The Scott Robertson verdict on Dylan Pledger's All Blacks XV omission

New Zealand’s most hyped prospect was not selected for either the All Blacks or the All Blacks XV development team for the upcoming November Test window, but that omission wasn’t without consideration.

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has shared some of the behind-the-scenes selection conversations he had with All Blacks XV counterpart Jamie Joseph when picking the development team, and it appears there was some in-depth discussion centring around the budding star in question, Otago halfback Dylan Pledger.

The NPC rookie has impressed in two New Zealand U20 campaigns and is set for his rookie Super Rugby season with the Highlanders in 2026. The 20-year-old’s potential is evident, but that wasn’t enough for him to crack the national selection picture just yet.

While New Zealand’s selection policy doesn’t demand Super Rugby experience, Robertson said making the leap to the international stage isn’t something to underestimate.

“Of course there’s going to be a bolter,” Robertson told Sky Sports’ The Breakdown.

“It’s a great mark of your environment when players come in and go straight into the highest level, and we’ve had a few this year and over the last couple of years.

“If you look at someone like Dylan, who’s obviously a prodigious talent, learning his craft, he’s 74 kilos and quite a few games in. He’s going to be better for getting under a bench press this offseason and building his body to get into Super Rugby and play at that level.

“So, he’s there. He’ll be coming at the right time. I talked to Jamie (Joseph) a lot about him and his timing; when do we give him his opportunity? We’ve got three other really great halfbacks, well, six on tour for us, and his time will come.”

With Noah Hotham injured, Finlay Christie has joined Cam Roigard and Cortez Ratima as the All Blacks’ halfbacks, while Joseph’s All Blacks XV selections consist of Folau Fakatava, Kyle Preston, and Xavier Roe.

While Robertson insists his squad selection policy is expansive, he says his matchday selection policy is tailor-made for the opponent.

“It’s the best team to win that Test match,” he says, with a date with Ireland in Chicago approaching. The Test is being dubbed ‘The Rematch’ in reference to Ireland’s historic win over the All Blacks in the same city in 2016.

Robertson says his selections for the game are all but locked in, and attention is firmly on “giving them a crack.”

“Along the way, you learn that you try to bring the best team for the team that’s in front of you, but also give yourself a chance to get connections and enough training during the week, you have enough experience on there, and then give a young guy a crack.

“But we know how we’re going to play Ireland, we’ve had a couple of weeks to prepare for that, and we’re pretty clear on what Test team’s going to play in that game.

“When we get together on Wednesday, we’ve got a couple of days in camp in Auckland before we fly out to Chicago. So, that team will be ready.”