The winners of the All Blacks' Rugby Championship campaign

When Scott Robertson took over as head coach of the All Blacks, there appeared to be an expectation, and a hope, that an overhaul of the coaching group would come with something of an overhaul of the playing group. That did not eventuate.

For the first time in years, there were no debutants named for the opening Test of 2024, and opportunities for those on the fringes only came against Fiji and when injury struck.

However, in 2025, that policy has shifted somewhat, and selectors are proving less accommodating of anything below what they deem to be the All Blacks standard.

Any newcomer to the jersey is following in the footsteps of giants and is tasked with progressing its legacy, something easier said than done in today’s competitive landscape.

But a few names are taking that challenge in their stride, and look sure to be big contributors on the upcoming Northern Tour.

Here are the players who have taken a step forward over the past two months.

It was only a matter of time

Peter Lakai has long been touted as the next big thing for the All Blacks, and while his 2025 Test campaign was delayed by injury, it has started with a powerful statement.

The 22-year-old produced a superb showing off the bench in round five, earning selection ahead of Wallace Sititi in round six with the Rugby Championship on the line.

The two Tests come after a brilliant debut in Paris last November, in which he played 79 minutes after Samipeni Finau was injured just moments after kickoff.

Lakai’s strength is his, well, strength. In person, he appears wider set than many of his loose forward teammates, and while he may not possess the athleticism of a Sititi, his extra mass enables him to better handle the challenges of the international game.

For the Wallabies, a team that keeps the ball tight and plays off halfback, the attack can start to roll like an avalanche, and it did so on a few occasions during the Bledisloe Cup Tests. In those tight collisions when the defence doesn’t have the luxury of getting off the line and countering the ball-carrier’s momentum, every kg of mass counts, and Lakai’s defence stood out in those passages.

Some strong carries of his own let the Wallabies know what he was about, too, and that made his passes in centrefield more effective, as he often took a few quick steps to engage the line before giving the pass.

The No.8 jersey looms as one of the big question marks for the Northern Tour, which kicks off on November 2 against Ireland. Both Sititi and Lakai have claims, and both will be in the black jersey for years to come.

Rugby Championship

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

South Africa

6

4

2

0

19

2

New Zealand

6

4

2

0

19

3

Australia

6

2

4

0

11

4

Argentina

6

2

4

0

10

Boomfa

Former All Blacks Sevens star Leroy ‘Boomfa’ Carter has provided exactly what the rugby doctor ordered on the wing for the All Blacks.

The Test rookie is one of seven players to start on the wing for New Zealand this season, with Quinn Tupaea and Ruben Love also spending time there late in games. Out of all of those players, Carter’s is surely the one name on everyone’s team sheet.

On both attack and defence, he’s injected energy into the game, living up to his nickname and delivering the big moments his jersey number demands.

Carter’s hungry, aggressive playstyle has seen him score three tries in as many Tests, two of which came from pick-and-go carries around the ruck. The latest effort even saw him power through the tackle of Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight, driving over the line to score.

The finishing prowess is evident, and moments like Eden Park’s big hit on Joseph Suaalii provide the impact that the other Kiwi wingers weren’t offering.

It hasn’t been all rosy and sweet, given his debut came in the All Blacks’ largest defeat in history, and he was caught biting in a bit too hard on occasion. But having Carter on one edge over the last few rounds certainly added a sense of danger to the All Blacks’ backline, and what would the All Blacks be without that?

The Bindside Bruiser

The All Blacks’ No.6 jersey has been the most uncertain of all in recent years, but finally, someone is ticking the right boxes.

Simon Parker is a hitman who, as outlined with Lakai, can win collisions going against the grain. There’s little compromise in his game, a departure from the flashiness of his recent predecessors.

His 197cm frame and love for lineout work have seen him contribute well to the Kiwi set piece, and his 67 tackles placed him in the top 10 for the tournament overall. Parker missed just six tackles in as many games.

The Chiefs hardman not giving up an inch to a rolling Marco van Staden, who was returning an All Blacks drop out in Auckland, was a highlight that showed he is more ready to go toe-to-toe with the big dogs.

Injury ruled the flanker out of the France series, so we’ll never know whether Tupou Vaa’i’s stint at blindside was an opportunistic experiment during Parker’s absence or the All Blacks coaches’ plan all along, but the 25-year-old has certainly put his best foot forward in his bid to continue starting moving forward.

He’s back

Quinn Tupaea’s career is back on track after 2022’s ACL rupture, and he’s making a huge impact for the All Blacks.

After performing as one of the All Blacks XV’s best players in 2024, the Chiefs star broke back into Test rugby the hard way, making the second-most carries in Super Rugby Pacific. That volume did not diminish his production.

While the 26-year-old missed selection in round one of the Rugby Championship, Anton inert-Brown’s concussion opened the door for an impact role in round two, but it was round three that he really put his hand up.

A try off the bench against the Springboks at Eden Park, the All Blacks’ biggest Test of the year, was a huge moment in the game and displayed the attacking presence the All Blacks had been missing in the midfield.

Round five was more of the same, leading to a start in round six. That selection call was rewarded with two tries.

Tupaea was penalised at the breakdown in Perth, but his strength was evident when contesting against Wallabies forwards, and another day, he may have had a couple of steals.

Yes, this was Tupaea’s first run at outside centre in the Test arena, but in his 152 minutes, he hasn’t done much wrong to inspire any doubts over his ability in the position.

Tupaea’s battle with Billy Proctor for the No.13 jersey looks to be one of the more compelling storylines of the All Blacks’ northern tour, with Leicester Fainga’anuku also likely to get a shot at some point, and Anton Lienert-Brown and Rieko Ioane also on hand for selectors, should they feature in the squad.