One uncapped player named in All Blacks 41-man 'foundation day' squad
The All Blacks have announced a 41-man training squad for a ‘foundation day’ to be held in Wellington next Monday.
The large majority of players who featured for the national side have been named in the extended side, although there are a couple of eye-catching selections and omissions.
Blues No. 8 Akira Ioane, who is uncapped at test level but made one appearance for New Zealand in a match against a French XV in Lyon two years ago, has been named in the squad as one of nine loose forwards.
His addition is a sign that head coach Steve Hansen has seen improvement in the 23-year-old’s game, which comes after he was not included in an extended 51-man squad that travelled to Japan at the end of last year.
Ioane, who has built himself a reputation as a barnstorming ball-carrier, has impressed many onlookers so far in this season’s Super Rugby campaign, with an enhancement in defence and work rate around the park not going unnoticed by Hansen.
His rich vein of form has not only seen him win selection into the foundation day squad, but it has also played a significant role in the Blues’ rapid rise up the table, with the Auckland-based franchise sitting in 5th spot after eight rounds as they look to chase their first play-offs appearance since 2011.
Despite the inclusion of Ioane, there is no clear-cut bolter in the squad, with Blues teammate and fellow loose forward Tom Robinson, who has stood out as one of the competition’s best rookies this year, missing out.
However, for all that has been made of his impact upon returning to the Blues, Ma’a Nonu has failed to make the cut, missing out to fellow midfielders Sonny Bill Williams, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown and Ngani Laumape.
36-year-old Nonu returned to Auckland after a three-season spell in the Top 14 with Toulon, which begin just months after he played in the last of his 103 tests for the All Blacks.
The two-time World Cup winner has made no secret of his desire to return to the national side to play in a fourth World Cup in Japan later this year, and after taking his time to find his feet back at Super Rugby level, many are tipping him to win selection after a string of top displays in recent weeks.
He faces a tough battle to force his way into the side, though, with there likely to be only four spots available for midfielders, and five incumbents already battling it out with each other to secure their place.
Nonu joins two-test Blues flaker Dalton Papali’i and Toulon-bound Nehe Milner-Skudder as the biggest omissions from the squad.
A raft of other internationally-capped players from around the country have also not been included, such as David Havili, Matt Proctor, Tim Perry, Luke Romano, Dillon Hunt, Jeffery To’omaga-Allen, Gareth Evans, Mitchell Drummond, Elliot Dixon, Brett Cameron, Kane Hames, Brad Weber, James Parsons, and Augustine Pulu.
Other uncapped players who have been involved within the All Blacks set-up over the past couple of seasons, such as Bryn Hall, Asafo Aumua, Atu Moli, Ricky Riccitelli, Matt Duffie and Reuben O’Neill, did not receive call-ups.
New Zealand Rugby said in a statement that foundation days were “aimed at allowing the All Blacks management team and top players to lay the foundation for the international season ahead”.
Two more foundation days will be held over the course of the coming months, with one to be held for North Island-based players in Auckland on May 20, and another one for South Island-based players on June 3.
41-man All Blacks squad for foundation day:
Forwards: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala, Tyrel Lomax, Joe Moody, Angus Ta’avao, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett, Jackson Hemopo, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane, Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Akira Ioane, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea, Liam Squire, Matt Todd, Luke Whitelock
Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo’unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Waisake Naholo, Ben Smith
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Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments