The Scott Robertson era is moving quickly for the All Blacks, and the pressure cooker that is the selection debate continues to boil, building to what fans can only hope will be an explosion of All Blacks superiority, at anybody’s expense.
That’s anything but a given, however. The supposed inevitability of the All Blacks has been slipping through the desperate grasp of fans and team personnel alike, and before ‘Razor’ can inject adrenaline into this stumbling beast, he must refine the winning components.
That challenge is multi-dimensional, as talent, work rate and positional suitability seldom flow cohesively down the same braided river. That means someone like Will Jordan can have all the talent in the world and prefer playing at fullback, but that doesn’t make him the right fullback for the All Blacks.
Trying to fit square pegs in round holes to accommodate superstars has become a familiar criticism of the New Zealand team, and while the initial selections were all relatively similar to his predecessor, Scott Robertson has shown his willingness to make the necessary calls when he sees fit, even in his coaching staff.
In Cape Town against the world champs, Razor admitted his team had learnt a valuable lesson about dispersing the team’s experience evenly across the matchday 23, and walked the walk by backing a couple of Test rookies in the starting XV.
New Zealand’s production line continues to unearth world-class talent, and Super Rugby Pacific has taught us that there’s more from where the likes of Wallace Sititi and Cortez Ratima have come from.
The All Blacks will likely never be in full rebuild mode, but there’s potential for more youth to be injected into this side should the incumbents struggle to live up to the world-beating expectations that come with the black jersey.
Here are three players in need of big performances in the upcoming Tests to cement their place in the incoming era, with emphasis specifically on the matchday 23.
Dalton Papali’i
Sam Cane’s promotion to the starting unit in Johannesburg may have come via a hand injury to the Blues flanker, but when deemed healthy and cleared to play the Cape Town Test, it was Luke Jacobson who got the nod for the bench role, which he kept throughout the Bledisloe Tests.
Jacobson’s versatility is undoubtedly a huge asset for the No. 20 role, and while Papali’i has been trialled at blindside by Robertson’s predecessor Ian Foster, his status as more of a pure openside seems to be counting against him as an option for the All Blacks bench.
If it’s starting or bust for the Super Rugby Pacific champion, then the impending international retirement of Sam Cane may open the door for just that opportunity. However, the 27-year-old had the starting jersey to begin the year and the coaches were clearly left wanting more.
There’s little doubt over Papali’i’s work rate and ability to perform against the top flankers in the world, as he has done so since his 2018 debut. However, it’s an iconic jersey that demands exceptional performances, nothing less.
Perhaps the worst-case scenario has now occurred for the former Blues captain as a hamstring injury looks to keep him out of the opening few weeks of the Northern Tour. That has opened the door for Hurricanes young gun Peter Lakai, and therein lies Papali’i’s problem.
Lakai is a hugely touted prospect, who, at 21 years of age, is already dominant at Super Rugby level. A potential debut is on the cards for the youngster in Japan, and should he impress, the pressure on Papali’i will certainly amplify.
Asafo Aumua
One of the great athletes in world rugby let alone the All Blacks, Aumua rightfully earned selection in the 2024 squad after a superb Super Rugby Pacific campaign where he assumed the starting role and, at times, team captaincy.
The bulking hooker holds the Hurricanes club record for his bench press and continues former clubmate Dane Coles’ legacy of a front rower who spends his time lurking in the wide channels and looks far from out of place thanks to his elite pace.
However, in the international arena, your greatest strength is only ever as relevant as your greatest weakness, and for Aumua, lineout throwing remains his kryptonite.
No team, let alone heavyweights like New Zealand can afford to have an unreliable lineout at the highest level, particularly for this All Blacks team who have struggled to close out games in the winning moments. With Codie Taylor back to his world-class best in The Rugby Championship, Aumua is likely to remain in his current impact role.
In those winning moments, the fundamentals are non-negotiable.
Aumua’s X-factor is second to none in his position, but his deficiencies have seen him drop out of the national frame in years gone by. Samisoni Taukei’aho established himself as the next best for the No. 2 jersey in 2023 and may well do the same when he returns from injury if Aumua can’t make the necessary improvements.
Damian McKenzie
Running the All Blacks’ attack is an almighty task, and it is fair to say there have been a few growing pains as McKenzie finds his feet in the black 10 jersey.
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson said it himself: “We know D-Mac. Two out of 10 things might be ‘oh what’s happened?’ But the other eight have been unbelievable, so we’ve just got to get him to 10. He knows that.”
While the 29-year-old embodies New Zealand’s ambitious attacking rugby DNA, he does so in a position that demands astute game management and a measured approach to risk.
Robertson has used the power of unrelenting belief to empower Richie Mo’unga with the Crusaders, but that was Richie Mo’unga, Richie Mo’unga at Super Rugby level no less.
The same absolute selection policy can not be prescribed in the All Blacks, but McKenzie needs a license to be himself, to play with the ball in hand and run. Forcing McKenzie to shift his identity would undermine his X-factor, but he is growing into a player more suited for the international arena.
Beauden Barrett on the other hand is a steady hand, and while the team are building for the future, selections like that of TJ Perenara and Sam Cane prove Razor is hunting for results now and values experience.
In the All Blacks’ most recent win, Barrett started at 10 and placed the team in attacking positions throughout the contest, with the team looking more composed and consistent for his leadership.
Barrett, 33, while older than both Cane and Perenara, shows no signs of slowing down and could be utilised as a plug-in playmaker who brings veteran experience to the backline ahead of 2026, when it is rumoured Richie Mo’unga may return to New Zealand shores.
While McKenzie started the year as one of the Kiwis’ most important players given Mo’unga’s exit, that is not so much the case nine Tests into the campaign.
While the worst-case scenario given McKenzie’s talent is likely an impact role off the bench, his demotion would be a painful rejection from one of rugby’s most iconic jerseys.
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