The recalled All Black who 'really suits' playing Springboks

Dave Rennie has called on one of his most physical athletes to start against the Springboks in Cape Town this weekend after losing Josh Lord to an injury.

The lock’s absence has triggered a reshuffle in the Kiwi pack, with Tupou Vaa’i moving from the blindside flank back to the second row, and Simon Parker coming into the starting loose forward trio.

Parker, who debuted for New Zealand during the 2025 Rugby Championship and is listed at 197 cm and 117 kg, has emerged as one of New Zealand’s most physical forwards in recent seasons and grabbed hold of the black No. 6 jersey under Scott Robertson’s watch last year.

After Robertson’s dismissal in January, Rennie has brought with him a more opponent-specific approach to selection, as highlighted by Parker’s omission from each team sheet in July and starting nod in Cape Town.

“Look, he really suits us playing the (South) Africans. That’s been a big part of the reason why we brought him in late last week. And he was excellent against the Bulls,” Rennie explained.

“He’s physical, he gives us a bit of size at six, especially with Tupou moving in. We’ve still got a little bit of X-factor on the bench that can change the game late. But Simon’s been really good on tour.”

That X-factor comes in the form of 23-year-old rising star Peter Lakai, who can cover all three back-row positions. Lakai has been backed as an impact player on the bench in both of the opening Test teams in South Africa, originally joined by Anton Segner in the game one team before the German-born talent withdrew and Parker was handed the No. 19 jersey.

Lord’s 37th-minute injury brought Parker into the Test earlier than expected, where his bulk impressed the Kiwi selectors. With New Zealand claiming 101 fewer post-contact metres than South Africa in the Johannesburg match, Rennie sees the Chiefs enforcer’s presence as crucial.

“We still think that we can utilise Tupou on the edge playing that role he played as a six, and Simon in the middle of the park, where he’s excellent; all the hard stuff, defending and cleaning out.”

When assessing his options for Lord’s replacement, Rennie’s choices were slimmed by a midweek game against the Lions forcing his remaining locks to play another fast-paced 80 minutes at altitude, just four days out from the Cape Town Test.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

10 - 17

43 - 0

42 - 28

45 - 21

80 - 31

19 - 50

0 - 54

21 - 38

40 - 21

47 - 17

5

Wins

5

5

Streak

5

34

Tries Scored

35

137

Points Difference

151

4/5

First Try

4/5

4/5

First Points

4/5

4/5

Race To 10 Points

4/5

For Parker, the selection comes after some “good feedback from the coaches” during his minutes-less Nations Champions campaign. After earning squad selection again for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, he shrugged off any suggestion of frustration, stating the All Blacks aren’t a charity, and selection has to be earned the hard way.

Having bided his time, Parker now says he’s ready for his shot at tackling the team he describes as the best in the world.

“It’s just exciting to get your opportunity,” he told reporters in Cape Town. “Just looking forward to playing my part on Saturday and getting stuck in. It doesn’t matter your role in this team; we’re all just trying to do our best for this jersey and best for the country. This is just my role this week.”