Ex-All Blacks on whether Razor needs to develop talent in the black jersey

In exactly one week, Scott Robertson will name his first All Blacks squad of the year, a 35-man set of players ready to take on France at home in a three-match series starting on the 5th of July in Dunedin.

The Super Rugby Pacific final is on Saturday evening in Christchurch, giving Chiefs and Crusaders players one last chance to impress the All Blacks coaches ahead of the squad naming.

The first squad of the year typically features players with significant experience in the black jersey, but according to three former All Blacks, some less experienced players also deserve more opportunities in the 2025 International season.

Former All Black first-five Aaron Cruden believes that over the last five years the All Blacks have been able to build experience, but now need to give new talent opportunities, two years before the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

“To me, it’s about blooding some new talent, either new talent or guys that probably haven’t had many minutes out there at Test match level,” Cruden told The Breakdown on Sky Sport.

“So for me, it’s finding that balance of being able to do that, not always just always thinking, if there’s a lost Test match, I’m just going to give guys the experienced guys another crack.

“Especially through Super Rugby, the guys that haven’t had much opportunity at Test match level, if they’re performing, so for me, that’s what I guess I would like to see from an All Blacks point of view.”

Sky Sports commentator and former All Black Jeff Wilson asked Cruden how important he thinks winning is right now, compared to developing players for the World Cup in 2027.

“I think the expectations for the All Blacks are always to win, I think based on possibly last year and a little bit of inconsistency, I think Razor will be thinking that, he’s going to be judged possibly more harshly in year two than he was in year one.

“So, yeah, I totally get that again, but I still just feel guys that are in form knocking on the door, what more can they do to be given opportunities?”

Wilson asks former All Black centurian Mils Muliaina whether the All Blacks can develop and win at the same time, something that has often been a talking point amongst All Blacks fans.

“I think if you’re the coaching staff off the back of last year, you need to win now, you need to win now because last year was your sort of stepping in period.

“The Test series against France, is probably the most important Test series for Razor right now, because he’s got to win, I don’t think you bring guys into to play those games unless we’ve won the first two.

“That’s when you start with someone like a third halfback, Ratima to me is your second half back, with Roigard, then you start blooding new guys in.

“We’ve got to get back to winning and when you look at Super Rugby, it gives me confidence that we’ve adapted.”

Muliaina believes Peter Lakai and Billy Proctor are the ones who deserve more game time in 2025.

“It probably won’t be a bolter, but a person that’s been in there, Peter Lakai, giving them more opportunity to get out there and face some of that sort of Test pressure in either 6,7,8, he could play any of those positions but it allows them to go out there and just gain a bit more of that experience,” Muliaina said on The Breakdown.

“Billy Proctor is going, two different positions, but Billy Proctor needs to go, he has had a great season and I know he’s been injured but when he’s come back into the fold of things, I like his balance.

“He’s strong, his distributing skills are awesome so you give him a bit more time. It’s whether they pick a Quinn Tupaea based on the Jordie Barrett’s of the world coming back that extended squad, Anton Lienert-Brown, but for me, Billy Proctor goes.”

Former World Cup-winning All Black first-five Stephen Donald believes it will depend on what way Robertson wants to play, as Tupaea’s game is suited to a more direct style of play.

“That goes back to my original point around what game he’s trying to play, have they sat back and gone, we need more punch,” Donald said on The Breakdown.

“If we need more punch around that gain line, to get momentum,  a big presence defensively in the midfield, which Quinn (Tupaea) does and if you’re going to run square at him, he’s going to hit you.

“We’ve seen it all Super Rugby season, so again, you can theorize around Quinn’s value, but how are you going to use him?