems in 2023. The barnstorming loose forward has what it takes to make the jump towards the Super Rugby level, but will have stiff competition if he wants to claim that vacant No.8 jersey. 

The 29-cap experienced loose forward Kaylum Boshier is also an option for McMillan if experience is the road he intends to go down. Jahrome Brown, who was signed by the Chiefs from the Brumbies for the 2025-2026 Super Rugby Pacific seasons is also another option, someone who has Super Rugby experience in over 50 caps. If Brown was to play at his preferred openside flanker role, a reshuffle of Jacobson’s position could be in the works.

Who starts at 10 for the Crusaders?

The move to bring former Wallabies first-five James O’Connor over to Christchurch may have raised some eyebrows here in New Zealand, but it could become very real come February 14th against the Hurricanes.

The 64-Test Wallaby last played for Australia in 2022, and the playmaker has played at the Queensland Reds in the past couple of seasons.

If it’s not O’Connor in the 10 jersey, head coach Rob Penney will have to look towards young playmakers in Rivez Reihana and Taha Kemara. 

Reihana impressed for Northland in the 2024 NPC competition, but his 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season was plagued with injuries. The talent is there, and hopefully, with a stronger base set for Reihana, he can showcase the talent we know he has.

Taha Kemara has struggled to find game time since he came on the professional scene for Waikato, after captaining the Hamilton Boys 1st XV, playing with All Black halfback Noah Hotham.

Kemara is an option for Penney, but pre-season will likely tell us all we need to know about where O’Connor and Reihana fit in the Crusaders 2025 puzzle.

Can the Highlanders gain some momentum under Jamie Joseph?

It feels like a lifetime ago since the Highlanders won Super Rugby back in 2015 when Jamie Joseph was in charge. The people down in the deep south will be hoping for the same type of success in 2025, as Joseph returns as head coach after a year as the “Head of rugby” before agreeing to become the head coach this year. 

2024 head coach Clarke Dermody returns to an assistant coaching role, with Tony Brown’s brother Cory, becoming an assistant coach for the Dunedin-based franchise.

The Highlanders have named co-captains for the 2025 season, Hugh Renton and Timoci Tavatavanawai will lead the team in this new campaign.

They have added some talent from across New Zealand, with two Blues players making the trip down south. Hooker Soane Vikena will be looking to improve on his 27 Super Rugby caps and Joseph has also added exciting former NZ Sevens player Caleb Tangitau to their backs’ stocks this year, hopefully adding some X-factor to Joseph’s backline. 

With high hopes for Fabian Holland’s future, Timoci Tavatavanawais’s growing quality and Ethan de Groot’s leading-from-the-front attitude, the Highlanders will be hopeful for an improved 2025 season.

Can the Hurricanes fill the void of TJ – Ardie – Jordie Barrett?

With the Hurricanes missing TJ Perenara (Black Rams Tokyo), Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika) and Jordie Barrett (Leinster) for the whole 2025 Super Rugby Pacific campaign, the Hurricanes must fill the void with more than just players.  

Clark Laidlaw and the Hurricanes will miss more than just the on-field attributes of those three players, the leadership and mana lost will be more important to replace. Riley Higgins will likely slot straight into the No.12 jersey, Cameron Roigard into the No.9 jersey, and Peter Lakai in the No.7 jersey, but the challenging part of the small, but important, exodus from past campaigns will be turning these players into leaders and game drivers for the Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes have a young and exciting squad, which Laidlaw had firing on all cylinders during the 2024 campaign, an innovative running-the-ball style that was a breath of fresh air for a New Zealand side. 

This year will be important in discovering the next set of long-term, Wellington stalwarts in yellow.

Where do Beauden Barrett, Harry Plummer, Stephen Perofeta and Zarn Sullivan fit in?

I’m not sure how the Blues have managed to keep four high-quality playmakers in their squad for 2025, considering the lack of quality options for other New Zealand Super Rugby franchises. There were links to a move south for both Stephen Perofeta and Zarn Sullivan, while Harry Plummer will play his last season in Blues’ colours before a well-earned move to France.

Nothing came from the rumours, meaning the Blues and Vern Cotter have the headache of trying to fit four playmakers into three spots.

Harry Plummer could play at second five (something he’s done before), but is unlikely to considering the season he had last year at No.10 for Vern Cotter’s side. The configuration of first-five, full-back and the bench utility back will be interesting, as it’s likely one of the four playmakers will have to miss out every week.

Does the flow-on effect from Richie Mo’unga not coming back to New Zealand this year impact what Scott Robertson wants Beauden Barrett to do this year?

You’d have to think that it’ll be a battle between Barrett and Damian McKenzie for the starting All Blacks jersey, meaning that Robertson likely will want Barrett playing No.10 throughout the year. 

Pre-season might not show us much, due to Beauden Barrett only returning to Blues camp this week, but Cotter won’t leave Barrett out for long, likely playing alongside Plummer and Perofeta, with Sullivan waiting in the wings.