'This isn't a charity': All Blacks loose forwards face brutal selection battle

Forty-four of New Zealand’s finest are in Cape Town ahead of the opening match of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour, with four warm-up fixtures against URC outfits offering players the opportunity to stake their claim on a place in the matchday 23 for the historic four-Test series.

While there is plenty of competition across the team, a highly talented loose forward unit is perhaps the most likely to give selectors headaches, featuring eight players competing for just three starting positions and one, or potentially two, bench roles.

The reality of the selection battle left Simon Parker on the sidelines throughout the All Blacks‘ three July Tests, with squad newcomers Ethan Blackadder and Semisi Ta’eiloa only earning call-ups once the squad expanded to 44 players for the new tour.

Parker was one of three players to miss selection in each of the three July Tests, joined by Kyle Preston and Beauden Barrett, with his omissions only furthering his hunger for game time in South Africa.

Asked how he was feeling about the opportunity to earn minutes, the Chiefs bruiser told reporters in Cape Town he was “excited, chomping at the bit to get out there.

“This isn’t a charity; it’s not like everyone deserves a crack,” he added. “You’ve just got to prepare the team however your role is each week.”

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The eight-cap All Black is still less than a year removed from his Test debut in a Rugby Championship showdown with Argentina. Directly after those two Los Pumas tests, he started on the blindside flank against South Africa in both an Eden Park win and a historic Hnry Stadium defeat.

Now in Springbok territory for the first time, Parker’s expectations for the tour are built on stories of fellow All Blacks who have made the walk down the hallowed halls of 10bet Ellis Park.

“You talk to some of the old boys, when they’ve toured over here in the past, and that has been the pinnacle of rugby. So we’re really looking forward to getting stuck into our work this week.”

Parker added that the team will be “treating every match like a Test match” on the tour, paying the same respect to the URC clubs as any other international opponent.

Fellow Chief and All Black Wallace Sititi is another of the eight competing for minutes, having missed an opportunity to cement his place during July’s Nations Championship games.

The 23-year-old was backed in the No.6 jersey against Italy, but put in an error-riddled performance, guilty of a handful of combined knock-ons and penalties. He missed selection the following week, with All Blacks coach Dave Rennie delivering some work-ons while insisting Sititi would play a big role for the team moving forward.

Three weeks on from that performance, Sititi says it’s a harsh but fair selection picture in the New Zealand camp.

“The All Blacks is a high-performance environment that expects the best, and when you don’t play your best, they get someone else to do it, because there’s a lot of quality out here. Obviously, that’s tough, but at the same time we support each other, and we look after each other.

“I’m just trying to enjoy my footy; that’s when I play my best. That’s the focus.”

Sititi is back at the scene of his 2023 Test breakthrough, with a starting debut in Cape Town beginning an international surge that would ultimately lead to a World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award.

“Two years ago feels like a long time ago,” he reflected. “One thing I do know is I’ve got very good memories here in Cape Town. We’ve really loved it out here, and we’ve definitely felt the love the last few days that we’ve been here.

“As a player, I’ve definitely grown a lot (since). I’ve been through a bit of adversity now and been through a lot of injuries, but that’s the game of footy, and it’s about the journey that got me here.”