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Dave Rennie names All Blacks squad to take on Springboks in Greatest Rivalry tour

All Blacks squad announcement for the Greatest Rivalry series against the Springboks

Dave Rennie has named a strong All Blacks squad which will travel to South Africa in August and September, culminating in a four-test match series against the Springboks. The squad will then return to Australia and New Zealand for two Bledisloe tests.

The squad sees the return of Breakthrough Player of the Year 2025, Fabian Holland, and also sees potential new caps.

The All Blacks squad for South Africa

Forwards

PlayerPositionAgeTest CapsSuper Rugby Team
Asafo AumuaHooker2922Hurricanes
George BellHooker244Crusaders
Samisoni Taukei’ahoHooker2844Chiefs
Codie TaylorHooker35109Crusaders
George BowerProp3426Crusaders
Ethan de GrootProp2743Highlanders
Siale LauakiProp230 (New Cap)Hurricanes
Tyrel LomaxProp3051Hurricanes
Fletcher NewellProp2637Crusaders
Ollie NorrisProp263Chiefs
Xavier NumiaProp272Hurricanes
Pasilio TosiProp2717Hurricanes
Sam DarryLock2610Blues
Fabian HollandLock2312Highlanders
Josh LordLock2515Chiefs
Patrick TuipulotuLock3357Blues
Tupou Vaa’iLock2647Chiefs
Ethan BlackadderLoose Forward3114Crusaders
Luke JacobsonLoose Forward2927Chiefs
Peter LakaiLoose Forward2310Hurricanes
Simon ParkerLoose Forward268Chiefs
Ardie Savea (Captain)Loose Forward32109Unattached
Anton SegnerLoose Forward252Blues
Wallace SititiLoose Forward2321Chiefs
Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloaLoose Forward220 (New Cap)Unattached

Backs

PlayerPositionAgeTest CapsSuper Rugby Team
Cortez RatimaHalf Back2524Chiefs
Cam RoigardHalf Back2520Hurricanes
Kyle PrestonHalf Back261Crusaders
Beauden BarrettFirst Five-Eighth35144Blues
Josh JacombFirst Five-Eighth250 (New Cap)Chiefs
Ruben LoveFirst Five-Eighth258Hurricanes
Damian McKenzieFirst Five-Eighth3177Chiefs
Jordie BarrettMidfielder2981Hurricanes
Anton Lienert-BrownMidfielder3190Chiefs
Billy ProctorMidfielder2713Hurricanes
Timoci TavatavanawaiMidfielder282Highlanders
Quinn TupaeaMidfielder2726Chiefs
Leroy CarterOutside Back277Chiefs
Caleb ClarkeOutside Back2735Blues
Fehi FineanganofoOutside Back231Hurricanes
Rieko IoaneOutside Back2988Blues
Will JordanOutside Back2857Crusaders
Josh MoorbyOutside Back282Hurricanes
Emoni NarawaOutside Back274Chiefs

Unavailable Due to Injury

  • Tamaiti Williams (Prop, Crusaders)
  • Scott Barrett (Lock, Crusaders)
  • Leicester Fainga’anuku (Outside Back, Crusaders)

Three new caps for Rennie

The inclusion of uncapped trio Siale Lauaki, Josh Jacomb, and Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa injects dynamic young talent into the 44-man All Blacks squad for the demanding tour of South Africa. At 23, Hurricanes prop Lauaki offers high-impact versatility across both sides of the scrum following strong performances for the All Blacks XV, while 25-year-old Chiefs fly-half Jacomb adds vital playmaking depth alongside Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie, and Beauden Barrett. Meanwhile, 22-year-old loose forward Tupou Ta’eiloa brings bruising ball-carrying power and a physical defensive edge well-suited for the punishing midweek fixtures against South African franchises. By awarding these three standout performers their maiden call-ups alongside established Test veterans, the selectors have struck a calculated balance between rewarding domestic form and building necessary squad depth for an eight-match campaign.

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A huge fan of rugby and Liverpool FC, Jonny has been writing about both for several years. Having played rugby to a high level Jonny likes to give analytical insights as well as staying up to date with the latest news. Jonny has been an avid Liverpool fans since a child and his oldest memory is watching Liverpool win number five in Istanbul at the age of eight.

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