1
All Blacks player ratings vs Sharks | Rugby's Greatest Rivalry 2026
50
{{item.n}}
Justin Marshall identifies the key factor behind Kyle Preston's selection
Comment
Share 
Justin Marshall has weighed in on Kyle Preston’s somewhat surprising selection over Crusaders teammate Noah Hotham in Dave Rennie’s first All Blacks squad.
Preston, who has one All Blacks Test cap to his name, didn’t start a single game for Rob Penney’s side in the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Crusaders halfback featured for Scott Robertson’s All Blacks in the 2025 Rugby Championship Test match against the Springboks, coming off the bench to replace Finlay Christie.
Preston’s rare ability in New Zealand to be able to kick off both feet was one of Dave Rennie’s reasons to select him, adding to his quick breakdown work.
Rennie selected Cameron Roigard and Cortez Ratima as the other two halfbacks, with a clear intention of having different styles as options to pick from during the July Nations Championship fixtures.
Marshall, who joined former Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul, ex-All Blacks captain Kieran Read, and podcaster Andy Rowe on the Good, Bad the Rugby ANZ podcast, had his say on Preston’s selection.
“Well, I think if they’re looking at balance, and again, he’s a genuine specific player, nines are, and he’s a slightly different player than Cortez Ratima and Cam Roigard.
“I think the balance that he brings and the way that he plays is offering something different to the defense, I think. Noah Hotham, Ratima, and Roigard are very similar players.
VIDEO
“Roigard goes off second reception. He’s on another planet when it comes to nines in the world at the moment. Probably Antoine Dupont is only his equal, so you know you got to look at that as a huge positive.”
Marshall, who played 81-Tests for the All Blacks, says the mix of the halfbacks is vitally important if Roigard is to be rested at any point, which could be why Preston got the nod over Hotham.
The All Blacks have, but when he [Roigard] is either needing a rest or he is injured, which he has been recently, what does the All Black shape look like? What do they look like as a threat from nine?
“I feel it’s similar with Cortez Ratima, but Preston’s just got a different style, he’s more of a support style player. He’s a really clever reader of the game.
“He’s got obviously very smart brain on him in the way that he wants to play, and he’s very good at using link players around him. So I think that’s probably the reason that they’ve looked at him.”
Watch Super Rugby Pacific live and free on RugbyPassTV in the USA!
