Latest breakthrough award tempers heat on All Blacks coaches

Fabian Holland was crowned Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year over the weekend, the sixth New Zealander to win the award since its 2015 inception and the third consecutive Kiwi winner of the category, after Mark Tele’a’s efforts in 2023 and Wallace Sititi’s superb rookie campaign in 2024.

In a season heavily criticised for its imperfections, the All Blacks‘ continued ability to produce young stars remains a powerful positive, and one that has Kiwi pundits commending an otherwise embattled coaching staff.

Holland became eligible for All Blacks selection late in 2024, having satisfied World Rugby’s recently revised eligibility laws after moving from the Netherlands to Christchurch as a 16-year-old.

Now 23, the 204 cm second row has four seasons of Super Rugby under his belt, having established himself as one of the premier defensive and lineout forces in the competition.

That form has transferred to the Test arena as seamlessly as the youngster could have hoped, impressing former opponents and bringing praise to the All Blacks coaches.

“Having the confidence from the coaches to be picked, knowing you’re going to be put into the cauldron and then being able to execute under pressure,” former Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall explained on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

“To have Wallace Sititi last year, and then Fabian Holland, you’ve got to give credit to the coaching staff for how they are moulding these young guys to come through.

“Peter Lakai is another example at No.8. These young guys are coming through, and they are being able to perform at a high level.

“Now, there are obviously expectations for them as a group to perform as All Blacks, and there is a lot of adversity that comes with that. But Fabian this year and Wallace last year are being put in a position to succeed.

“Fabian this year was outstanding; the consistency, the high minutes for a young man, in a pretty tough position with a lot of attrition. So, thoroughly deserved.”

While there was no shortage of hype around England youngster Henry Pollock, who was also nominated for the award, Hall’s co-panellist on the show, two-time All Black James Parsons, agreed Holland was the deserved winner.

“I totally agree, it should be Fabian,” he said. “He played way more minutes and was more consistent. Pollock’s going to be great, but he’ll get exposed (to more game time) in time, and he’ll be one of the best England has had.

“The one thing I will say, to have back-to-back breakthrough players of the year is a real credit to the environment. One, to the management team, and that’s the whole management team, not just the coaching staff, and (two), the leaders. To create an environment where you’re coming in and it’s on, you’re nervous, there’s no way out of that. And they have lifted two players, relatively unknown to the rest of the world, to, not superstardom, but to the point where everyone knows Wallace Sititi and Fabian Holland now.

“It must make the group extremely proud, because it’s the hardest place to be when you know nothing and you’re new in the group, and the fact that they can build these two individuals up to thrive at Test match level, where the margins are just getting finer and finer, man, it’s a tip of the cap to those players and management.”