Leicester Fainga'anuku's best All Blacks bet remains on wing

Leicester Fainga’anuku made a rampaging return to international rugby in Perth last weekend, but it was a return that raised questions as well as answered them.

While the All Blacks started their 2025 season lacking some punch out wide, selection changes have brought players like Fainga’anuku, Caleb Clarke, and Leroy Carter into the fold, injecting some in-form X-factor into the backline.

Fainga’anuku’s selection on the left edge in Perth was rewarded with perhaps the most destructive ball-running performance of any Kiwi back in the season to date. Winning centrefield contests with Joseph Suaalii raised some eyebrows, with some questioning whether his game is best suited ot the midfield.

The Tongan-born bruiser was used almost exclusively in the midfield during his stint at Top 14 heavyweights Toulon, and emerged as one of the most effective carriers in club rugby.

Fainga’anuku had the eighth-most carries into contact out of any player in the Top 14, Gallagher Prem, URC, or Super Rugby Pacific last season, and no one in the top 10 got near his dominant carry rate of 53.8 per cent.

But for the Kiwi pundits on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Fainga’anuku’s crash-and-bash prowess is better suited to the wing.

While the 25-year-old offers something different to Jordie Barrett, his former Crusaders teammate, Bryn Hall, said the No.12 jersey required a triple-threat skillset of kicking, passing, and carrying. That notion was affirmed by his co-panellist, James Parsons.

“You need that ability in the midfield to do all things,” Parsons said. “You can manufacture him in there; it is quite versatile. I think you can manufacture him in the systems wearing 11.

“I thought he did a great job on the left wing. We’ve said for the last few years, there’s not a like-for-like style player like a Caleb Clarke, when he’s not available. So, now having Fainga’anuku available and winning those collisions and drawing so much attention, it just created a little bit more space for others.”

Hall reflected on his time with Fainga’anuku in the Crusaders camp and was sure that whatever jersey number was on his back, Fainga’anuku would make his presence felt.

“He’s always busy; he always likes to be around the ball on both wings,” Hall said. “He’ll go from one side of the field to the other.

“His confrontation, which, I think, is his biggest asset, his ability to get over the advantage line, whether it’s through a pick-and-go or one-on-one, those things can help out an attack.

“We didn’t get to see a whole lot of him aerially, which Caleb Clarke is really good at. But having spent time with him, the aerial game is an advantage and something that he does really well.

“So, whether they want to continue with Caleb Clarke when he does get back, or Leicester gets another opportunity, I feel like those two will be the ones on the Northern Tour getting selected.”