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Headline names return as All Blacks name Rugby Championship squad
The All Blacks have named a 36-man squad featuring the return of many key players ahead of next month’s Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship series.
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Keeping largely the same squad as was used for the recently-completed Steinlager Series against Tonga and Fiji, head coach Ian Foster has opted for minimal but important changes to his roster.
Among the most noticeable changes comes at halfback, where veteran No 9 TJ Perenara returns to the national squad for the first time since returning to New Zealand from his Top League sabbatical with NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in Japan.
Off-contract with New Zealand Rugby [NZR] leading into that sabbatical, Perenara was excluded from the Steinlager Series due to a contractual technicality that meant he had to play rugby in New Zealand before being eligible to play for the All Blacks again.
Now signed on with NZR until 2023, the 69-test star has been playing club rugby for Northern United in Wellington and has since become available for international selection.
As a result, Perenara has been selected for the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship squad and takes the place of rookie halfback Finlay Christie, who earned his first two test caps via cameo appearances off the bench against Tonga and Fiji.
However, Christie will stay on with the squad as cover while Perenara undergoes a gradual return to test rugby via club rugby and Wellington in the NPC.
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Further alterations to the squad have been made in the front row, as first-choice props Joe Moody and Ofa Tuungafasi have both been selected after enduring injury woes.
Moody has been sidelined since April after he sustained a foot injury during his 100th appearance for the Crusaders against the Hurricanes, while Tuungafasi was unavailable for the recent tests after undergoing minor knee surgery.
Both have returned to Foster’s squad, though, and are expected to play key roles in the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship once they are fit and available.
That shouldn’t be too far away for Tuungafasi, although Moody isn’t expected to feature until after the Bledisloe Cup series.
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Moody’s unavailability has allowed rookie prop George Bower, who picked up his first three test caps against Tonga and Fiji, to stay onboard with the squad as injury cover.
Newly-capped hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, who scored twice on test debut against Fiji on Saturday, is similarly fortuitous as he will stay with the team, despite not being named in the squad, to cover for Asafo Aumua, who is still battling concussion symptoms.
Marika Koroibete will front a World Rugby judicial committee on Monday night. https://t.co/z34nsDjtEG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 18, 2021
There is, however, no such luck for two-test loosehead prop Ethan de Groot, who has been omitted from the squad to make way for the return of Moody and Tuungafasi two weeks after his test debut.
The only other change in the squad comes in the midfield, where one-test centre Braydon Ennor has recovered from the appendicitis injury that ruled him out of the July test series to return to Foster’s set-up.
No room has been found for injured duo Sam Cane (chest) and Jack Goodhue (knee), both of whom remain sidelined with their respective injuries for a substantial period of time.
Likewise, powerhouse wing Caleb Clarke remains absent as he acts as a travelling reserve to the All Blacks Sevens Olympics squad in Tokyo.
With Cane, the regular All Blacks captain, still out of action as he recovers from his pectoral injury, seasoned lock Sam Whitelock will reclaim the captaincy reins for the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship campaign.
Foster said he was pleased with the squad he was able to bring together and was satisfied with what he learned from the recent tests against Tonga and Fiji.
“The Steinlager Series gave us a great opportunity to grow some depth and experience. It also enabled us to re-establish some returning players, both from overseas or from injury,” Foster said in a statement.
“The Bledisloe Cup plus the Rugby Championship are pinnacle challenges for us and remain as our top priorities. There is real excitement in the group for these opportunities in front of us.”
The All Blacks will assemble for a two-day camp in Christchurch next week before coming together in Auckland again next week ahead of their first Bledisloe Cup clash – which doesn’t count towards the Rugby Championship – at Eden Park on August 7.
All Blacks squad for 2021 Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship
Hookers:
Asafo Aumua (2 tests)
Dane Coles (76 tests)
Codie Taylor (58 tests)
Props:
Nepo Laulala (31 tests)
Tyrel Lomax (8 tests)
Joe Moody (50 tests)
Angus Ta’avao (16 tests)
Karl Tu’inukuafe (18 tests)
Ofa Tuungafasi (39 tests)
Locks:
Scott Barrett (42 tests)
Brodie Retallick (83 tests)
Patrick Tuipulotu (38 tests)
Tupou Vaa’i (4 tests)
Sam Whitelock (125 tests) (c)
Loose Forwards:
Ethan Blackadder (2 tests)
Shannon Frizell (14 tests)
Akira Ioane (4 tests)
Luke Jacobson (5 tests)
Dalton Papalii (5 tests)
Ardie Savea (50 tests)
Hoskins Sotutu (6 tests)
Halfbacks:
TJ Perenara (69 tests)
Aaron Smith (99 tests)
Brad Weber (9 tests)
First-Fives:
Beauden Barrett (91 tests)
Richie Mo’unga (24 tests)
Midfielders:
Braydon Ennor (1 test)
David Havili (5 tests)
Rieko Ioane (37 tests)
Anton Lienert-Brown (50 tests)
Quinn Tupaea (1 test)
Outside Backs:
Jordie Barrett (25 tests)
George Bridge (12 tests)
Will Jordan (5 tests)
Damian McKenzie (30 tests)
Sevu Reece (10 tests)
Injury cover reserves:
George Bower (3 tests)
Finlay Christie (2 tests)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (1 test)
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments