Dave Rennie has named his first All Blacks squad. Here are the main talking points:
And here it is! After months of anticipation following Dave Rennie’s appointment as All Blacks head coach, we finally have our first All Black squad of 2026. Rennie has named a 34-man squad, 19 forwards and 15 backs. There are four debutants, Xavier Numia, Anton Segner, Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby, as well as a new captain, Ardie Savea. Here are the main talking points from Rennie’s first squad announcement.
Snubs
As with any squad announcement, you have to start with the snubs. I’ve highlighted three main names; others unlucky to miss out include Rieko Ioane, Ollie Norris, Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Chay Fihaki.
Noah Hotham
Three test All Black Noah Hotham has been overlooked by incoming coach Dave Rennie after a strong Super Rugby season. Hotham scored five tries and assisted seven during the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, and was consistently preferred over Crusaders teammate Kyle Preston to start at halfback by outgoing Crusaders coach Rob Penney. In comparison, Kyle Preston and Cortez Ratima both scored two tries and assisted three and five tries, respectively. Both of their stats are slightly skewed by spending a significant amount of time coming off the bench.
So why has Rennie preferred Ratima and Preston over Hotham? The first conclusion people will jump to is Preston’s box kicking and ability to kick off both feet. In reality, Hotham’s box kicking accuracy was crucial to the Crusaders game plan and limited success throughout 2026. Hotham also completed more tackles than both at a 74% completion rate, compared to Ratima’s 71%. Hotham’s speed at the breakdown has lacked at times this year, and while he is always threatening with his snipes around the ruck, there are times where his delayed service or an ineffective dart off the back of a ruck has put a handbrake on the Crusaders attack. Looking at the dynamics of the halfbacks selected as a whole also helps explain the omission. Roigard is far and away the number one. You would think that come South Africa, Roigard will be playing upwards of 70 minutes a game, assuming his body can withstand it. Hotham and Ratima both have a similar playstyle to Roigard, which is that of the modern halfback, a strong runner and defender who threatens around lazy pillar defenders with an ever-present running game. Preston brings a different dynamic than these other three. Preston fits much better into the traditional halfback mould, with his speed at the breakdown, support lines and ability to free up his outside men.
While it may seem strange to some that the Crusaders bench halfback would be selected over their starter, there have been persistent calls from Crusaders country to see Preston given a genuine opportunity, which were frequently ignored by Rob Penney. Preston has certainly brought impact and enhanced the Crusaders attack when he has featured off the bench this season, which All Black selectors will have noted as they search for Roigard’s understudy. Preston now gets a chance to hone his craft alongside one of the world’s premier halfbacks in Roigard. Due to the different style Preston provides, I believe the decision came down to Ratima or Hotham. Despite Ratima’s lacklustre performance in the grand final, there is no doubt that Ratima outplayed Hotham the week prior in the semi-final. In what may have been a straight shootout between the two, Hotham faltered when he could least afford to, and it may have cost him an All Black jersey.
Timoci Tavatavanawai
Highlanders co-captain Timoci “Jim” Tavatavanawai misses out in a stacked midfield department. Tavatavanawai made two appearances from the bench against the French for the All Blacks in 2025, before a broken arm ended his season. Despite another season being one of the Highlanders bright spots, there was no space for Tavatavanawai in Rennie’s first squad.
Likely one of the main reasons Tavatavanawai misses out is the timeframes this All Blacks team is working in. The All Blacks have less than 18 months before the 2027 Rugby World Cup kicks off in Australia, and at the moment, Tavatavanawai’s game is not well-rounded enough to be a genuine option in the 12 jersey come their opening World Cup game against Chile. Tavatavanawai did not provide a single try assist for the Highlanders this season. Comparing this to the midfielders chosen by Rennie, Jordie Barrett had ten, Quinn Tupaea five, Billy Proctor nine and Anton Lienert-Brown had ten in Japan Rugby League One for Kobe. While Tavatavanawai once again topped the defenders beaten tally in Super Rugby Pacific, he may still be too one dimensional to be an international level 12, but his move to the midfield may have also ended any chances of Tavatavanawai having a career internationally on the wing. If Rennie had a bit more time on his hands, he may have considered Tavatavanwai as a long-term project. Similar to how Ma’a Nonu’s career played out, Nonu came into the All Blacks as a one dimensional ball carrier, and finished his career as what many would consider the most well rounded second five-eighth ever. Rennie, unfortunately, with the World Cup less than 18 months away, has not been afforded the time to do this and will instead be focused on winning now, and as a result, Tavatavanawai has missed out.
Rennie and the selectors have repeatedly insisted the squad was being selected on form. Due to this, Barrett, Tupaea and Proctor had essentially locked their names into the team sheet. That left one more spot in the midfield for Rennie to fill. Until about three days ago, that spot may very well have been filled by Leicester Fainga’anuku. Fainga’anuku’s fractured fibula opened up a spot for an extra player somewhere across the squad. The three names most likely in contention for the midfield would have been Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane and Anton Lienert-Brown. Lienert-Brown’s form for Kobe has been the best of the three, and he also covers both outside and inside centre, making him the logical choice for the fourth midfield slot. In a squad with an average of 34 test caps, Lienert-Brown’s 88 test caps provide crucial experience in a backline with plenty of inexperience.
Du’Plessis Kirifi
Arguably the biggest snub comes in the form of Hurricanes co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi. New Zealand historically have had incredible riches in the loose forward department, and Du’Plessis Kirifi becomes the latest victim of these riches.
In Kirifi’s case, I think it’s very little to do with what he’s done and instead simply the position he plays. Kirifi is a specialist openside flanker. All season for Kobe Ardie Savea has suited up in the seven jersey. Now that he is officially captain, it is hard to find a spot for a specialist seven in the squad to sit behind Savea, despite Kirifi’s form. Hurricanes teammate Peter Lakai also has the ability to play on the openside of the scrum, as do Anton Segner and Luke Jacobson. Lakai, Segner and Jacobson provide versatility as well though, all being able to play all three positions across the back row. Segner in particular provides an interesting option for the All Blacks, with his ability in the lineout allowing Savea more freedom to roam away from the set piece. All of the loose forwards chosen offer versatility across the back row, something Kirifi simply does not. What this means for Kirifi now is unclear, Rennie highlighted his name along with Rieko Ioane as extremely unlucky to miss out, but it seems Rennie’s vision for his loose forwards does not align with what Kirifi offers.
Debutants
No real surprises regarding debutants. Tamaiti Williams’ spine infection created an opportunity in the propping department, which Xavier Numia grabbed with two hands. Numia has been a constant in the All Blacks XV since their rebrand in 2022 and was unlucky to miss All Black selection in 2024 after a strong season for the Hurricanes. 2025 saw his form dip slightly, but he has found his best form again in 2026, forming a formidable Hurricanes front row with All Black teammates Asafo Aumua and Pasilio Tosi. Numia will be competing with veteran George Bower to deputise Ethan de Groot on the bench, and his dynamic carrying and power in the scrum could be crucial should Williams not be available come the South Africa tour.
Anton Segner has been comfortably the Blues best player in an otherwise disappointing 2026 season. Dalton Papali’i’s broken jaw seemed to be the nail in the coffin for the Blues season, but it actually unearthed one of their future stars in the seven jersey. Segner has one of the most unique journeys to an All Black jersey, born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, before moving to Nelson College to play rugby in New Zealand in 2017. Nine years later, Segner finds himself in an All Black squad. Rennie at the squad naming highlighted his ability to play seven, hinting at where the All Blacks potentially believe his best position is. I personally would love to see Segner given a shot to start at seven with Ardie Savea back at eight. The biggest negative of playing Savea at the back of the scrum is the effects on the lineout, with essentially two opensides in the pack. However, Segner has been one of the most effective loose forwards in the lineout during Super Rugby Pacific, and at 1.92 metres tall offers a genuine jumper option that is rare for an openside flanker. Segner may just be the player the All Blacks have been searching for since Sam Cane’s retirement to complement Ardie Savea in the loose forwards.
Joint Super Rugby record try scorers Josh Moorby and Fehi Fineanganofo close out the list of debutants, which should be no real surprise to anyone. The talk around Fineanganofo will be surrounding his contract and whether he can work his way out of it to remain in New Zealand, or if he is shipping off to Newcastle at the end of the year. Rennie seemed confident at the squad naming that Fineanganofo was in talks to remain in New Zealand rather than heading to Newcastle, but it remains to be seen whether he will be here come 2027. Despite that, it is a risk worth taking. Fineanganofo has been an excitement machine on the end of the Hurricanes backline this year, and if Rennie plans for his All Blacks to play a similar style to the ‘Canes, Fineanganofo will slot right in. As for Moorby, he returned to the Hurricanes after a stint for Montpellier in France and has looked like a different player since his return. The Top 14 has often been regarded as the best domestic competition in the rugby world, and Moorby’s game has gone to a new level after being exposed to French rugby’s finest. The shift to the wing from fullback has been a master stroke, as his work rate and understanding of the game have allowed him to cross the try line at a record-breaking rate. To me, Moorby seems like a better fit for the mould of a modern international winger, but Fineanganofo’s outright pace and gamebreaking ability was too much for selectors to ignore.
Predicted Lineup
With just three matches before heading off to South Africa, I doubt Rennie will muck around with selections; it will most likely be the strongest team on paper fielded come July 4th against the French. Here’s how I anticipate it to look:
Unavailable due to injury: Will Jordan
The key positions of interest will be in the back row and outside backs. How Rennie decides to stack his loose forwards for the opening test of the season may give us a great idea of how he intends to balance his loose trio throughout the year. Whether he goes with a more traditional blindside in Parker and puts Lakai or Sititi on the bench, pushing Segner out of the team, or sticks with the dynamic loose trio Razor seemed to have settled on before his departure will be one of the toughest calls for selection. The back three becomes tricky without Will Jordan. There’s no doubt that with Jordan healthy he would feature at fullback or on the right wing, but without him for the first two tests of the season Rennie has some decisions to make. Damian McKenzie’s last test appearance at fullback came in the 43-10 demolition derby from South Africa in 2025. Ruben Love may be a better option particularly under the high ball, but it makes more sense for him to be at 10 if that’s his long term position. Does Beauden Barrett then come into the equation to feature at the back? Or is it Josh Moorby starting his first test in the 15 jersey? It seems most likely Rennie will back DMac, but there is certainly an understandable argument as to why you would not and instead have him in his more natural role of providing impact from the bench.
Overall, it is an exciting team. The All Blacks find themselves at an interesting point, halfway through a World Cup cycle with a brand new coaching team and captain, about to embark on one of the biggest and toughest years in All Black history. It feels as if the country is reinvesting and falling back in love with the All Blacks under Dave Rennie, before a ball has even been kicked. What unfolds over the next six weeks in the lead up to the tour to South Africa has the potential to define the All Blacks season. While the French will not have their front line stars, such as Antoine Dupont and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, they have well and truly enough firepower to knock off the All Blacks if they are not ready. Either way, there’ll be fireworks come July 4th under the roof in Christchurch.
