Tony Johnson: 'Certainly has the potential to be a game changer'

Experienced Sky Sports commentator and rugby pundit Tony Johnson has come out and praised Highlanders and All Blacks XV winger Caleb Tangitau, after an impressive start to the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Tangitau played twice for Jamie Joseph’s All Blacks XV side over last year’s end-of-year tour, and has been talked about as one of New Zealand’s most promising up and coming talents.

The 22-year-old had another good performance against the Crusaders in Christchurch, backing up what has been a solid start under Joseph during the opening five rounds of Super Rugby Pacific.

Tangitau now has four tries from five games this season, and hasn’t looked like slowing down any time soon alongside some other exciting Highlanders backs, in Jacob Ratamatavuki-Kneepkens and Jona Nareki.

Speaking to Ian Smith on Sport Nation, the broadcaster labelled Tangitau as one to watch, as the selection race heats up for spots in new All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s side come July.

Johnson explained that among the All Blacks’ wing stocks, the Blues’ Caleb Clarke has stepped up, while Chiefs winger Leroy Carter has also started 2026 on the front foot.

“If I was going to pick an All Black wing combination, I’d have Clarke on one wing probably, Leroy Carter on the other because he’s in extremely good form,” Johnson said on Sport Nation.

“Although, Caleb Tangitau if he continues to score tries and can work on the areas of his game that still need working on, like some of his defensive positioning and maybe better work under the high ball, etc, is certainly got the potential to be a game changer at the highest level.

“But I think that’s where there’s some good form at the moment.”

When asked about whether there’s a possibility of moving Clarke to centre to accommodate the depth on the wing, where his father played, Johnson is quick to shut it down, using Rieko Ioane as a comparison.

“No, look, he’s got that speed, and I think that was probably one thing they ended up sacrificing with Rieko Ioane going to centre was that that speed that he had early on his career, on the outside, we just didn’t quite see the end of I didn’t see it so much when he went to centre,” Johnson said on Sport Nation.

“Because you just don’t get that time and space. If guys have got those attributes, I think, leave them on the wing. Keep them out there. Because if you give them a couple of meters, a little bit of space on the outside, something like that, he’s going to burn you. He’ll hurt teams big time. So I wouldn’t see that move.”